Day care centers: birth to first grade license option.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of day care centers by the State Department of Social Services. Existing regulations require a separate license to be issued for each component of a combination center, and establishes teacher-child ratio requirements. This bill would require the department to, in consultation with specified stakeholders, adopt regulations on or before January 1, 2018, to develop and implement a birth to entering first grade license option for day care centers. The bill would require the regulations to include age-appropriate transition times, as specified, a requirement that a single integrated license option list the age groups of children being served at the day care center, and a requirement that all other licensing regulations that apply to a day care center shall also apply to a birth to entering first grade license option. The bill would require, until a day care center has the new integrated license, standards for inspection of a day care center to be based on the current license.