Family daycare homes: licensee duties.

The California Child Day Care Facilities Act (act) generally requires the State Department of Social Services to license, inspect, and regulate various types of child day care facilities, defined to include, among others, family daycare homes. Existing regulations require a family daycare home licensee to be present in the home, ensure children are supervised at all times, and not be absent from the family daycare home more than 20% of the hours the licensee is providing care per day. Existing regulations also require a family daycare home to be clean with heating and ventilation, as specified, maintain telephone service, and provide safe toys and play equipment and materials. A violation of the act or a willful or repeated violation of any rule or regulation promulgated under the act is a crime and enforceable with a civil penalty. This bill would codify the above-described regulations as part of the act, and instead prohibit a family daycare licensee from being absent from the family daycare home more than 30% of the hours that the licensee is providing care per day.