Relates to outdoor nature-based childcare programs

Bill S 7971 expands the regulatory framework for child day care to include "outdoor nature-based childcare programs," affecting children aged four and older and their providers. It defines these programs as caring for children for over three hours daily, primarily outdoors or in specific structures like yurts during inclement weather. These programs must be located on at least seven contiguous acres of open land, a farm, or a nature preserve. The bill mandates that the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) license these programs and establish contextually appropriate regulations, including staff-to-child ratios and sanitation standards for features like composting toilets. It also extends existing provisions regarding parental access and grounds for license actions to these new outdoor childcare programs.