Children and Families

Relates to regulating private equity in child care; requires certain child care providers to report certain information to the office of children and family services; establishes additional reporting requirements for child care providers that participate in the New York state child care assistance program or receive certain public funding, and for child care providers that include a significant equity investor; establishes certain conditions on the use of public funds received by child care providers; establishes statewide reporting requirements related thereto.

Provides that no person shall be precluded from being deemed a "prospective relative guardian" based on whether such person's relationship with the child was established before or after such child's placement into foster care.

Establishes procedures regarding orders of post-termination visitation and/or contact between a child and such child's parent and for modification of such orders.

This bill updates staffing rules for family and group day care homes to ensure more adults are present for very young children. It mandates that one caregiver must be assigned for every two children under eighteen months old in these facilities. Additionally, the legislation clarifies the maximum number of children allowed in a home and requires an assistant to be present when caring for larger groups of non-school-age children. These changes directly affect day care operators and the families who use their services by setting stricter supervision standards for infants and toddlers.

Bill S 8205 streamlines the process for the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) to access certain records related to children. It removes the requirement for the DOI to obtain prior approval from the state department of social services or other state oversight agencies before inspecting child protective services records, child abuse and maltreatment reports, and vulnerable persons' reports. This change applies when such information is essential for an investigation within the DOI's legal authority, including inquiries into allegations of improperly conducted investigations by local child protective services.