Frequently Asked Questions

Child Care

How do I get licensed?
How do I choose a child care facility?
What should I do when I have a concern about child care?

How do I get licensed?

Missouri law requires any person who provides child care for more than four children not related to the provider to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The first step in getting licensed is to contact the Section for Child Care Regulation and schedule to attend an inquiry meeting.

There are two main categories of child care facilities in Missouri; and there are different requirements for each one:

• Family child care homes
• Group child care homes and child care centers

By meeting with a Child Care Facility Specialist at your local Section for Child Care Regulation office and discussing your specific goals, you will better understand the options available to you. You will also be informed of the specific requirements to become licensed for the category of care that you want to provide.

Licensing for Family Child Care Homes

Licensing is the process by which the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services regulates child care facilities. Licensing rules are basic health and safety standards that form a good foundation on which a quality child care program can be built.

To receive a family child care home license you will need to submit the following:

• A completed application for license;
• A sketch or diagram of the home showing the arrangement of the rooms, including the location of toilet and hand washing facilities, the kitchen and the doors. The space will be measured by the licensing representative and the applicant;
• A sketch or diagram of the outdoor play area and placement of equipment, indicating if the area is fenced;
• Written policies pertaining to the program goals, admission, care and discharge of children;
• A schedule of daily activities for children;
• A sample weekly menu;
• An itemized list of available materials and equipment to be used by children;
• The names and addresses of two references not related to the applicant who have knowledge of the applicant character, experience and ability;
• If a day care home is incorporated, the names and addresses to two non-relative references for the officer designated to be responsible for the daily operation of the facility and to meet the requirements of the child care provider;
• Sample forms used, other than those supplied by the department;
• Evidence of compliance with a fire and safety inspection as conducted by the State Fire Marshal or his/her designee;
• Evidence of compliance, if applicable, with local or state requirements, or both, for any nonpublic water supply or sewage disposal system;
• If the family child care home is incorporated, Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Incorporation and the Annual Registration Report (if applicable) as issued by the Missouri secretary of state;
• Required information for assistants; and
• Other information required by the department to make a determination regarding licensure of the family child care home. In addition, the following must be on file at the child care home and available for review prior to the issuance of a license:
• Background screening results for child abuse/neglect and criminal record for the child care provider, other household members and other child care personnel;
• Medical examination reports for the provider and child care assistants as required by
  19 CSR 30-61.125

 Licensing Study

When all necessary documents, including fire safety and sanitation inspection reports, have been submitted and reviewed, the Child Care Facility Specialist has made on-site visit(s), and any necessary corrections have been made, a licensing determination will be made.

If the decision is to issue you a license, you will receive notification from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Child Care Regulation. The license will indicate the effective dates of the license, the number of children you are licensed to care for, and any limitations. Unless otherwise stated, this license is valid for two years. While your facility is licensed, the Child Care Facility Specialist will visit your facility twice a year. More frequent visits may be made if a complaint has been received o r if there are compliance issues. Your facility will also receive annual fire safety and sanitation inspections.

If you have any questions during the licensing process, please feel free to contact your local licensing office.

  Licensing for Group Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers

Licensing is the process by which the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services regulates child care facilities. Licensing rules are basic health and safety standards that form a good foundation on which a quality child care program can be built.

To receive a license to operate a group child care home or a child care center you will need to submit the following:

• A completed application;
• A sketch or diagram of the facility showing the arrangement of the rooms, including the location of toilet and hand washing facilities, the kitchen, the office and the doors. The space will be measured by the licensing representative and the applicant;
• A sketch or diagram of the outdoor play area and placement of equipment;
• Written policies pertaining to the program goals, admission, care and discharge of children;
• A schedule of daily activities for each age group in care (infant/toddler, preschool and school-age);
• A sample weekly menu;
• An itemized list of available materials and equipment to be used by children;
• A written narrative description of child care practices and concepts, including discipline and guidance policies;
• A staff sheet;
• If a facility is not incorporated, the names and addresses of two non-relative references who have knowledge of the applicant's character, experience and ability;
• If a group day care home is incorporated, the names and addresses of two non-relative references for the officer designated to be responsible for the daily operation of the facility and to meet the requirements of the group day care home provider;
• Sample forms used, other than those supplied by the department;
• Evidence of compliance with local or state, or both, sanitation requirements;
• Evidence of compliance, if applicable, with local building and zoning requirements;
• If the facility is incorporated, Articles of Incorporation and the annual Registration Report as issued by the Missouri secretary of state;
• Written policies and procedures which clearly establish job responsibilities and lines of administrative authority, including a statement of the authority and duties delegated to the director employed to carry out the program;
• Official verification of the center director or group day care home provider's education and experience; and
• Other information required by the department to make a determination regarding licensure of the facility.  

In addition, the following must be on file at the child care facility and available for review prior to the issuance of a license:

• Medical examination report for all adults working in the facility, as required by
  19 CSR 30-62.122 Medical Examination Reports;
• Medical examination reports within thirty days following admission for each infant, toddler or preschool child as required by 19 CSR 30-62.122, and a health report for school-age children as required by 19 CSR 30-62.122;
• Enrollment information for each child as required by 19 CSR 30-62.132;
• Background screening results for child abuse/neglect for the facility owner(s), board president or chairperson and the center director or group day care home provider
• Background screening results for criminal record from the Missouri State Highway Patrol for the child care provider, the owner(s), board president or chairperson, the center director or group day care home provider, all persons employed by the child c are provider, and all volunteers counted in staff/child ratios.

 Licensing Study

When all necessary documents, including fire safety and sanitation inspection reports, have been submitted and reviewed, the Child Care Facility Specialist has made on-site visit(s), and any necessary corrections have been made, a licensing determination will be made.

If the decision is to issue you a license, you will receive notification from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Child Care Regulation. The license will indicate the effective dates of the license, the number of children you are licensed to care for, and any limitations. Unless otherwise stated, this license is valid for two years. While your facility is licensed, the Child Care Facility Specialist will visit your facility twice a year. More frequent visits may be made if a complaint has been received or if there are compliance issues. Your facility will also receive annual fire safety and sanitation inspections.

If you have any questions during the licensing process, please feel free to contact your local licensing office.   

How do I Choose a child care facility

In selecting a child care program for your child, one of your first choices will be whether to enroll your child in a family child care home , group child care home , or a child care center . While any of these types of facilities may provide excellent care, some parents and children prefer the smaller, more family-like atmosphere of a family child care home. Others prefer the variety and atmosphere of a group child care home or a child care center.

The following will help you make an informed child care decision. Additional information, including the opportunity to read the facility's public licensing record, is available from your local Section for Child Care Regulation Office.

In addition, the Section for Child Care Regulation provides support to the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network. The Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network coordinates the activities of the eight (8) child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies that serve Missouri. In addition to providing support to child care providers, CCR&R's assist families in locating quality child care.

Family Child Care Home

Family homes, in which care is provided for more than four children unrelated to the caregiver, must be licensed by the Section for Child Care Regulation. No license is required if the family child care home provider cares for four children or fewer.

When evaluating a licensed family child care home for your child, ask to see a license issued by the Department of Health and Senior Services. This license, which must be posted in plain sight, will tell you the number and ages of children that may be cared for at any one time and whether night and evening care can also be provided.

A license ensures you that the home has been inspected by the Department's Section for Child Care Regulation - and that it meets the Department of Health and Senior Service's basic licensing requirements. It is not, however, a guarantee that a given family child care home w ill be right for your child. You - as the child's parent - must decide whether a specific facility meets your child's particular needs!

Evaluating a Family Child Care Home

The following suggestions may help you in choosing a child care home for your child:

• Visit the home at a time when you can observe the children's activities and interview the child care provider.
• Visit the home more than once, with at least one of the visits unannounced.
• Schedule one of your visits near closing time so you can discuss the program with other parents as they come for their children.
• Determine whether the children receive the kind of individual attention you would like for your own child.
• Discuss whether the child care home provider encourages parents to visit and to ask questions.
• Get to know the children enrolled in the home and their parents so that you can share information and common experiences.

Obtaining answers to the following questions, all of which are based on Department of Health and Senior Service's licensing requirements, will also assist you in selecting and evaluating a child care home for your child:

Number of Children

• Is there enough adult supervision so that children are never left unattended, whether at play, while napping, during outdoor play or while in the bathroom?
• Are the following ratios of caregiver(s) to numbers and ages of children maintained at all times?
• A caregiver alone may care for up to six children including a maximum of three children under the age of 2 - or 10 children including a maximum of two children under the age of 2.
• The caregiver may have an assistant.
• Even with an assistant, care may only be provided for a total of 10 children with no more than four children under age 2 - or a total of eight children, all of who are under age 2.
• The total number of children served may never exceed 10 except for periods of "overlap" when the total may by 13, for no more than two hours of the child care shift.

The Child Care Family

• Do all persons in the household treat the children with respect, courtesy and patience?
• Does the caregiver demonstrate knowledge of basic hygiene, safety and nutrition?
• Does the caregiver communicate comfortably with you, especially about your child and caregiving methods, values and goals?
• Does the caregiver communicate well with children?
• Does the caregiver establish realistic controls for children and enforce them without harshness or physical punishment?
• Does the caregiver allow children to explore? Is the home a place where children can enjoy living and learning?
• If an assistant is present, is she or he at least 18 years old?
• Is there a substitute who can take the place of the caregiver during an emergency?
• Are you notified of any substitutions that occur on a regular or scheduled basis, or when the caregiver must be absent for more than 24 hours?
• Have you been told what to do if the caregiver becomes ill or needs to be absent from the home because of an emergency?
• Does the program have a sufficient variety of toys and equipment available to stimulate your child's imagination and learning?
• Are toys and equipment stored so that children may make choices while in free play?
• Are trips planned away from the facility?
• If transportation is provided by the home, are age-appropriate safety restraints used for all children?
• Is there a sufficient number of staff when children are being transported?
• Are activity areas, equipment and materials arranged so that staff can observe children at all times?
• Are children's nutritional needs met? Are children served lunch and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks?
• Are meals relaxed and unhurried?
• Are there simple, understandable rules that set the limits of behavior for the protection of the group and individuals?
• Is discipline related to the child's act and not out of proportion to the particular inappropriate behavior?

NOTE: Physical punishment, shaming, verbal abuse or withholding food are examples of inappropriate discipline and cannot be allowed in a licensed child care facility.

Admission and Records

• At enrollment, were you asked to provide identifying information about your child to enable the caregiver to meet your child's individual needs?
• Were you asked to supply a medical report no more than 12 months old that indicated your child had been immunized?
• Did you sign "consent forms" for emergency medical treatment, persons authorized to pick up your child, and trips away from the home?
• Did you give the caregiver information on how to contact you, or another designated person, in an emergency?

Requirements for Homes

• Is the home well-ventilated, free from observable hazards, including fire hazards, and properly lighted and heated?
• Are walls and other painted surfaces free from chipped or peeling paint? Are furniture and equipment in safe repair?
• If a basement area is used for child care, is there at least one exit directly to the outside at ground level?
• Is there a place to isolate a child who becomes ill?
• Are there protective coverings over electrical outlets that are within reach of children?
• If space heaters are used, are partitions or barriers present to keep children from touching them?
• Are tools, gardening equipment and other hazardous articles placed in areas that are inaccessible to children?
• Is there a working telephone in the home?
• If the home has a permanently installed swimming pool, is it enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet high and secured by a locked gate?
• Is there a safe outdoor space for active play?
• Is the outdoor play space protected by physical means or by caretaker supervision against hazards such as pools, traffic and construction?

Programs for Children

• Is there a program of daily activities?
• Does the child care program provide a variety of activities geared to the age levels and developmental needs of the children served?
• Does the program provide for a balance of active and quiet play?
• Is there regularity in such routines as eating, napping and toileting, with enough flexibility to respond to the needs of individual children?
• Do daily activities include indoor and outdoor play?
• Is there a supervised nap period for children under 5 and a quiet time for children who are 5 and older?

Health and Medical Care

• Does the caregiver check daily upon arrival to determine if there are obvious signs of illness?
• Were you asked to provide a recent medical examination report on your child prior to enrollment?
• Are prescription medications labeled with the child's name, directions for administration, date and physician's name, prescription number and drug store or pharmacy?
• Are medications kept in locked cabinets or containers that are inaccessible to children?
• If medication is to be given to your child, have you signed a "medication authorization" form? Does the caregiver keep a record of the dates, hours and dosages of medicines?
• Is there an emergency plan for each child in case of accident or sudden illness?
• Is there a planned source of emergency medical care?
• Does each child have a separate sleeping arrangement with individual bedding?
• Do caregivers and children wash and dry their hands before meals and after toileting?

Infants and Toddlers

• Does the caregiver demonstrate warm and positive feelings by hugging, smiling and cuddling?
• Are routines such as naps, feeding and toilet training discussed with you? Are they consistent with your schedule and the child's age and stage of development?
• Are soiled diapers and sheets changed promptly?
• Does the caregiver wash his/her hand with soap and warm running water after each diaper change?
• Is the child adequately clean after toileting?

 Nutrition and Meals

• Are meal and snacks provided to meet the nutritional requirements of individual children in the child care home?
• Does the caregiver have a menu posted or available to you upon request?
• Are well-balanced meals proved at normal eating times?
• Is drinking water readily available to children at all times?
• Are infants individually held while being fed (unless an infant is old enough to hold the bottle)?
• Is the kitchen and food equipment clean?
• Is food, including infant's milk, properly refrigerated?

NOTE: The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services licensing standards provide detailed guidance to licensed caregivers on nutritional meals for children from birth through school age.

  Group Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers

Child care centers for more than four children unrelated to the owner must be licensed. These facilities receive fire and sanitation inspections each year. In addition, health and safety inspections are conducted by the Section for Child Care Regulation two times per year.

License-exempt facilities, such as nursery schools or those operated by religious organizations, must meet certain health and safety regulations. These facilities receive an annual fire, sanitation, and health and safety inspection.

Exempt facilities such as child care services that are operated in connection with a business as a convenience to its customers or child care facilities operated by school systems are not required to undergo any type of inspection by the Section for Child Care Regulation.

When evaluating a child care facility for your child, ask if the facility is inspected by the state. If the facility is licensed, the license must be posted in plain sight. The license will describe the number and ages of children who may be cared for at any one time, the person or organization responsible for the facility, and whether night and evening care can also be provided.

In license-exempt facilities operated by religious organizations, each parent must be presented with and asked to sign a Notice of Parental Responsibility form. The information on the form should include:

• The facility's staff/child ratio;
• The state's licensing requirement for staff/child ratio;
• The facility's disciplinary philosophy;
• The facility's educational philosophy; and
• The facility's compliance with all rules regarding health, safety and sanitation.

The information should also include the entity that is responsible for the facility's fire safety and health and safety inspections. The current inspections are required to be on file for your review.

A license or the Notice of Parental Responsibility assures you that the center has been inspected by the Department of Health and Senior Service's Section for Child Care Regulation - and that it meets Department's basic health and safety requirement. It is not, however, a guarantee that a given facility will be right for your child. You - as the child's parent - must decide whether a specific facility meets your child's particular needs.

Evaluating a Group Child Care Home or Child Care Center

The following suggestions may help you in choosing a group child care home or child care center for your child:

• Visit the facility at a time when you can observe the children's activities and interview the director.
• Visit the facility more than once, with at least one of the visits unannounced.
• Schedule one of your visits near closing time so that you can discuss the program with other parents as they come for their children.
• Determine whether the children receive the kind of individual attention you would like for your own child.
• Discuss whether the child care home provider encourages parents to visit and to ask questions.
• Get to know the children enrolled in the home and their parents so that you can share information and common experiences.

Obtaining answers to the following questions, all of which are based on Department of Health and Senior Service's licensing requirements, will also assist you in selecting and evaluating a child care center for your child:

Programs for Children

• Is there a program of daily activities?
• Does the child care program provide a variety of activities geared to the age levels and developmental needs of the children served?
• Does the program provide for a balance of active and quiet play?
• Is there regularity in such routines as eating, napping and toileting, with enough flexibility to respond to the needs of individual children?
• Do daily activities include indoor and outdoor play?
• Is there a supervised nap period for children under 5 years of age and a quiet time for children who are 5 years old and older?
• Does the program have a sufficient variety of toys and equipment available to stimulate your child's imagination?
• Are toys and equipment stored so children may make their own choices while in free play?
• Are trips planned away from the facility?
• If transportation is provided by the facility, are age-appropriate safety restraints used for all children?
• Is there a sufficient number of staff when children are being transported?
• Are activity areas, equipment and materials arranged so that staff can observe children at all times?
• Are children's nutritional needs met? Are children served lunch and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks?
• Are meals relaxed and unhurried?
• Are there simple, understandable rules that set the limits of behavior for the protection of the group and individuals?
• Is discipline related to the child's act and not out of proportion to the particular inappropriate behavior?

NOTE: Physical punishment, shaming, verbal abuse or withholding food is considered to be inappropriate discipline and should not be tolerated in any licensed child care facility. In license-exempt facilities, please discuss the disciplinary philosophy and policies with the director of the facility.

• Does the caregiver check daily upon arrival to determine if there are obvious signs of illness?
• Were you asked to provide your child's recent medical examination report prior to enrollment?
• Are prescription medications labeled with the child's name, directions for administration, date, physician's name, prescription number and drug store or pharmacy?
• Are medications kept in locked cabinets or containers that are inaccessible to children?
• If medication is to be given to your child, have you signed a "medication authorization" form? Does the caregiver keep a record of the dates, hours and dosages of medicines given to your child?
• Is there an emergency plan for each child in case of accident or sudden illness?
• Is there a planned source of emergency medical care?
• Does each child have a separate sleeping arrangement with individual bedding?
• Do caregivers and children wash and dry their hands before meals and after toileting

Surroundings

• Is the building - or the child care center portion of the building - used for child care only?
• Is an emergency evacuation plan posted?
• Does the facility have fire drills at least every three months?
• Is the facility free of observable hazards such as peeling pain, exposed wiring, toxic or combustible materials, etc?
• Are sharp scissors, knives, drugs, cleaning supplies, power tools and other such items kept in areas inaccessible to children?
• Is the facility well-ventilated and properly lighted?
• Is the outdoor play area safely enclosed or otherwise protected from traffic and other hazards?
• Is indoor space available within sight and hearing of an adult for isolation of a child who becomes ill?
• Is the equipment safe and in good repair?
• Are the kitchen, bathrooms and child care activity areas cleaned daily and kept in a sanitary condition at all times?
• Are children's cots or cribs equipped with clean sheets and blankets?
• Are electrical outlets covered?
• Is a working telephone available on the premises?

Infants and Toddlers

• Do infants and toddlers have their own space separate from older children?
• Is there adequate space for play and sleep? NOTE: Licensing standards require 45 square feet of indoor space per infant/toddler.
• Are play materials and other equipment non-hazardous, in good condition, and of developmental value to the child?
• Does the daily program provide experiences that promote the child's growth in motor skills, sensory learning, language and self-concepts?
• Are individual infant cribs sturdy, clean and freestanding, with clean sheets?
• Are feeding schedules established to coordinate with the parents' schedules at home?
• Is food properly stored and served in a manner to help the child enjoy the meal?
• Are infants and toddlers diapered on a sanitized surface and the child cleaned thoroughly?
• Does the facility have written procedures that will be followed in the event of a health emergency such as contagious disease?
• Does the caregiver wash his/her hands and the child's hands after diapering or after assisting a child with toileting?

School-Age Children

• Is space for school-age children separate from space for younger children, and is it adequate for the developmental needs of the children?
• Are program activities and equipment geared to relaxation, recreation and development of skills in sports, music, art, etc.?

Staff Qualifications

• Do all staff treat children with respect, flexibility and patience?
• Do staff practice good personal hygiene?
• Are staff able to meet your child's developmental and emotional needs?
• Is the director or another person present and in charge of the facility at all times that you visit?
• Are child care workers at least 18 years old?
• Are there sufficient service staff-cooks and janitors-so that child care staff can concentrate on meeting the needs of children in their care?

Grouping and Staffing

NOTE: Staff/child ratios apply to licensed child care facilities and license-exempt nursery schools only. For license-exempt facilities, please refer to the Notice of Parental Notification form at the facility.

Are the following ratios of child care staff to children maintained?
_______________________________________________________________

• Are there sufficient staff so that children are never left unattended, whether at nap, during outdoor play or while in the bathroom?
• Are staff changes minimized to ensure consistent relationships between staff and children?

Admission and Discharge Procedures

• Were you asked to provide identifying information and social and personal information to describe your child?
• Did you complete consent forms for health care and treatment, emergency first aid and excursions away from the premises?
• Did you receive written information on admission and discharge policies, provision for emergency medical care, statement of services, hours of operation and communication between the center and parents?
• Did you identify in writing who is authorized to pick up your child?
• Does the child care center keep records when your child is released to one of the authorized individuals indicating to whom, date and time?

What should I do when I have a concern about child care?

Missouri's child care is a partnership among:

• Parents
• Child Care Providers
• Communities
• The State of Missouri

Each member of this partnership has an essential role in ensuring that children are cared for properly in an environment that nurtures each child to grow emotionally, physically intellectually and socially.
Sometimes questions may arise regarding whether or not Missouri's child care rules for licensed and license-exempt facilities are being followed. Conflict, concerns, complaints, and reports of rule violations can surface. These reports can come from a variety of sources...parents, child care providers and staff, health, sanitation, fire authorities, and community members.

The following steps can help to resolve issues/concerns about appropriate care of children in a regulated child care setting:

Step 1 Communicate with those involved
Step 2 Call the Section for Child Care Regulation for assistance and discuss filing a report of rule

violation.
Step 3 Participate in the investigation process.
Step 4 Get the findings.
Step 5 Know what happens after the investigation.

STEP 1

Communicate with those involved.

Open, positive communication can go a long way in resolving problems early, before they grow. When a concern exists, it is the responsibility of all those in the partnership to confront the issues and concerns, and to resolve them.
You may want to set up an appointment to speak with the child care provider about your concerns.
Whether you are a parent, provider, or member of the community, knowledge of the Missouri child care licensing rules can assist you in this communication process. These rules outline how children are to be cared for in child care settings. These rules are preventive measures that are used to protect children from harm. Ask your child care provider for a copy of the licensing rules so you can be familiar with them.

STEP 2

Call the Section for Child Care Regulation for assistance and discuss filing a report of rule violation.
If your concern was not satisfactorily resolved, or if a possible rule violation is involved, you may contact the Section for Child Care Regulation for further assistance. The child care facility should have the name, address, and telephone number of the Section for Child Care Regulation Child Care Facility Specialist posted near the license in the child care facility. If you are unable to secure this information, you may contact the Missouri Department of Health, Section for Child Care Regulation Central Office at (573) 751-2450.
Any suspected child abuse or neglect must be reported to the Missouri Division of Family Services Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-800-392-3738. Facility staff cannot be dismissed for reporting rule violations.
All complaints are considered allegations of rule violation and are taken seriously. All investigations are conducted within the framework of "due process" which requires the Section for Child Care Regulation to respect the rights of all parties.

STEP 3

Participate in the complaint process.

Opening the investigation

Once a report of a rule(s) violation is received, an investigation will be made. Reports of rule violations of a serious nature, such as not enough staff or use of inappropriate discipline will be investigated within five (5) working days (sooner if possible). All other investigations are begun no later than ten (10) days from receipt of the report. As part of the investigation, other agencies may also be contacted for their involvement.

Gathering information

The report is discussed with the provider, generally during an unannounced visit to the facility. Other individuals may also be interviewed as part of the investigation. Discretion is taken to assure that only those individuals who may be directly affected are in formed of the allegations. Agency representatives may need to talk to children, staff, parents, or others with knowledge of the situation. It may also be necessary to gather additional information from the complainant after the investigation has begun. The complainant is encouraged to submit a written statement.

Suspected Child Abuse

If the investigation involves suspected child abuse and/or neglect, a co-investigation is made with an investigator from the Missouri Division of Family Services (DFS) Out of Home Investigative Unit. In co-investigation with DFS, the Bureau must wait for the final findings in order to conclude the Report of Rule(s)/Statute violations. The length of time varies and depends upon the number of interviews and documents that are sometimes required from other agencies.

The provider receives a letter from DFS with the findings regarding the Child Abuse/Neglect report. Because the Bureau is investigating reported allegations of rule violations and not child abuse/neglect, in some situations there may be a DFS finding of no probable cause of child abuse/neglect, but a substantiated report of Rule(s)/Statute violations from the Bureau.

If other rule violations not related to the report are determined during the investigation, these violations will be recorded in the facility's public record. If a determination of a rule violation cannot be made, there will not be a report in the facility's record and the provider will be sent a letter with this information.

STEP 4

Get the findings.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the child care provider will receive a copy of the findings if rule violations were determined. The provider may respond in writing and the response will be placed with the Report of Rule(s)/Statute Violations in the public record. Others may request to review the child care record to determine the findings as well.

STEP 5

Understanding what happens after the investigation.

In an effort to help the provider achieve compliance with the child care rules, technical assistance is provided. Additional monitoring visits may also be made to the facility to assure correction and continued compliance with the child care rules. If there continues to be concerns about the facility after the investigation has been completed, individuals are encouraged to notify the Section for Child Care Regulation so that appropriate steps can be taken. If the rules are not followed, other action may be necessary. In serious cases of rule violations, the Section for Child Care Regulation may recommend revocation of the child care license. The provider does have appeal rights to this process.

Steps the Section for Child Care Regulation may take in response to a report of rule violation:

•  Begin an investigation.

•  Call in outside authorities to assist with the investigation, as needed.

•  Interview the people involved; visit the facility and review records, as needed.

•  Write a report of the investigation.

•  Recommend licensing discipline action.

•  When no violations have been substantiated, the license remains unchanged.

•  When rule or statute violations have been substantiated, one or more things may occur:

•  The facility may be given time to correct the problem, with possible increased licensing visits to monitor the facility.

•  The facility may be given time to correct the problem and the license reduced to provisional status.

•  The facility may lose its license.

Together, parents, providers, communities, and the state protecting children.

As a parent:

....you want your children happy, safe and well cared for when you can't be with them. Being informed and involved in your children's care begins with good communication. It means asking questions, listening and sharing information on an ongoing basis. It includes visiting the child care facility at different times of the day and volunteering to help so you get to know the staff who care for your children.

As a child care provider or staff member:

..your role is to give children the best possible care to foster their well-being. It means being knowledgeable about the state's licensing law and regulatory standards and putting that knowledge in practice. It is being open to ideas and concerns and always seeking to improve your services.

The community:

..has a role in the partnership to encourage good child care practices. This includes accepting that children in care need the community's support and protection. It means taking action to show that support.

The state:

..through the Section for Child Care Regulation is responsible for developing and enforcing rules for child care facilities. The bureau has the additional role of providing consultation and public education for the improvement of child care services in Missouri.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MISSOURI'S CHILDREN