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UPDATE ON PROPOSED CHILD CARE/PRESCHOOL REGULATIONS

The Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure is in the process of updating the Child Care and Preschool Regulations. The last major revision to Family Child Care Home regulations occurred in 1995. For Centers and Preschools, the last major revision occurred in the late 1980s.

The draft Family Child Care Home I and draft Family Child Care Home II regulations are in the final stages of internal review. Because of the differences in the licensing process, capacity, etc, there will be a separate chapter for FCCH I and FCCH II regulations. Soon, a written description of the proposed changes and the reasoning behind each change will be mailed to all Child Care Support Groups. Through the Support Groups, Family Child Care Home providers will have an opportunity to review the changes and give the Department feedback and make recommendations.

The draft Child Care Center and Preschool regulations are still being refined. A new category has been proposed – School Age Only Centers.

In revising all child care/preschool regulations, Department staff used these guiding principles: quality of service; goal oriented and clear in specifications of intent; not duplicative; emphasis on quality improvement; minimum fiscal impact to programs and clients

The specific changes for all sets of regulations focus on the following:

• Implement legislation from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006
• Delete regulations that create unsafe environments (i.e. toys/blankets in cribs)
• Implement recommendations from Child Death Review Team, Governor appointed task force on Nebraska children’s mortality, National SIDS Foundation, American Academy of Pediatrics specific to reducing deaths and injuries of infants and children
• Whenever possible, establish same or similar requirements for all licensed programs
• Reformat organization of regulations to be consistent with other facilities licensed by Credentialing Division, HHS Regulation and Licensure
• Imbed Nebraska’s Early Learning Guidelines

Members of the Governor appointed Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council assisted in the review of all proposed regulations.

Public Hearings on all five sets of regulations will likely be scheduled in late summer or early fall of 2006. When public hearings are scheduled, copies of all the proposed regulations will be available on the Department of Health and Human Services System web site: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/index.htm

Questions or comments about the proposed regulations can be directed to:

Patricia Urzedowski, Program Administrator
Child Care Licensing, Adult Day Services, Respite Care Services
301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68508-4986
Phone: 402-471-9431
E-mail: pat.urzedowski@hhss.ne.gov

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