HB2474 EngrossedLRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by 5 changing Section 7 as follows: 6 (225 ILCS 10/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 2217) 7 Sec. 7. (a) The Department must prescribe and publish 8 minimum standards for licensing that apply to the various 9 types of facilities for child care defined in this Act and that 10 are equally applicable to like institutions under the control 11 of the Department and to foster family homes used by and under 12 the direct supervision of the Department. The Department shall 13 seek the advice and assistance of persons representative of 14 the various types of child care facilities in establishing 15 such standards. The standards prescribed and published under 16 this Act take effect as provided in the Illinois 17 Administrative Procedure Act, and are restricted to 18 regulations pertaining to the following matters and to any 19 rules and regulations required or permitted by any other 20 Section of this Act: 21 (1) The operation and conduct of the facility and 22 responsibility it assumes for child care; 23 (2) The character, suitability and qualifications of HB2474 Engrossed LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 2 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 2 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 2 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 the applicant and other persons directly responsible for 2 the care and welfare of children served. All child day 3 care center licensees and employees who are required to 4 report child abuse or neglect under the Abused and 5 Neglected Child Reporting Act shall be required to attend 6 training on recognizing child abuse and neglect, as 7 prescribed by Department rules; 8 (3) The general financial ability and competence of 9 the applicant to provide necessary care for children and 10 to maintain prescribed standards; 11 (4) The number of individuals or staff required to 12 insure adequate supervision and care of the children 13 received. The standards shall provide that each child care 14 institution, maternity center, day care center, group 15 home, day care home, and group day care home shall have on 16 its premises during its hours of operation at least one 17 staff member certified in first aid, in the Heimlich 18 maneuver and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the 19 American Red Cross or other organization approved by rule 20 of the Department. Child welfare agencies shall not be 21 subject to such a staffing requirement. The Department may 22 offer, or arrange for the offering, on a periodic basis in 23 each community in this State in cooperation with the 24 American Red Cross, the American Heart Association or 25 other appropriate organization, voluntary programs to 26 train operators of foster family homes and day care homes HB2474 Engrossed - 2 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 3 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 3 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 3 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 2 (5) The appropriateness, safety, cleanliness, and 3 general adequacy of the premises, including maintenance of 4 adequate fire prevention and health standards conforming 5 to State laws and municipal codes to provide for the 6 physical comfort, care, and well-being of children 7 received; 8 (6) Provisions for food, clothing, educational 9 opportunities, program, equipment and individual supplies 10 to assure the healthy physical, mental, and spiritual 11 development of children served; 12 (7) Provisions to safeguard the legal rights of 13 children served; 14 (8) Maintenance of records pertaining to the 15 admission, progress, health, and discharge of children, 16 including, for day care centers and day care homes, 17 records indicating each child has been immunized as 18 required by State regulations. The Department shall 19 require proof that children enrolled in a facility have 20 been immunized against Haemophilus Influenzae B (HIB); 21 (9) Filing of reports with the Department; 22 (10) Discipline of children; 23 (11) Protection and fostering of the particular 24 religious faith of the children served; 25 (12) Provisions prohibiting firearms on day care 26 center premises except in the possession of peace HB2474 Engrossed - 3 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 4 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 4 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 4 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 officers; 2 (13) Provisions prohibiting handguns on day care home 3 premises except in the possession of peace officers or 4 other adults who must possess a handgun as a condition of 5 employment and who reside on the premises of a day care 6 home; 7 (14) Provisions requiring that any firearm permitted 8 on day care home premises, except handguns in the 9 possession of peace officers, shall be kept in a 10 disassembled state, without ammunition, in locked storage, 11 inaccessible to children and that ammunition permitted on 12 day care home premises shall be kept in locked storage 13 separate from that of disassembled firearms, inaccessible 14 to children; 15 (15) Provisions requiring notification of parents or 16 guardians enrolling children at a day care home of the 17 presence in the day care home of any firearms and 18 ammunition and of the arrangements for the separate, 19 locked storage of such firearms and ammunition; 20 (16) Provisions requiring all licensed child care 21 facility employees who care for newborns and infants to 22 complete training every 3 years on the nature of sudden 23 unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death 24 syndrome (SIDS), and the safe sleep recommendations of the 25 American Academy of Pediatrics; and 26 (17) With respect to foster family homes, provisions HB2474 Engrossed - 4 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 5 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 5 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 5 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 requiring the Department to review quality of care 2 concerns and to consider those concerns in determining 3 whether a foster family home is qualified to care for 4 children. 5 By July 1, 2022, all licensed day care home providers, 6 licensed group day care home providers, and licensed day care 7 center directors and classroom staff shall participate in at 8 least one training that includes the topics of early childhood 9 social emotional learning, infant and early childhood mental 10 health, early childhood trauma, or adverse childhood 11 experiences. Current licensed providers, directors, and 12 classroom staff shall complete training by July 1, 2022 and 13 shall participate in training that includes the above topics 14 at least once every 3 years. 15 (b) If, in a facility for general child care, there are 16 children diagnosed as mentally ill or children diagnosed as 17 having an intellectual or physical disability, who are 18 determined to be in need of special mental treatment or of 19 nursing care, or both mental treatment and nursing care, the 20 Department shall seek the advice and recommendation of the 21 Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, 22 or both Departments regarding the residential treatment and 23 nursing care provided by the institution. 24 (c) The Department shall investigate any person applying 25 to be licensed as a foster parent to determine whether there is 26 any evidence of current drug or alcohol abuse in the HB2474 Engrossed - 5 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 6 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 6 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 6 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 prospective foster family. The Department shall not license a 2 person as a foster parent if drug or alcohol abuse has been 3 identified in the foster family or if a reasonable suspicion 4 of such abuse exists, except that the Department may grant a 5 foster parent license to an applicant identified with an 6 alcohol or drug problem if the applicant has successfully 7 participated in an alcohol or drug treatment program, 8 self-help group, or other suitable activities and if the 9 Department determines that the foster family home can provide 10 a safe, appropriate environment and meet the physical and 11 emotional needs of children. 12 (d) The Department, in applying standards prescribed and 13 published, as herein provided, shall offer consultation 14 through employed staff or other qualified persons to assist 15 applicants and licensees in meeting and maintaining minimum 16 requirements for a license and to help them otherwise to 17 achieve programs of excellence related to the care of children 18 served. Such consultation shall include providing information 19 concerning education and training in early childhood 20 development to providers of day care home services. The 21 Department may provide or arrange for such education and 22 training for those providers who request such assistance. 23 (e) The Department shall distribute copies of licensing 24 standards to all licensees and applicants for a license. Each 25 licensee or holder of a permit shall distribute copies of the 26 appropriate licensing standards and any other information HB2474 Engrossed - 6 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 7 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 7 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 7 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 required by the Department to child care facilities under its 2 supervision. Each licensee or holder of a permit shall 3 maintain appropriate documentation of the distribution of the 4 standards. Such documentation shall be part of the records of 5 the facility and subject to inspection by authorized 6 representatives of the Department. 7 (f) The Department shall prepare summaries of day care 8 licensing standards. Each licensee or holder of a permit for a 9 day care facility shall distribute a copy of the appropriate 10 summary and any other information required by the Department, 11 to the legal guardian of each child cared for in that facility 12 at the time when the child is enrolled or initially placed in 13 the facility. The licensee or holder of a permit for a day care 14 facility shall secure appropriate documentation of the 15 distribution of the summary and brochure. Such documentation 16 shall be a part of the records of the facility and subject to 17 inspection by an authorized representative of the Department. 18 (g) The Department shall distribute to each licensee and 19 holder of a permit copies of the licensing or permit standards 20 applicable to such person's facility. Each licensee or holder 21 of a permit shall make available by posting at all times in a 22 common or otherwise accessible area a complete and current set 23 of licensing standards in order that all employees of the 24 facility may have unrestricted access to such standards. All 25 employees of the facility shall have reviewed the standards 26 and any subsequent changes. Each licensee or holder of a HB2474 Engrossed - 7 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 8 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 8 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 8 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 permit shall maintain appropriate documentation of the current 2 review of licensing standards by all employees. Such records 3 shall be part of the records of the facility and subject to 4 inspection by authorized representatives of the Department. 5 (h) Any standards involving physical examinations, 6 immunization, or medical treatment shall include appropriate 7 exemptions for children whose parents object thereto on the 8 grounds that they conflict with the tenets and practices of a 9 recognized church or religious organization, of which the 10 parent is an adherent or member, and for children who should 11 not be subjected to immunization for clinical reasons. 12 (i) The Department, in cooperation with the Department of 13 Public Health, shall work to increase immunization awareness 14 and participation among parents of children enrolled in day 15 care centers and day care homes by publishing on the 16 Department's website information about the benefits of 17 immunization against vaccine preventable diseases, including 18 influenza and pertussis. The information for vaccine 19 preventable diseases shall include the incidence and severity 20 of the diseases, the availability of vaccines, and the 21 importance of immunizing children and persons who frequently 22 have close contact with children. The website content shall be 23 reviewed annually in collaboration with the Department of 24 Public Health to reflect the most current recommendations of 25 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The 26 Department shall work with day care centers and day care homes HB2474 Engrossed - 8 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 9 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 9 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 9 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 licensed under this Act to ensure that the information is 2 annually distributed to parents in August or September. 3 (j) Any standard adopted by the Department that requires 4 an applicant for a license to operate a day care home to 5 include a copy of a high school diploma or equivalent 6 certificate with his or her application shall be deemed to be 7 satisfied if the applicant includes a copy of a high school 8 diploma or equivalent certificate or a copy of a degree from an 9 accredited institution of higher education or vocational 10 institution or equivalent certificate. 11 (k) As soon as practical after the effective date of this 12 amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department 13 shall amend its rules establishing licensing standards for 14 group day care homes to provide a revised maximum authorized 15 extended capacity for group day care homes that is applicable 16 through July 1, 2025. The revised maximum extended capacity 17 rules adopted by the Department in its amended rules shall 18 allow one caregiver and 2 assistants to have the option of 19 caring for 2 additional children who are 30 months of age or 20 older, as well as 2 additional children who are attending 21 school full-time, notwithstanding any other provision of this 22 Act. The revised rules shall also provide that the second 23 assistant shall be present at all times when there are more 24 than 12 children in the home and shall prohibit the total 25 capacity of the group day care home from exceeding 16 26 children. HB2474 Engrossed - 9 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed- 10 -LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 10 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b HB2474 Engrossed - 10 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b 1 (Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.) 2 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 3 becoming law. HB2474 Engrossed - 10 - LRB103 29883 AMQ 56294 b