Public Act No. 21-171 Summary

• Requires all family child care homes to be licensed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood with application fees of $40 and licenses valid for four years, including unannounced annual inspections and lead poisoning checks.

• Permits licensed family child care home providers to use approved substitute staff members for absences exceeding one hour due to medical appointments, medical treatment, or education/training, provided advance notice is given to parents.

• Mandates comprehensive background checks including state and national criminal history records and state child abuse registry checks for initial applicants, employees, and household members age 16+ in family child care homes.

• Allows family child care homes to serve homeless children and youth for up to 90 days and foster children for up to 45 days without immunization or physical examination requirements, with records maintained for two years after enrollment ends.

• Establishes a task force to analyze early childhood workforce development needs and make recommendations on educator preparation requirements, licensing frameworks, compensation methods, and workforce demands by January 1, 2023.