HF3403 Summary

• Commissioner may grant permanent variances to child care licensing rules that do not affect health or safety, but variances expire if conditions change and providers must notify the commissioner of any modifications.

• Group family day care programs licensed as class D specialized infant and toddler facilities may operate as class B programs on days when only one caregiver is present.

• Licensed child care providers must place infants on their backs to sleep in firm-mattressed cribs with fitted sheets, with limited exceptions for physician directives or parent-documented rolling; swaddling is prohibited for infants who have begun rolling over independently, but may be permitted with written parental consent for younger infants using approved sleep systems.

• Child care license holders must provide written notice to parents prior to admission stating whether they carry liability insurance, including policy expiration dates, and must document parental receipt of these notices.

• Commissioner of Human Services must review best practices, research, and administrative data on child care licensing and technical assistance, establish stakeholder engagement, and deliver a report to legislative committees by January 31, 2019, with a timeline and plan for regulatory reforms.