SS/SCS/SB 683 - This act modifies current law relating to child care subsidies and child care facility licensing by transferring supervision and implementation authority from the Department of Social Services and the Department of Health and Senior Services to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to the Governor's Executive Order creating the Office of Childhood within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/SCS/SB 982 (2022), HCS/SS#2/SB 823 (2022), SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2151 (2022), and SCS/HCS/HB 2376 (2022).
This act modifies child care facility licensure statutes by adding "day camps", as defined in the act, to the list of facilities exempt from licensure. Under this act, every child care facility shall disclose the licensure status of the facility and parents or guardians utilizing an unlicensed child care facility shall sign a written notice acknowledging the unlicensed status of the facility.
These provisions are identical to provisions HCS/SCS/SB 982 (2022), SCS/HCS/HB 2376 (2022), HCS/SS#2/SB 823 (2022), SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2151 (2022), and SCS/SB 916 (2022), substantially similar to HCS/HB 1550 (2022), and similar to HB 1191 (2021)
Additionally, this act excludes from the number of children counted toward the maximum number of children for which a family child care home is licensed up to two children who are five years or older and who are related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to, adopted by, or under court appointed guardianship or legal custody of a child care provider who is responsible for the daily operation of a licensed family child care home organized as a legal entity in Missouri. If more than one member of the legal entity is responsible for the daily operation of the family child care home, then the related children of only one such member shall be excluded. A family child care home caring for such children shall provide notice to parents or guardians as specified in the act. Additionally, nothing in the act shall prohibit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from enforcing existing licensing regulations, including supervision requirements and capacity limitations based on the amount of child care space available.
This provision has an emergency clause.
This provision is identical to provisions in SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2151 (2022), substantially similar to provisions in HCS/SCS/SB 982 (2022), SCS/HCS/HB 2376 (2022), SCS/SB 132 (2021) and SCS/HS/HB 432 (2021), and similar to SB 1026 (2020) and HB 1257 (2020).
Under current law, neighborhood youth development programs that provide activities to children ages 6 to 17 are exempt from child care licensure. This act changes the age range to 5 to 18.
This provision is identical to provisions in SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2151 (2022), SB 826 (2022), and SCS/HCS/HB 2376 (2022) and substantially similar to provisions in HCS/SS#2/SB 823 (2022) and HB 1813 (2022).
Under current law, the Children's Division shall conduct a diligent search for the biological parent or parents of a child in the custody of the Division if the location or identity of such parent or parents is unknown. This act requires such search to be active, thorough, and timely and if a child is removed from a home and placed in the custody of the Division, the search shall be conducted immediately following the removal of a child.
Additionally, current law requires the Division to immediately begin diligent efforts to locate and place a child with a suitable grandparent when an initial emergency placement of a child is deemed necessary. This act changes "diligent efforts" to "diligent search" and expands the search to include relatives other than grandparents. A diligent search for relatives shall occur within thirty days from the time the emergency placement is deemed necessary for the child. The Division shall continue to search for suitable relatives for the child's placement until a suitable relative is identified and located or the court excuses further search.
Finally, whenever a court determines that a foster home placement with a child's relative is appropriate, the Division shall complete a diligent search to locate and notify the child's grandparents, adult siblings, parents of siblings, and all other relatives of the child's possible placement.
These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/SS#2/SB 823 (2022), SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2151 (2022), and HB 1563 (2022).
SARAH HASKINS