BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 762
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
762 (Mullin)
As Amended June 1, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+---------------------|
|Human Services |7-0 |Chu, Mayes, | |
| | |Calderon, Lopez, | |
| | |Maienschein, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Mark Stone, | |
| | |Thurmond | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |14-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Gordon, | |
| | |Holden, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 762
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SUMMARY: Expands the age range of the childcare optional toddler
component. Specifically, this bill:
1)Increases the upper age limit for optional toddler programs
authorized by the Department of Social Services (DSS) from 30
months to 36 months.
2)Directs day care centers with an optional toddler program to,
beginning January 1, 2016, extend the toddler component to serve
children up to three years old.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the California Child Day Care Facilities Act,
creating a separate licensing category for child day care
centers and family day care homes within DSS's existing
licensing structure. (Health and Safety Code (HSC) Section
1596.70 et seq.)
2)Defines "day care center" to include infant centers, preschools,
extended day care facilities, and school-age child care centers.
(HSC Section 1596.76)
3)Requires any person or entity operating, as specified, as child
day care facility in California to have a current valid license.
(HSC Section 1596.80)
4)Directs DSS to develop guidelines and procedures for authorizing
licensed child day care centers serving preschool-age children
and licensed child day care centers serving infants to create a
special optional toddler program for children between the ages
of 18 and 30 months and further requires this optional toddler
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program to meet certain requirements, as specified. (HSC
Sections 1596.955 and 1596.956)
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill will result in one-time costs to DSS of
likely less than $100,000 for regulatory and policy changes.
COMMENTS:
Licensed child care: The California Child Day Care Facilities Act
governs the licensure and operation of child day care centers and
family day care homes. This law and the attendant regulations
found in California Code of Regulations Title 22 establish general
health and safety requirements, staff-to-child ratios, and
provider training requirements.
Infant centers serve children under two years old, preschool child
care centers serve children between the age of two and when they
start school, and school-age child care centers serve children who
have entered the first grade or are in a child care program
exclusively for children in kindergarten and above. A
"combination center" is any combination of an infant center,
preschool child care center, school-age child care center and
child care center for mildly ill children that is owned and
operated by one licensee at a common address. In California,
separate licenses are currently required for serving infants and
for serving preschool-age children. Thus, owner/operators of
combination centers serving both populations must get two licenses
and undergo separate inspection and compliance processes for each
license.
Toddler program: In 1988, the Senate Select Committee on Children
and Youth and the Senate Select Committee on Infant and Child Care
and Development convened a task force to examine what at the time
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were the two basic licensing categories for child care centers:
an infant category for children up to two years of age, and a
second category for children between the ages of two and 12. This
task force recommended the establishment of a third optional
category for toddlers between the ages of 18 and 30 months. SB
629 (Morgan), Chapter 1079, Statutes of 1989, established this
optional license category for day care programs and SB 434
(Morgan), Chapter 246, Statutes of 1993, refined and made the
optional program permanent.
As it currently exists, the optional toddler program is available
to both centers that serve preschool-age children and centers that
serve infants. These centers can create a special program
component for children between the ages of 18 and 30 months; the
program has its own staffing ratio and maximum group size
requirements, but is considered an extension of the infant or
preschool license and does not require a separate license. The
toddler program is to be located in areas separate from those used
by younger and older children. Children can only be placed in
this program with parental consent. A toddler who is more than 30
months of age may participate in an optional toddler program with
parental permission.
This bill's extension of the optional toddler program to children
up to 36 months of age will help provide flexibility and
continuity of care to children and their parents.
Analysis Prepared by:
Daphne Hunt / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN:
0000813
AB 762
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