Background:

The Office of Family Assistance has completed a thorough review and restructuring of all child care licensing rules.  All licensing rules have been reviewed to ensure that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is mandating only essential health, safety and administration requirements and not requirements that could inhibit small business in Ohio.   The rules for all settings have been aligned, renumbered and updated to require the use of the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System (OCLQS) currently in development.

Temporary Process:

Chapter 5101:2-12 rules and forms are effective December 31, 2016, however, OCLQS will not be available for use at that time. The requirements listed below in this procedure letter will be effective beginning December 31, 2016 until OCLQS is operating.

Pre-licensing Training

The pre-licensing training is currently being offered in person monthly until the online training is available via the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). The trainings will take place in each ODJFS regional office. Applicants may register via the OPR.

Application Process

A paper application may be used to begin the licensing process and will be accepted without payment. To obtain a fillable paper application, the applicant shall call the Child Care Policy Helpdesk at 1-877-302-2347, option 4. The applicant will then return just the completed application (no attachments or supporting documentation) to CentralOffice_CCPackets@jfs.ohio.gov. The ODJFS will begin the licensing process once the paper application is received. Once OCLQS is operating, any applicant who submitted a paper application shall submit a new application and payment in the system within thirty days of the go-live date.

Licensing Amendments

Licensed child care centers will continue to submit amendments in the Central Office License Tracking System - System for Online License Applications and Renewals (COLTS - SOLAR) system.

Serious Incidents

If a serious incident occurs, the child care center will continue to call the Child Care Policy Helpdesk at 1-877-302-2347, option 4, to report the incident.

Corrective Action Plan (CAP)

The child care center will continue to email the CAP directly to the child care licensing specialist (CCLS). Centers will not be required to enter a CAP into OCLQS for inspections completed prior to OCLQS going live, but may receive a system generated notification due to data entry and conversion. State staff will enter all CAPs submitted between December 31, 2016 and go-live.

ODJFS Prescribed Child Abuse Overview

Until the training is available in the OPR, the one-hour child abuse overview training will be temporarily available on the ODJFS website at https://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/Licensing_Training.stm. Completion of the training should be documented in the "Child Abuse Prevention" section on the JFS 01276 "Health Training Documentation for Child Care." Please note in the "Other Hours" section of the JFS 01276 that the one-hour child abuse overview training was completed. The administrator shall sign the "trainer section" to attest that the child care staff member completed the training.

New Staff Orientation

Until the training is available in the OPR, the staff orientation will be temporarily available on the ODJFS website at https://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/Licensing_Training.stm beginning January 13, 2017. Completion of the training should be documented on the JFS 01307 "Professional Development Documentation for Child Care." The administrator shall sign at the bottom of the JFS 01307 to attest that the child care staff member completed the training. Any child care staff member hired between December 31, 2016 and January 13, 2017 will have until February 13, 2017 to complete the training.

Please contact the Child Care Policy Helpdesk at 1-877-302-2347, option 4, if you have any questions.