This letter is to notify child care centers and type A home providers that effective December 1, 2010 all licensed child care programs will be required to have and maintain a current e-mail address. This new requirement is a result of the department's development of an automated system for processing initial and renewal license applications. E-mail access between providers and the department will also allow faster, easier and more effective communication regarding changes to licensing policy, rules and forms with less cost associated with the notifications.

Programs should remember the following points when utilizing an email address:

• As of January 1, 2011 all license renewal applications and fire inspection notices will only be sent electronically. Programs will no longer receive paper copies of the renewal application or fire inspection notices. For this reason, the department must have a current, valid program e-mail address on file for every licensed provider. Each program should obtain an e-mail address that the department will use as the program's official contact address. This email address will be treated as a public record. Programs are encouraged to not use the administrator's or any staff member's personal e-mail. Use of an e-mail address belonging to an administrator or a staff member who then leaves the program could result in the program no longer receiving notices, which could affect the program's ability to maintain a license.
• No later than December 1, 2010 all licensed programs must enter the Central Office License Tracking System - System for Online License Applications and Renewals (COLTS - SOLAR) and set up a user account. The only information needed to set up the account is your name and your child care program's e-mail address. Follow these steps to create your account.

1.Go to http://colts-solar.ohio.gov in your browser

2.On the Access page, create a user account by selecting the Create Account button

3.Enter the required information (first name, last name, e-mail address) and create a Key (the Key is needed to access the system. The Key serves the same purpose as a password)

4.Select the Create Account button

5.Your Confirmation #, Key and activation instructions will be sent to the e-mail address you provided when you created your account

6.Open the e-mail and follow the instructions to activate your account

7.Once you have activated your account you are finished.

• After January 1, 2011, when the system is live, you will be able to access your application(s) online and update your program e-mail address on the application(s), if needed. Until then, if your program e-mail address changes you will need to notify your licensing specialist to change the information.
• Programs that have already submitted an e-mail address via a mailed application or through their licensing specialist must also create an account in COLTS-SOLAR. The program should be sure that the e-mail address on file matches the e-mail address used to create the account. If the e-mail address on file does not match exactly, please notify your licensing specialist so the change can be made in the licensing system. This will prevent conflicting information from being entered into the licensing system records.
• Programs that have already submitted an application through the COLTS-SOLAR should verify that the e-mail address entered on the application under the "Facility Information" section is the program e-mail address and not a personal email address of the administrator or a staff member. If a change needs to be made, please contact your licensing specialist.

If you have questions, please contact the Help Desk for the Office of Families and Children at 1-866-886-3537, option 4.

INSTRUCTIONS: The following chart identifies the material that needs to be removed from and inserted into the Child Care Center Manual (CCCM) and the Child Care Type A Manual (CCAM).