This letter is to notify stakeholders that the five rules listed below have been revised to improve the process for obtaining an initial license and renewing a license. These rules are effective September 29, 2011. The following is a summary of the changes to the rules:

Rule 5101:2-12-18.1 "Transportation/Vehicle Requirements for Licensed Child Care Centers" has been amended to clarify the intent of the rule requirements. The changes to the rule are to simplify language so it is clearly understood that appropriate child safety restraints must be used in vehicles used to transport children, when the vehicle is required by the United States Department of Transportation to be equipped with seat belts at the time of manufacture. This rule does not require school busses to have seat belts or to use child safety restraints.

Rule 5101:2-12-18.2 "Transportation/Driver Requirements for Licensed Child Care Centers" has been amended to simplify the record keeping requirements for contracted drivers who provide services to child care centers. The change to the rule requires the center to have the driver's employer complete a JFS 01266 "Contracted Driver Qualification Statement." This one form replaces the numerous documents contracted drivers currently must provide to the center.

Rule 5101:2-12-25 "Employee and Child Care Staff Member Requirements for Licensed Child Care Centers" has been amended as a result of the Five Year Review and to simplify the requirements for information that child care staff are required to have on file at the center. The changes to this rule include removing language requiring employees that have been home schooled to submit a letter from their local board of education or state board of education verifying they have met high school graduation requirements. This rule is also being amended to remove the requirement that child care staff members receive a tuberculosis test as part of the employee medical and to specify when all employees must receive the Pertussis immunization. Additionally, the requirement that each employee provide three references has been removed.

Rule 5101:2-12-26 "Statement of Nonconviction and Criminal Records Check for Licensed Child Care Centers" has been amended to clarify which employees of a child care center must have the results of a criminal records check on file at the center. The changes to this rule include clarification that persons providing contracted driving services may have their criminal records checks verified by a written statement from their employer rather than having a copy of the information on file at the child care center.

Rule 5101:2-12-42 "Cribs in Licensed Child Care Programs" has been amended to clarify the requirements for dividers between cribs and to implement the new federal standards for cribs. The changes to the rule include broadening the requirements for what type of material may be used for dividers between cribs and to reflect changes made to federal requirements regarding crib construction standards. The revision date of the JFS 01235 "Sleep Position Waiver" has been updated.

The electronic version of the Child Care Center Manual is located at: http://emanuals.jfs.ohio.gov/emanuals . The manual contains all rules and transmittal letters that the department has issued to licensed child care centers. A current version of this manual should be accessible and utilized by all providers in all licensed child care centers.

Please contact the Help Desk for the Office for Families and Children at 1-866-886-3537, option 4 if you have any questions.

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