The department has recently made Step Up to Quality, a voluntary child care quality rating system, available statewide. Step Up To Quality recognizes early care and education programs that exceed quality benchmarks above minimum health and safety licensing standards. The application form, JFS 01550 "Application for Step Up to Quality Star Rating" is available on the child care website at: http://www.stepuptoquality.org/ for licensed child care centers who wish to apply for Step Up to Quality.

The JFS 01579 "Provider's Guide - Child Care Licensing, Serious Risk Noncompliances," offers child care providers a tool to assist them in assessing compliance with those licensing requirements that, if violated, present the greatest risk of harm to children. The serious risk rule compliance process was developed in 2006 and implements provisions of HB 11 of the 125th General Assembly. The assessment of serious risk noncompliance is effective January 1, 2007. The JFS 01579 will be available on the department's forms website at: http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/inter.asp.

Please contact the Office for Children and Families (OCF) Help Desk at 1-866-886-3537, option 4 if you have questions regarding this information.

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