The Bureau of Child Care and Development would like to acknowledge that there have been many policy and procedural changes for child care centers and type A homes in the past several months. The Bureau has had revised rules, updated forms and implemented new statewide initiatives. In order to assist providers in understanding the changes and maintaining compliance with program requirements, the Bureau is providing the following information on the enclosed CD:

• Copies of licensing rules for both centers and type A homes, prescribed and sample forms, and reference guides.
• Website addresses with information about research and best practices in child care.
• Information about new programs that are being implemented in Ohio to recognize and support quality child care and early learning for our youngest residents.

The Bureau is pleased to be able to provide these resources, which we hope will eliminate some of the concerns providers have expressed about accessing the revised rules and forms. This mailing is a one-time procedure to meet the expressed needs of providers following the recent policy and form changes. All future policy and form changes will be issued and posted, as usual, on the department's legal and manual websites where they are viewable and printable. Any provider who cannot access the electronic copies of the rules and forms on these websites can call the Office for Children and Families Help Desk at 1-866-886-3537, option 4 to request a paper copy of the transmittal letter or procedure letter.

The CD contains the following:

• A complete copy of all rules in chapter 5101:2-12 (for centers) and chapter 5101:2-13 (for type A homes) that are in effect as of January 1, 2007. Administrators need to update these copies of the rules as revisions are made in future Child Care Manual Transmittal Letters and Child Care Manual Procedure Letters.
• A copy of prescribed and sample forms and reference guides along with a chart, which defines "prescribed" and "sample" and identifies the rule in which the form is referenced. Administrators will need to replace any of these forms when revisions are made.
• A list of websites that provide current information about child care in Ohio.
• A summary of the rule review and rule-filing process.
• A copy of the Program Guide to Keeping Ohio's Children Safe and Healthy, JFS 01579 (1/2007). This document provides a guide to the rules and portions of rules that, when not followed appropriately, pose a serious risk to the health and safety of children. Included is a detailed explanation of the serious risk non-compliances and technical assistance that will help centers and type A homes develop systems to assure compliance with these rule requirements.
• An explanation and history of the Step Up To Quality program. This quality rating system started as a pilot project and recently has been made available to all child care centers in Ohio.

If you are unable to open the CD, please contact the Office for Children and Families Help Desk at 1-866-886-3537, option 4 to request a paper copy of the contents.

JFS 01299 - Incident/Injury Report

Effective June 1, 2007 the JFS 01299 Incident/Injury Report will be revised and must be used by centers and type A homes. The form has a revision date of 6/2007. The revisions were made to allow the department to more accurately track serious incidents and injuries. The current version, dated 9/2006, may be used until June 1, 2007. The 6/2007 version is included in the prescribed forms being sent with this letter. Please note: the Incident/Injury Report dated 6/2007 cannot be used until June 1, 2007 because the computer system used to track this information will not be able to accept data from the new form until that date.

BCII Checks

The forms required for statements of nonconviction from center and type A staff have changed. Child Care Manual Transmittal Letter No. 76, dated December 22, 2006, issued two new forms, the JFS 01328 "Statement of Nonconviction for Child Care Centers, Type A Homes and Type B Homes" and the JFS 01329 "Statement of Nonconviction for Employees of Child Care Centers, Type A Homes, and Emergency and Substitute Caregivers of Type B Homes." As a result of a change in Ohio law, additional convictions were added to the list of prohibited criminal offenses. These changes required the development of two new forms and both are included in this mailing. The previously required forms, JFS 01313 and JFS 01314 are obsolete. The JFS 01328 and JFS 01329 must be used for all employees and owner/administrators who are required to complete nonconviction statements on or after June 1, 2007.

Communicating effectively with over 4,100 licensed programs presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Bureau of Child Care and Development. The Bureau intends that this mailing and the materials included will provide needed tools to assist child care staff to better understand policies and procedures and to access the helpful licensing information that is readily available. The Bureau is using web-based means and limited mailings to distribute information. Accessing the Bureau's website is the most efficient way to view and print manual letters and rules, procedure letters and forms. The website also displays links to view and comment on proposed rule changes, state initiatives, child care resources and publications that offer information on best practices in the field of early care and education. The Bureau's website may be viewed at:

https://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/childcare.stm

Owners, administrators, employees and parents are encouraged to visit this site on a regular basis. In the future, our ability to mail information will be even more limited than it is now and use of the available electronic resources will be the most important and effective way to guarantee timely access to licensing information.

The Bureau will soon release an easy way to keep up-to-date on Child Care Notices and Policy Updates. A new Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed will automatically deliver the latest child care information and updates directly to your desktop or Web browser. Additional details about the RSS feed will be sent to you as soon as possible.

Please review all of the items contained on the enclosed CD and keep them for reference. The information and resources can assist you in the daily operation of your center or Type A home. If you have questions or concerns about any of the items, please contact your licensing specialist or the Office for Children and Families Help Desk at 1-866-886-3537, option 4.

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

Attachment

Reference Guide