Senate Bill 1644
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1644
By Senator Rossin
35-415A-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to child care facilities;
3 amending s. 402.305, F.S.; deleting obsolete
4 provisions with respect to the licensure of
5 child care facilities; authorizing the
6 Department of Children and Family Services to
7 adopt different standards for child care
8 facilities that serve children of different
9 ages; providing for the department to adopt the
10 state public school building code for any child
11 care program operated in a public school
12 facility, regardless of the operator of the
13 program; providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 402.305,
18 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
19 402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.--
20 (1) LICENSING STANDARDS.--The department state shall
21 establish licensing standards that each licensed child care
22 facility must meet regardless of the origin or source of the
23 fees used to operate the facility or the type of children
24 served by the facility.
25 (a) Until October 1, 1992, a child care facility that
26 holds a valid license must meet the licensing requirements in
27 effect on July 1, 1991. Beginning October 1, 1992, all such
28 facilities must comply with the licensing standards
29 established in this section.
30 (a)(b) The standards shall be designed to address the
31 following areas:
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1644
35-415A-98
1 1. The health, sanitation, safety, and adequate
2 physical surroundings for all children in child care.
3 2. The health and nutrition of all children in child
4 care.
5 3. The child development needs of all children in
6 child care.
7 (b)(c) All standards established under ss.
8 402.301-402.319 must be consistent with the rules adopted by
9 the State Fire Marshal for child care facilities. However, if
10 the facility is operated in a public school, the department
11 shall use the public school fire code, as provided in the
12 rules of the Department of Education, as the minimum standard
13 for firesafety.
14 (c)(d) The minimum standards for child care facilities
15 shall be adopted in the rules of the department and shall
16 address the areas delineated in this section. The department,
17 in adopting rules to establish minimum standards for child
18 care facilities, shall recognize that different age groups of
19 children may require different standards. The department may
20 adopt different minimum standards for facilities that serve
21 children in different age groups, including school-age
22 children.
23 (5) PHYSICAL FACILITIES.--Minimum standards shall
24 include requirements for building conditions, indoor play
25 space, outdoor play space, napping space, bathroom facilities,
26 food preparation facilities, outdoor equipment, and indoor
27 equipment. Because of the nature and duration of drop-in child
28 care, outdoor play space and outdoor equipment shall not be
29 required for licensure; however, if such play space and
30 equipment are provided, then the minimum standards shall apply
31 to drop-in child care. With respect to minimum standards for
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1644
35-415A-98
1 physical facilities of a child care program that is operated
2 in a public school facility, the department shall adopt the
3 State Uniform Building Code for Public Educational Facilities
4 Construction as the minimum standards, regardless of the
5 operator of the program. The Legislature intends that if a
6 child care program is operated in a public school, the program
7 need not conform to standards for physical facilities other
8 than the standards adopted by the Commissioner of Education.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.
10
11 *****************************************
12 SENATE SUMMARY
13 Provides for the Department of Children and Family
Services to adopt different licensing standards for child
14 care facilities that serve children of different ages,
including school-age children. Provides for the
15 department to adopt the State Uniform Building Code for
Public Educational Facilities Construction as the
16 standard for any child care program that is operated in a
public school facility, regardless of the operator of the
17 program.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
3