Category: Rulemaking Engagement

The Early Learning Division recently passed Temporary Rules for each facility, effective July 1, 2018. The Division has also opened rules on the Central Background Registry, training requirements, serious injury and reporting, safe sleep, and the use of restrictive infant equipment for public comment through August 20, 2018. Learn more about these rules and their potential impacts on your child care facility by attending one of the online meetings listed below. Additional resources, including ways to offer public comment, can be found under Child Care Rules on our website.

Language support will be provided in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese during these meetings.

Registered Family Online Engagement Session: Monday, August 6th, 6:00-8:00pm

Certified Family Online Engagement Session: Tuesday, August 7th, 6:00-8:00pm

Certified Center Online Engagement Session: Tuesday, August 7th, 3:00-5:00pm

 

As mentioned last month, the Office of Child Care has suspended the larger child care rule process and split it into two phases. The first phase ensures the Office of Child Care meets the new legal requirements for the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the statutory requirements of HB 4065, and implements additional requirements to better meet the needs of infants in child care.

This first phase of rules is now open for public comment. A copy of the rules can be found online:

Search the Secretary of State’s Oregon Administrative Rule Database (OARD): Chapter 414

Registered Family 414-205
Certified Family 414-350
Certified Center 414-300
Regulated Subsidy 414-180

The public comment period is open until August 20, 2018, and comments can be sent to Peter Blume via email at early.learning@state.or.us or via postal service to 700 Summer St NE, Suite 350, Salem, OR 97301.

The Office of Child Care also plans to hold several engagement sessions throughout the state and online to provide opportunities for providers to ask questions during this period. These rules will be presented to the Early Learning Council for adoption on August 30, 2018, and will be effective September 30, 2018.

On June 11, 2018, the Early Learning Division Office of Child Care received a directive from the Governor’s Office to address an urgent need to increase the availability of information to parents about the child care programs where their children are enrolled.

“One of the highest priorities as a state is to ensure our children are in safe, healthy environments so they have the opportunity to succeed and thrive…Families deserve to know when their child care facility is violating the law.”  – Governor’s Directive, 6-11-18.

In response to the Governor’s Directive, temporary rules were adopted by the Early Learning Council during their meeting yesterday, June 28, 2018. These rules were added to the General Requirements sections of the rules for Certified Centers, Certified Family Child Care Homes and Registered Family Child Care Homes to increase the availability of information about child care programs to the parents of children enrolled in each licensed facility. This is one of the first steps taken to better inform families.

The temporary rules will require providers to inform parents that they can access information about the child care program on the Office of Child Care’s website or by calling the Office of Child Care’s toll-free phone number. The temporary rules will also require providers to post all serious valid and serious non-compliance letters so parents can view them, as well as notifying all parents of any closure of the active license. Finally, the added rules will require providers to ensure that parents of children enrolled have viewed the current license certificate and the new certificate if any information is updated.

These rules were adopted by the Early Learning Council on June 28, 2018 and will be filed as temporary rules to be effective immediately.

You can review the adopted temporary rules here: https://oregonearlylearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Governors-Directive-adopted-rules-6-28-18-1.pdf

Documents and technical assistance information are being prepared to assist programs in complying with the new rules. In the meantime, please send your questions to Cheyenne Gardner at Cheyenne.gardner@state.or.us.

Thank you for helping us continue to promote the health and safety of children in care throughout Oregon.

The Office of Child Care received substantial feedback on proposed rule changes for all child care settings during the public comment period that closed May 21, 2018 and has continued to receive questions and feedback. In an effort to allow more time for public comment, as well as offer additional guidance and opportunities to answer questions from providers, the Office of Child Care will suspend the rulemaking process for the majority of proposed rule changes and move forward in two phases.

Phase 1: A narrow set of the existing proposed rule changes will move forward for adoption in the late summer or early fall. This subset will include rules required to remain in compliance with new federal Child Care Development Fund requirements, state requirements from HB 4065 (2018), and to address standards related to the unique needs of infants. These rules will be open for public comment on July 1, 2018. They will be available on the Secretary of State’s website in the July Bulletin: https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/displayBulletins.action as well as on our website at: https://oregonearlylearning.com/proposed-child-care-rules/. These rules will be effective September 30, 2018.

Phase 2: The remaining proposed changes for permanent rule consideration will reopen for public comment in the fall. The Office of Child Care will conduct a series of engagement sessions with child care providers throughout the state this summer and continue to accept questions and feedback via email at early.learning@state.or.us.

Supporting documents, including a Frequently Asked Questions page, will continue to be posted on our website at: https://oregonearlylearning.com/childcare-rules/.

In addition to these rules, the Early Learning Council will consider new rules for temporary adoption on June 28, 2018. These rules will require providers to provide parents a copy of the program’s current child care license certificate and to post any serious valid complaint and non-compliance letters. These proposed rules will be effective July 1, 2018 in an effort to improve communication with parents.

The proposed temporary rule language for Registered Family, Certified Family and Certified Center providers can be found here: https://oregonearlylearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Draft-Rules-6-22-18-effective-7-1-18.pdf

Thank you for your continued feedback as we work to refine these rules to better promote the health and safety of children in care throughout Oregon.

Notice of Public Hearing and Comment:

The Child Care and Development Fund State Plan maps Oregon’s response to federal requirements under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. The state plan serves as the application for Child Care and Development Fund allocations and provides descriptions of, and assurance about, the State’s child care program and services available to eligible families.

The Early Learning Division welcomes your comments on the draft state plan, which can be found by clicking on this link.

The federal Office of Child Care postposed the due date for the state plan until August 31, 2018. The plan is open for public comment until the public hearing.

You may provide comments by email early.learning@state.or.us or by mail:

CCDF State Plan Public Comment
700 Summer St. NE, Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301

A public hearing for the plan is scheduled for July 19, 2018:

Thursday, July 19, 2018
10:00am

Veterans’ Affairs Building – Early Learning Division
700 Summer St NE
Grand Ronde Room, 3rd Floor
Salem, OR 97301

Thank you,

Miriam Calderon, Early Learning System Director
Dawn Woods, Child Care Director, Early Learning Division

Notice of Public Hearing and Comment:

The Child Care and Development Fund State Plan maps Oregon’s response to federal requirements under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. The state plan serves as the application for Child Care and Development Fund allocations and provides descriptions of, and assurance about, the State’s child care program and services available to eligible families.

The Early Learning Division welcomes your comments on the draft state plan, which can be found by clicking on this link.

The plan is open for public comment for 20 days.

You may provide comments by email early.learning@state.or.us or by mail:

CCDF State Plan Public Comment
700 Summer St. NE, Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301

A public hearing for the plan is scheduled for June 13, 2018:

Wednesday, June 13, 2018
9:00am

Veterans’ Affairs Building – Early Learning Division
700 Summer St NE
Grand Ronde Room, 3rd Floor
Salem, OR 97301

Thank you,

Miriam Calderon, Early Learning System Director
Dawn Woods, Child Care Director, Early Learning Division

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:

The extended the public comment period for permanent administrative rules relating to licensed and regulated child care facilities is closing on Monday, May 21, 2018

Registered Family 414-205 (5.1.18 Update)

Registered Family Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Certified Family 414-350 (5.1.18 Update)

Certified Family Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Certified Center 414-300 (5.1.18 Update)

Certified Center Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Regulated Subsidy 414-180 (5.1.18 Update)

Regulated Subsidy Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

LAST DAY AND TIME TO OFFER COMMENT TO AGENCY: 05/21/2018 5:00 PM

Comments can be sent to

early.learning@state.or.us

700 Summer Street NE
Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301

 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking & Public Hearing:

The Early Learning Council has extended the public comment period until May 21, 2018 for permanent administrative rules relating to licensed and regulated child care facilities.

A public hearing has been scheduled for May 15, 2018:

Tuesday, May 15, 2018
6:00pm (members of the public who wish to provide testimony are limited to 5 minutes per group and must sign-up for testimony by 6:15pm)

Veteran’s Affairs Auditorium
700 Summer St NE
First Floor
Salem, OR 97301

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and proposed revisions to OAR Chapter 414 Divisions 180, 205, 300 and 350 are available at the Secretary of State’s online database. Clean versions (without track changes) are provided below.

Registered Family 414-205 (5.1.18 Update)

Registered Family Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Certified Family 414-350 (5.1.18 Update)

Certified Family Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Certified Center 414-300 (5.1.18 Update)

Certified Center Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

Regulated Subsidy 414-180 (5.1.18 Update)

Regulated Subsidy Rulebook Draft (Tables Included)

LAST DAY AND TIME TO OFFER COMMENT TO AGENCY EXTENDED: 05/21/2018 5:00 PM

Comments can be sent to

early.learning@state.or.us

700 Summer Street NE
Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301

 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:

The Early Learning Council will begin rulemaking to adopt permanent administrative rules relating to licensed and regulated child care facilities.

ORS 329A directs the Early Learning Council to adopt administrative rules relating to licensed and regulated child care facilities to ensure the health and safety of children in care.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and proposed revisions to OAR Chapter 414 Divisions 180, 205, 300 and 350 are available at the Secretary of State’s online database.

Registered Family 414-205

Certified Family 414-350

Certified Center 414-300

Regulated Subsidy 414-180

LAST DAY AND TIME TO OFFER COMMENT TO AGENCY: 04/21/2018 5:00 PM

Comments can be sent to

early.learning@state.or.us

700 Summer Street NE
Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301

 

Oregon Administrative Rules – Oregon Department of Education, Early Learning Division

OAR Chapter 414, Division 150 Special Populations Program

OAR Chapter 414, Division 400 Migrant Seasonal Farmworker Child Care Program

The Early Learning Council will begin rulemaking to repeal rules for the Special Populations and Migrant Seasonal Farmworker Child Care programs as these programs have been transferred to the Department of Human Services.

Public Comment Closes April 23, 2018 at 5pm.

View Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

CONTACT:
Alyssa Chatterjee
971-701-1535
alyssa.chatterjee@state.or.us
700 Summer St NE
Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301