Rules and Regulations
The goals of this course are to help you understand:
- How the law defines your roles and responsibilities as a child care professional.
- Responsibilities of regulatory agencies involved in licensing and inspecting child care programs.
- Primary laws, rules, and regulations that govern state and local licensing and child care practices.
- The role of professionalism for a child care provider.
Laws protect students
Department of children and family services are responsible for determining state rules pertaining to child care and enforcing the rules by licensing and inspecting child care facilities: http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/child-care
Florida Statutes: http://ccrain.fl-dcf.org/documents/1/451.pdf#nameddest=402.26 and for the actual statutes: Note – XXIX Public Health - Chapter 402- Sections 26-319 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/Index.cfm Discuss the concept that the statues are made up of individual laws which are passed by the legislature. Each year, new statutes appear for the first time, some are rewritten or amended, and some stay the same. Statutes are written and proposed by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives. They are signed into law by the governor.
Florida Administrative Code: https://www.flrules.org/ Discuss the concept that the code is made up of the rules that are created by the Department of Children and Families and enforced by the Department of Children and families and many other state and local agencies. Rules and regulations are based on the Florida statutes. The Florida Department of Children and Families governs many aspects of child care in the state, and its staff members write the rules and regulations that appear in the Florida Administrative Code.
Americans with Disabilities Act: http://www.ada.gov/ Discuss that this federal law was passed in 1990 and prohibits discrimination of people who are handicapped or disabled. ADA calls for “reasonable accommodation” of the needs of people who are handicapped or disabled. The goals of ADA are to promote community integration by prohibiting discrimination based on disability; to create early intervention services for infants and toddlers (age birth to 3 years) with special needs and their families; and to provide non-discriminatory, multidisciplinary evaluation by qualified professionals.
Other agencies involved in child care:
Local fire departments inspect child care facilities and educate child care professionals about minimizing fires and other threats to safety.
Local health departments determine ordnances pertaining to public health and inspect child care facilities to enforce these ordinances.
Local licensing agencies establish, regulate and enforce rules and local ordinances which meet or exceed state standards.
Florida Statutes: http://ccrain.fl-dcf.org/documents/1/451.pdf#nameddest=402.26 and for the actual statutes: Note – XXIX Public Health - Chapter 402- Sections 26-319 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/Index.cfm Discuss the concept that the statues are made up of individual laws which are passed by the legislature. Each year, new statutes appear for the first time, some are rewritten or amended, and some stay the same. Statutes are written and proposed by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives. They are signed into law by the governor.
Florida Administrative Code: https://www.flrules.org/ Discuss the concept that the code is made up of the rules that are created by the Department of Children and Families and enforced by the Department of Children and families and many other state and local agencies. Rules and regulations are based on the Florida statutes. The Florida Department of Children and Families governs many aspects of child care in the state, and its staff members write the rules and regulations that appear in the Florida Administrative Code.
Americans with Disabilities Act: http://www.ada.gov/ Discuss that this federal law was passed in 1990 and prohibits discrimination of people who are handicapped or disabled. ADA calls for “reasonable accommodation” of the needs of people who are handicapped or disabled. The goals of ADA are to promote community integration by prohibiting discrimination based on disability; to create early intervention services for infants and toddlers (age birth to 3 years) with special needs and their families; and to provide non-discriminatory, multidisciplinary evaluation by qualified professionals.
Other agencies involved in child care:
Local fire departments inspect child care facilities and educate child care professionals about minimizing fires and other threats to safety.
Local health departments determine ordnances pertaining to public health and inspect child care facilities to enforce these ordinances.
Local licensing agencies establish, regulate and enforce rules and local ordinances which meet or exceed state standards.