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Summer 2021 Child Care Licensing Newsletter

Category
CDD Blog
July 12, 2021

We have officially had the first day of summer. The 2020-2021 school year has ended, and summer fun in the sun activities have begun. One thing we have learned from COVID-19 is how safe and healthy it is to be outside. For summer safety tips, visit the Vermont Department of Health's website. Their website provides tips on weather, sun, swimming, insects and plants, and food safety during the summer months.
 
Here are some important highlights, tips, and reminders:

COVID-19

During this time of COVID-19 recovery, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development's continues to provide resources and information. Their COVID-19 Recovery Resource Center has many helpful resources. For example, they have a recorded webinar titled, "Healthy Buildings: Strategies to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19" which looks at common issues across a range of spaces including historic buildings, meeting halls, opera houses, theatres, community centers, etcetera. There are also resources for families such as the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program. In addition to this resource, the following state entities continue to update their COVID-19 webpages providing information and resources:

As of June 14th, there are no COVID-19 restrictions or requirements for Vermont's child care or out of school programs. With Vermont’s high vaccination rates and low number of COVID-19 cases, it’s safe for most Vermonters to return to the activities they did before the pandemic. Our high vaccination rates mean the vast majority of Vermonters are protected from the virus and keep the virus from spreading to others. Because a COVID-19 vaccine is not currently available for children under 12 years old, there are a large number of unvaccinated people at schools, child care, and summer camps. Masks are recommended for unvaccinated people (2 years and older) when inside, throughout the summer. This is the recommendation of the Vermont Department of Health. There are other ways to protect children and families from COVID-19 infection, such as staying home when you're sick and frequent hand washing. Learn more about why, how, and when to do these things.

Child Care Licensing Staff Changes

  • We shared in the Spring Newsletter that Jacek Deptula has joined our team. He is a temporary employee assisting us with processing background clearances until fall 2021. Jacek's email address is jacek.deptula@partner.vermont.gov. Please note that it looks slightly different than our licensing staff's email addresses.
  • Since the Spring Newsletter, we have hired Shanna Smith to fill the vacant Child Care Business Technician position. Shanna transitioned from her Licensor position to this Technician position on Monday, June 21, 2021. In addition, Terri Layton left her Licensor position on Monday, June 21, 2021.

Background Clearances

  • During compliance visits, Licensors are assessing compliance for fingerprint supported background clearances.  Please be sure to have staff submit to fingerprinting.  For staff who receive an additional background clearance form from Jacek Deptula or another licensing staff member, please be sure to have staff complete and return the required form.
  • Please make sure you have a review process before submitting Record Check Authorization forms to the Child Development Division.  One of the most common mistakes is when individuals do not provide their apartment number for their mailing address.
  • If you'd like to email Record Check Authorization forms to us, please feel free to email us at ahs.dcfcddchildcarelicensing@vermont.gov.  We can support you with safely emailing these documents to us by sending you an encrypted email to which you can respond and attach the forms.  To receive an encrypted email, please email us at ahs.dcfcddchildcarelicensing@vermont.gov with this request.  We continue to accept these forms through the U.S. Postal service.
  • The Federal Office of Child Care regulations limit child care staff from starting employment on a provisional basis until the fingerprint-supported portion of the background clearance has been complete. However, Vermont has a temporary waiver from the Federal Office of Child Care to allow provisional employment of child care staff once Child Care Business Technicians have completed the in-state checks of the background clearance. For several years, Vermont has taken advantage of federal waivers, and we have advocated for our current practice to continue. For example, a week or so ago, we submitted written testimony to the Federal Interagency Task Force for Child Safety on the hardship the federal regulation will cause Vermont child care businesses; the limited resources we have available to us as a small, rural state; and how our data shows our current process to be as effective as the fingerprint-supported clearances for protecting children's safety. With that said, we will be sending out an administrative memo that requires this change in practice effective September 30, 2021 when Vermont's current federal waiver expires. As of now, there are no future waivers available for which Vermont can apply.

Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education Provisional License

On June 1, 2021, the Agency of Education's Early Education Team began accepting Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education provisional license application requests on a first-come, first-serve basis from candidates that work or contract with a private prekindergarten program.  To learn more about this possibility, visit the Agency of Education's website.

Infant/Child CPR and Pediatric First Aid

The waiver to accept fully online Infant/Child CPR and Pediatric First Aid training options has expired.  Please be sure that a training you plan to take meets the criteria, which are available on the Child Development Division's, Child Care Training Requirements page.  You may also contact your local Northern Lights at CCV Resource Advisor to confirm a training you plan to take meets the criteria.

Revised CBCCPP Regulations

On September 1, 2020, the revised CBCCPP regulations took effect. The revisions have the potential to impact all CBCCPPs, including those licensed by school districts. There is a video recording of a licensing regulation training in which we reviewed the revisions. This recording is on the Child Development Division's, Child Care Licensing Regulation page.  Please note that this recording does not meet annual professional development criteria, but you may find it to be a helpful tool. As a result of revising the CBCCPP regulations, we edited many template forms on the Forms for Child Care Providers page. We invite ASP and CBCCPP program administrators and/or program directors and FCCPs to use these template forms.  You may also personalize these forms to meet your needs.  Child care licensing staff have reviewed the forms to ensure compliance with child care licensing regulations.

Cannabis in Family Child Care Homes

Vermont statute prevents cannabis, tobacco products, or tobacco substitutes at licensed child care facilities and limits use to non-child care hours of operation for Family Child Care Homes.  The statute also requires FCCPs to notify prospective families before enrolling their child.  In addition, the statute prevents the cultivation of cannabis inside Family Child Care Homes.  Cultivation of cannabis outside a Family Child Care Home must adhere to the requirements in 18 V.S.A. § 4230e(b)(1)(B) which say cultivation must occur in an enclosure that is screened from public view and is secure so that access is limited to the cultivator and persons 21 years of age or older who have permission from the cultivator. Please read the Vermont statutes to learn the details of these restrictions. 

Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse

We all have a responsibility to protect children from child sexual abuse.  Meeting this call to action begins with ensuring you and your staff have completed the Vermont child care orientation training requirement (e.g., Better Kid Care's Vermont Orientation) and the online Mandated Reporter training.  For more information on these required trainings, see the Child Development Division's, Child Care Training Requirements page. 

  • If you or any of your staff need or want further training, you may use resources on the Department for Children and Families, Step Up: Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse page or seek additional professional development opportunities. 
  • Your local Northern Lights at CCV Resource Advisor is also available to assist you or your staff with finding professional development opportunities which meet child care licensing annual professional development criteria. 
  • Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is another valuable resource.  They offer online real-time trainings for FCCPs, early childhood educators, and after school professionals on the following topics:
    • Promoting healthy sexual development in children,
    • Recognizing and responding to child sexual abuse,
    • Recognizing grooming and intervening,
    • Guiding children and youth to the safe use of the internet and other digital media.

These trainings are free to Vermonters and count towards annual professional development hours required by child care licensing regulations.  These are also great learning opportunities for more experienced staff who are searching for more advanced-level trainings. The titles of their trainings are:

  • Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development;
  • Overcoming Barriers to Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse;
  • What is Child Sexual Abuse?;
  • Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behavior of Children;
  • Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behavior of Adolescents;
  • TECHNICOOL: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet; and
  • Everything Everyone Needs to Know to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse.

Here's the link to register for any of these trainings offered by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont.