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Winter 2022 Child Care Licensing Newsletter

Category
CDD Blog
February 22, 2022

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In This Issue:

Letter From The Director of Child Care Licensing

Greetings!
 
I want to start the year by recognizing the amazing child care and/or prekindergarten services you and your staff are providing across the state. You have seen hard times over the past two years, and you have been creative, innovative, and diligent with persevering to meet families' and children's needs. The Child Care Licensing Team here at the Child Development Division has witnessed your dedication and hard work. We appreciate what you’re doing to keep Vermonters working and for keeping children safe while supporting their learning.
 
We believe in presenting a complete picture of your programs. As such, when Licensors conduct licensing compliance visits, they observe your program's strengths and the many rules with which your program complies. The general regulatory practice is to only cite the violations in site visit reports. In Vermont, we cite the violations and the regulations observed to be in compliance and post all of this on the Bright Futures Information System (BFIS) Public Portal.
 
While many of you have taken advantage of the technical assistance resources by calling or emailing the Licensor on Duty line (ahs.dcfcddchildcarelicensing@vermont.gov or 800-649-2642 option 3), we want you to know that we continue to be a resource to all of you. While one of our responsibilities does include compliance monitoring even during tough times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, another responsibility is to provide technical assistance. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you through technical assistance.
 
Here’s to a fresh new year!
 
Christel Michaud
Director of Child Care Licensing

COVID-19

Mental Health Resources

The Vermont Department of Mental Health provides self-care suggestions ranging from an app that supports mindfulness to a refresher on the role that good exercise, healthy eating, and routines have on our mental health. In addition, they have a webpage for parents and caregivers that also contains a variety of resources.

Contract Tracing & Resources

Please remember to respond promptly to calls or emails from the Vermont Department of Health's Contact Tracing Team.

Resources For Child Care and Out of School Programs

Tests for Tots Program

The program supports continued in-person care and education for children 2 to 5 years old since they do not have the option of vaccination at this time. The program also aims to reduce the impacts of widespread quarantine on children, their families, and child care providers. The program is voluntary but does have requirements that providers will need to certify they will follow should they choose to participate. 

For More Information and/or To Sign Up

Test At Home Program

On January 14, 2022, the Vermont Agency of Education provided updated information for the Test at Home Program. (Please note that the Test at Home Program replaces the former Test to Stay Program at schools.) The Test at Home Program guidance says that prekindergarten students attending programs that are attached to K-12 school buildings are eligible to participate in this program.

Background Clearances

Extension Granted by the Federal Office of Child Care

Until September 1, 2022, Vermont may continue to allow child care staff to begin employment while we are processing the fingerprint supported portion of the background clearance if staff are not left alone with children and are directly working with a staff member who has completed a full background clearance.

Out-of-State Checks

For staff who have lived in another state within the past five years, we must conduct a child abuse and neglect registry check, in those states. To improve transparency and support your ability to ensure staff have completed all background check requirements, we will notify you by inserting a paragraph to this effect in the Fingerprint Authorization Certificate letter. In addition, when the other state's process requires additional information from your staff person, we will email or mail this request to your staff person's attention at your program's email or mailing address.

Checklists

Please adjust your background clearance tracking process to ensure staff are submitting to fingerprinting, completing the additional paperwork for the out-of-state child abuse and neglect registry check(s), and that five-year background clearance renewals are being completed. We have revised our sample Staff File Checklist and created a sample Background Clearance Checklist to assist you with this. 

Drinking Water Safety

Since we are getting closer to the first three-year renewal testing of drinking water for lead, the Vermont Department of Health has updated its website with information regarding the testing process.
 
In addition, six-year renewal water testing for arsenic, manganese, fluoride, uranium, nitrate, and nitrite is coming due for some child care providers.

  • If your program is on a public water source, you meet this requirement by following the testing requirements required within the permitting process set by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
  • If your program is on a private water source, review the date of your last water test results to determine when you are approaching the six-year deadline. While you can complete this testing through any Vermont Certified Drinking Water Laboratory, the Vermont Department of Health has grant funding through at least August 2022 to provide this testing service at a much lower expense to you. The Vermont Department of Health is finalizing the order process for these test kits and will update their website once completed.

Playground Safety

We find an increased risk of injuries on playgrounds during this time of year. Please remember that climbing structures (e.g., slides and swings) that allow children to obtain a height at or above 30 inches must have adequate cushioning material. While many things may compromise the resiliency of cushioning material in the winter, two examples are packed snow and/or ice that covers cushioning material. Staff should have a practice for assessing the resiliency of cushioning material. When the cushioning material isn't resilient and/or is compromised, staff must ensure children aren't playing on the equipment.

Also, winter temperatures require we ensure children are dressed properly to play outside safely. While our website provides the Extreme Weather Chart as a resource, please remember that proper clothing makes outside playtime safe most of the time. Children need the fresh air, benefit from interacting with nature, and need the gross motor movement.

VOSHA Requirements & Project WorkSAFE

All Vermont businesses, including child care programs, are required to comply with Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) rules and regulations; pertaining to their industry, this may include workplace hazard assessments, recording and posting occupational injuries, and maintaining written programs such as Hazard Communication programs and associated training.
 
If you want to ensure you meet the requirements or are looking for help to meet the requirements, you can contact Project WorkSAFE. Project WorkSAFE is a free service available to any small business in Vermont. They can help assess your workplace for required programs and training and help create safety programs and devise training schedules. Email luke.mccarthy@vermont.gov or call 888-SAFE-YES for more information. 

Pediatric First Aid and Infant/Child CPR

Please review the revised First Aid and CPR criteria on our Child Care Training Requirements page.
 
In collaboration with other content experts, the Child Care Licensing Team revised the First Aid and CPR criteria due to feedback from some of you and the length of time since the last review.  The most significant change is eliminating the restriction to three identified training organizations.
 
While we have kept the hands-on skills component portion of the criteria, you will see that we continue to have a waiver in effect that allows for fully online options to be accepted. Please work with your local Resource Advisor to ensure the training you plan on completing meets the revised criteria. The Northern Lights' Staff work closely with our Child Care Licensing Staff to ensure consistent application of the training criteria. 

Complaint Investigations

We understand that complaint visits can be stressful. During these visits, please let the Licensor know if you have staffing needs that require your attention (e.g., staff lunch breaks); this will help the Licensor minimize the impact on you and your staff. It also helps the process when you encourage your staff to answer questions openly and honestly.

The Child Care Licensing Unit and the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Family Services Division (FSD) co-investigate concerns regarding a regulated child care program. With the refinement of the monitoring process within the Act 166 Accountability and Continuous Improvement System (ACIS), the Child Development Division and the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), who co-administer prequalified prekindergarten education programs, have also begun to conduct co-investigations. Co-investigations help in reducing the number of interviews for child care staff. During a co-investigation, each entity reviews paperwork, observes the child care space and/or staff's interactions with children, and/or conducts interviews. Each of our focuses consists of:

  • Compliance with specific child care licensing regulations related to the nature of the complaint/concern for CDD,
  • Whether child abuse and/or neglect has occurred for FSD, and
  • Assesses compliance with Act 166/Universal Prekindergarten Education requirements and annual assurances for the AOE Early Education Team.