Main Content
Article
Important Changes to the CCDF Provider Eligibility Law EFFECTIVE July 1, 2015
Note: This new law DOES NOT affect licensed providers.
Important new child care laws recently enacted by the Indiana General Assembly (HEA 1036) go into effect on July 1, 2015.
All unlicensed child care programs receiving Child Care Development Fund funding will be impacted by the new laws. This includes registered ministries and legally licensed exempt programs, both home- and center-based, that choose to accept CCDF vouchers.
If you are an unlicensed child care program accepting CCDF vouchers you must meet these additional standards effective July 1, 2015, in order to continue to receive CCDF funding.
- Safe conditions: You must have and maintain a written policy describing how you maintain safe conditions in your child care facility or home and safety of motor vehicles used to transport children. These written policies and any changes to this policy must:
- Be submitted to the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. (Formerly the Bureau of Child Care)
- Be posted in a public location in the facility or home.
- Be provided to the parent or guardian of each child in your care.
- Daily activities: You must make available daily activities appropriate to the age, developmental needs, interests and number of children in your care, including the following:
- Both active and quiet play. The provider may include the use of safe, age-appropriate toys, games and equipment for indoor and outdoor play.
- Daily outdoor play, unless one (1) of the following applies:
- Severity of the weather poses a safety or health hazard.
- A health-related reason for a child to remain indoors is documented by the child's parent, guardian or physician.
- Nutrition: You must make available to each child in your care:
- Appropriately timed, nutritious meals and snacks in a quantity sufficient to meet the needs of the child.
- This does not eliminate sack lunches brought from home.
- Drinking water at all times.
You may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Please click here to learn more about the CACFP.
- Group size and ratios: As a provider operating a child care program in a facility or home you must follow ratios and group sizes as follows:
- If you will be caring for no more than sixteen (16) children at a facility/home you must maintain:
- A ratio of children to caregivers in the same proportions as specified in the child to staff ratio requirements; and
- The same group sizes as specified in the group size requirements that apply to a child care home under IC 12-17.2-5. (See staff to child ratio information)
- If you will be caring for more than sixteen (16) children at a facility/home you must maintain:
- A ratio of children to caregivers in the same proportions as specified in the child to staff ratio requirements; and
- The same group sizes as specified in the group size requirements; that apply to a child care center under IC 12-17.2-4. (See staff to child ratio information)
- If you will be caring for no more than sixteen (16) children at a facility/home you must maintain:
- Continuing education: Unless the provider is a parent, stepparent, guardian, custodian, or other relative to each child in the care of the provider, the individual annually must receive:
- At least twelve (12) hours of continuing education approved by the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning and related to the age-appropriate educational development, care and safety of children.
The hours of continuing education required may include:
- Child abuse detection and prevention
- First aid
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Safe sleeping practices
- Education received during the year as part of the non-formal CDA process or through higher education such as an Associates or Bachelor's degree program
- Not more than three (3) months after the individual begins employment or volunteer duties, the individual must receive training approved by OECOSL concerning child abuse detection and prevention. This training is available for free at your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. (See map for more information on your local agency)
- You must:
- Maintain at the facility/home where you operate a child care program documentation of all training and completion of continuing education required.
- Make the documentation available to the OECOSL upon request.
Free and low cost training is available through your local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and online through I-LEAD. For more information click here.
To view a copy of the letters that were mailed out, please click on the appropriate link below:
Information on the new law that will take effect July 1, 2015
English SpanishAdditional information about the nutritional requirements
English letter and resources Spanish letter and resourcesImportant information about the requirements on staff to child ratios and group sizes
English Spanish
Additional information about daily activities and safe conditions
English Spanish
Important information about the requirements on ongoing training
English letter and resources Spanish letter and
resources