CS/HB 781

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the licensing and regulating of
3	children's centers and family day care homes in Pinellas
4	County; amending chapter 61-2681, Laws of Florida, as
5	amended; redefining the terms "children's center" and
6	"family day care home"; authorizing the provision of child
7	care for a period longer than otherwise authorized for a
8	child whose parent or legal guardian works a shift of 24
9	hours or more; providing an effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsections (1), (5), and (6) of section 2 of
14	chapter 61-2681, Laws of Florida, as amended by section 1 of
15	chapter 70-893, Laws of Florida, are amended to read:
16	Section 2.  Definitions.--
17	(1)  A children's center includes any day nursery, nursery
18	school, kindergarten, or other facility whatsoever which, with
19	or without compensation, cares for five (5) or more children
20	seventeen (17) years of age or under, not related to the
21	operator by blood, marriage, or adoption, away from the child's
22	own home for from two (2) to twelve (12) hours per day per
23	child. This term shall not be construed to include any center
24	under the jurisdiction of the state board of education or to
25	include any nonpublic academic school except in regard to
26	children below first grade level.
27	(5)(a)  A family day care home means a facility for child
28	care in a place of residence of a family, person, or persons who
29	receive no more than four (4) children under seventeen (17)
30	years of age away from their own homes who are not related to
31	such person or persons by blood, marriage, or adoption, for the
32	purpose of providing family care and training for such children
33	for from two (2) to twelve (12) hours per day. No more than
34	three (3) of the four (4) children may be under two (2) years of
35	age. This term shall not be construed to include children above
36	first grade level except in homes where children below first
37	grade level are also received for care.
38	(b)  Child care may be provided for 24 hours or longer for
39	a child whose parent or legal guardian works a shift of 24 hours
40	or more. The requirement that a parent or legal guardian work a
41	shift of 24 hours or more must be certified in writing by the
42	employer, and the written certification must be maintained in
43	the facility by the child care provider and made available to
44	the license board and the state child care licensing agency. The
45	time that a child remains in child care, however, may not exceed
46	72 consecutive hours in any 7-day period. During a declared
47	state of emergency, the license board or the state child care
48	licensing agency may temporarily waive the time limitations
49	provided in this paragraph. Under special circumstances, family
50	day care homes may be licensed to care for children twenty-four
51	(24) hours a day. To fall under the administration of the
52	license board, these family day care homes may not receive
53	children from any licensed child-placing agencies. These family
54	day care homes shall meet the same minimum standards established
55	by the state welfare board for the care of children under
56	seventeen (17) years of age being cared for away from their own
57	parents or guardians, except where the requirements are in
58	conflict with this law or changed as provided herein.
59	(6)  Children's centers licensed hereunder shall not
60	provide provided regular overnight care for children. Overnight
61	care on New Year's Eve and other similar occasions to be
62	specified by the license board for a number not in excess of the
63	total enrollment authorized on its license is permissive,
64	subject to the determination by the license board that such
65	overnight care is reasonable under the circumstances.
66	Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.