Cal. HSC § 1597.21 — California Code / Code hsc / Division 2 / Chapter 3.5 / Article 3 / Section 1597.21
Section 1597.21
Status: in_force

The following requirements shall apply to schoolage day care centers:

(a)  The State Department of Social Services shall permit the substitution of 20 training hours for each required unit of education.

(b)  In addition to an administration course consisting of three units or 60 training hours and three units or 60 training hours in early childhood education, child development, or schoolage child courses, the site director may, as an alternative to existing regulations, complete nine core units or 180 training hours from the following:

(1)  Recreation, which includes, but is not limited to, art, music, and dance.

(2)  Physical education, which includes, but is not limited to, indoor and outdoor sports activities.

(3)  Human services and social welfare, which includes, but is not limited to, nursing, psychology, sociology, or home economics.

(4)  Units earned toward an elementary or middle school teaching credential.

(5)  Early childhood education, child development, or schoolage child units.

A director is required to complete 12 units or 240 training hours prior to employment. The remaining three units must be completed within one year of employment.

(c)  The State Department of Social Services shall expand the list of college degrees that satisfy current site director educational requirements to include degrees in recreation, physical education, human services, and social welfare, as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), and education, as described in paragraphs (2) and (4) of subdivision (b).

(d)  As an alternative to satisfying the educational requirements of teachers contained in the regulations, a teacher may substitute 12 units or 240 training hours in any combination of the following:

(1)  Recreation, which includes, but is not limited to, art, music, and dance.

(2)  Physical education, which includes, but is not limited to, indoor and outdoor sports activities.

(3)  Human services and social welfare, which includes, but is not limited to, nursing, psychology, sociology, or home economics.

(4)  Units earned toward an elementary or middle school teaching credential.

(5)  Early childhood education, child development, or schoolage child units.

A teacher is required to complete six units or 120 training hours prior to employment.

(e)  The department shall accept the following alternative types of experience for site directors and teachers, if the experience was obtained working directly with children: classroom teaching or teacher assisting experience in elementary or middle school education; paid or volunteer work experience in physical education or recreation programs; college work-study or internship in recreation or youth development; paid or volunteer work experience in human services as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b); or paid or volunteer work experience in school guidance or in other counseling programs.

(f)  In addition to existing approved sources of education, the following are approved sources of education that may be used to satisfy the education required of staff at a schoolage child care center:

(1)  Vocational school training in recreation, physical education, human services, social welfare, and education as described in subdivisions (b) and (d).

(2)  Professional training that qualifies as continuing education credits in the child care or elementary education area.

(3)  Standard training programs that are provided by statewide or nationally recognized or community-based youth service organizations and offered or approved by an accredited educational institution or the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

(g)  Upon the receipt of a completed application for a license to operate a schoolage day care program at a functioning schoolsite from an organization that is currently licensed to operate a schoolage day care program at another site, the department shall have 30 days to make a final determination on whether to issue a license to operate the program. A functioning schoolsite shall meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1596.806.

(h)  (1)  If the department, for any reason, is unable to comply with subdivision (g), it shall, within 30 days of the receipt of the application described in subdivision (g), grant a provisional license to the applicant to operate for a period not to exceed six months. The provisional license shall be granted provided the department has conducted a site visit and has not found any life safety risks, the criminal records clearances are complete, and the school fire inspection has been verified. The requirement for criminal records clearances may be satisfied by transfer of current criminal records clearances, pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 1596.871. For purposes of a schoolage day care program operating on a functioning schoolsite, the school fire inspection shall be accepted as sufficient fire clearance.

(2)  While a provisional license is in effect, the department shall continue its investigation and shall make a final determination on the application prior to the expiration of the provisional license. If the department does not issue a provisional license pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall follow the procedures for notifying applicants as set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 1596.96.