GA Code § 20-1A-2 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 20 - Education|Chapter 1A - Early Care and Learning|Article 1 - General Provisions|§ 20-1A-2. (See Editor's notes.) Definitions

 As used in this chapter, the term:    "Board" means the Board of Early Care and Learning.   "Change of ownership applicant" means any licensed or commissioned early care and education program applying for a new license or commission to operate an early care and education program.   "Child care learning center" means any place operated by a person, society, agency, corporation, institution, or group wherein are received for pay for group care for less than 24 hours per day, without transfer of legal custody, seven or more children under 18 years of age; provided, however, that this term shall not include a private school which provides kindergarten through grade 12 education, meets the requirements of Code Section 20-2-690, and is accredited by one or more of the entities listed in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6) of Code Section 20-3-519 and which provides care before, after, or both before and after the customary school day to its students as an auxiliary service to such students during the regular school year only.   "Commissioner" means the commissioner of early care and learning.   "Department" means the Department of Early Care and Learning.   "Early care and education programs" include all support centers, family child care learning homes, and child care learning centers, regardless of whether such homes or centers offer education.   "Early childhood" means the period of childhood from birth to age six.   "Family child care learning home" means a private residence operated by any person who receives therein for pay for supervision and care less than 24 hours per day, without transfer of legal custody, at least three but not more than six children under 13 years of age who are not related to such person and whose parents or guardians are not residents in the same private residence; provided, however, that the total number of unrelated children cared for in such home, for pay and not for pay, may not exceed six children under 13 years of age at one time.   "License" means the document issued by the department authorizing the operation of a family child care learning home or child care learning center.   "Permit" means the temporary document issued by the department authorizing a family child care learning home or child care learning center to operate without a license for a limited term to be determined by the department.   "Registration" means the document issued by the department to any business entity operating as a support center.   "Support center" means any business entity registered with the department that makes available potential employees for family child care learning homes or child care learning centers and that receives no children for care. Such term shall include but not be limited to a temporary staffing agency, a university, or an independent contractor.     (Code 1981, §20-1A-2, enacted by Ga. L. 1996, p. 167, § 2; Ga. L. 2004, p. 645, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 798, § 1/HB 1169; Ga. L. 2013, p. 135, § 1/HB 354; Ga. L. 2015, p. 965, § 1/HB 401; Ga. L. 2016, p. 846, § 20/HB 737.)    The 2015 amendment,  effective January 1, 2016, added paragraph (2); redesignated former paragraphs (2) through (6) as present paragraphs (3) through (7), respectively; substituted "seven" for "19" in paragraph (3); substituted "support centers, family child care learning" for "group day-care" in the middle of paragraph (6); deleted former paragraph (7), which read: "'Family day-care home' means a private residence operated by any person who receives therein for pay for supervision and care fewer than 24 hours per day, without transfer of legal custody, at least three but not more than six children under 13 years of age who are not related to such person and whose parents or guardians are not residents in the same private residence; provided, however, that the total number of unrelated children cared for in such home, for pay and not for pay, may not exceed six children under 13 years of age at one time."; substituted the present provisions of paragraph (8) for the former provisions, which read: "'Group day-care home' means any place operated by any person or group wherein are received for pay not less than seven nor more than 18 children under 18 years of age for care and supervision for less than 24 hours per day."; and added paragraphs (9) through (12).    The 2016 amendment,  effective May 3, 2016, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, in paragraph (6), deleted "family day care homes," and substituted "child care learning centers" for "care learning centers" near the middle; and, in paragraph (8), substituted "less than 24 hours" for "fewer than 24 hours".   For application of this statute in 2020, see Executive Orders 08.31.20.02, 09.15.20.01, and 09.30.20.02.   A listing of Executive Orders issued in 2020 and 2021 can be found at https://gov.georgia.gov/executive-action/executive-orders.