Section 2008.250 Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

Section 407

TITLE 23: EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

SUBTITLE A: EDUCATION

CHAPTER XI: DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

PART 2008 LICENSING STANDARDS FOR DAY CARE CENTERS

SECTION 2008.250 ENROLLMENT AND DISCHARGE PROCEDURES

Section 2008.250  Enrollment

and Discharge Procedures

a)         The day care center shall enroll only those children eligible

under the center's written enrollment policies.  The center shall not use

eligibility criteria that screen out children with disabilities, and shall make

reasonable modifications in policies, practices and procedures to accommodate

children with disabilities.

b)         Prior to enrollment, the parents shall be provided information

about the program and given an opportunity to observe during the hours of

operation.

c)         The day care center shall provide publicly available written

statements that include the following and that are given to parents at the time

their child is enrolled in the facility:

1)         Names, business address and telephone number of those persons

legally responsible for the program and of those persons having immediate

responsibility for the daily conduct of the program;

2)         Statement of services, purposes and goals;

3)         Description of the daily program;

4)         Fees and plan for payment;

5)         Policies regarding delinquent fees;

6)         Types of insurance coverage for children;

7)         Admission, enrollment, and discharge policies and procedures:

A)        Hours of operation;

B)        Information regarding part-time enrollment, if applicable;

C)        Holiday and vacation schedules;

8)         Arrangements for arrival and departure of children (time,

location, transportation);

9)         Provision for emergency medical care, treatment of illness and

accidents, which includes:

A)        A plan to obtain prompt services of physician and

hospitalization, if needed or a plan from the parent to access the services of

a certified practitioner for a child exempt from medical care on religious

grounds;

for arrival and departure of children (time,

location, transportation);

9)         Provision for emergency medical care, treatment of illness and

accidents, which includes:

A)        A plan to obtain prompt services of physician and

hospitalization, if needed or a plan from the parent to access the services of

a certified practitioner for a child exempt from medical care on religious

grounds; and

B)        A plan for immediately notifying the parent of any illness,

accident or injury to the child;

10)        Formal religious observance or instruction, if any;

11)        Visits, trips, or excursions off the premises and the

transportation used for these visits, trips, or excursions;

12)        Procedures concerning personal belongings brought to the

center;

13)        Policy regarding release of personal information on the child

or family;

14)        Guidance and discipline policy;

15)        Planned means of communication between the center and the parents;

16)        Day care centers subject to testing of water for the presence

of lead shall inform parents where in the facility the results of all water

testing (at, above or below 2.01 ppb) are prominently posted and any mitigation

actions that are in place; and

17)        Behavior Support and program transition policies.

d)         The facility shall distribute a summary of the licensing

standards, provided by the Department, to the parents of each child at the time

that the child is accepted for care in the facility.  In addition, consumer

information materials provided by the Department including, but not limited to,

information on reporting and prevention of child abuse and neglect and

preventing and reporting communicable disease shall be distributed to the

parents or each child cared for when designated for distribution by the

Department.

e)         The day care center may ask parents to share professional

evaluations during the enrollment process when necessary to determine how best

to meet the needs of the child

on reporting and prevention of child abuse and neglect and

preventing and reporting communicable disease shall be distributed to the

parents or each child cared for when designated for distribution by the

Department.

e)         The day care center may ask parents to share professional

evaluations during the enrollment process when necessary to determine how best

to meet the needs of the child.

f)         Parents shall be informed of and agree to any variations in

regular procedures undertaken to meet the specific needs of their child.

g)         The day care center shall give parents adequate information about

the program so parents can make an informed decision regarding the enrollment

of their child.  At the time of enrollment, the parents shall receive a copy of

all written policy statements required by Section 2008.250(c).

h)         Staff shall be informed of the child's enrollment before a

child's first day of attendance and given the information necessary to make the

child's initial adjustment as comfortable as possible.

i)          The day care center shall maintain a record on all children

enrolled in the center to help staff plan effectively to meet each child's

individual needs.

1)         A written enrollment application shall be on file for each

child with the signatures of the enrolling parents.  The application shall

contain the following information:

A)        Child's full name, date of birth and gender;

B)        Date of enrollment and discharge;

C)        Scheduled days and hours of care;

D)        Name, home address and telephone number of parents;

E)        Work hours of parents and name, address and telephone number of

place of employment;

F)         Name, address and telephone number of the child's physician or

certified Christian Science practitioner, if applicable;

G)        Name, address and telephone number of all persons authorized to

pick up the child, which includes both:

i)          A primary list of persons authorized to pick up the child

regularly; and

ii)

e, address and telephone number of

place of employment;

F)         Name, address and telephone number of the child's physician or

certified Christian Science practitioner, if applicable;

G)        Name, address and telephone number of all persons authorized to

pick up the child, which includes both:

i)          A primary list of persons authorized to pick up the child

regularly; and

ii)         A contingency list of persons authorized to pick up the child

occasionally, including conditions for releasing the child to such persons;

H)        Name, address and telephone number (day and evening) of persons

to be contacted in an emergency if the parents cannot be reached; and

I)         Information regarding the child's individual development, habits,

medical needs and other factors critical to the child's well-being and ability

to participate in the program.

2)         Written agreements and consents for the following shall be on

file for each child:

A)        Visits, trips or excursions off the premises, including

transportation arrangements, when appropriate;

B)        Health care and treatment, including emergency first-aid;

C)        Child's involvement in research, if applicable;

D)        Formal religious instruction or observances, if applicable;

E)        Use of photographs, film or video of children;

F)         School attendance away from the center, if applicable,

including the time the child shall be released and the means of transportation

the child shall use;

G)        Participation in athletic activities such as swimming or

gymnastics, if applicable; and

H)        Use of facility transportation, if applicable.

3)         Reports of health examinations, unless waived in accordance

with Section 2008.310(a)(7)

dance away from the center, if applicable,

including the time the child shall be released and the means of transportation

the child shall use;

G)        Participation in athletic activities such as swimming or

gymnastics, if applicable; and

H)        Use of facility transportation, if applicable.

3)         Reports of health examinations, unless waived in accordance

with Section 2008.310(a)(7).

4)         The day

care center shall:

A)        Provide

a written notice to the parent of any child to be

enrolled for the first

time that within 30 days

of enrollment the parent must

provide a

certified copy of the child's birth certificate or other reliable proof of

identity and age of the child.

The center shall make a duplicate and

return the original certified copy to the parent no later than the end of the next

business day after receipt. If a certified copy of the birth certificate is not

available, the parent must submit

a passport, visa or other governmental

documentation as proof of the child's identity and age and an affidavit

or

notarized letter

explaining the inability to produce a certified copy of the

birth certificate.

The center's notice to parent shall also indicate that

the center is required by law to notify the Illinois State Police or local law

enforcement agency if the parent fails to submit proof of the child's identity

within the 30 day time frame;

B)        Notify

the Illinois State Police or local law enforcement agency of the parent's

failure to submit a certified copy of the child's birth certificate or other

reliable proof of identity

dicate that

the center is required by law to notify the Illinois State Police or local law

enforcement agency if the parent fails to submit proof of the child's identity

within the 30 day time frame;

B)        Notify

the Illinois State Police or local law enforcement agency of the parent's

failure to submit a certified copy of the child's birth certificate or other

reliable proof of identity. The center shall also

notify the parent or

guardian in writing that the

Illinois State Police or

local law

enforcement

has been notified as required by law, advising the parent that

he or she

has 10 additional days to comply

by submitting the required

documentation;

C)

Report

to the

Illinois State Police or local law enforcement agency

any

affidavit received that appears inaccurate or suspicious in form or content

;

D)

Flag

the record of

a child enrolled at the day care who is reported by the

Illinois State Police as a missing person, and

shall immediately report to

the

Illinois State Police

any request concerning flagged records or

knowledge as to the whereabouts of any missing

child. [325 ILCS 50/5]

j)          Infants, toddlers and preschool age children who, after documented

attempts have been made to meet the child's individual needs, demonstrate an

inability to benefit from the type of care offered by the facility, or whose

presence is detrimental to the group, shall be transitioned to a different

program.

k)         For infants, toddlers and preschool age children, in all

instances when a facility decides that it is in the best interest of the child

to transition to a different program, the child's and parents' needs shall be

considered by planning with the parents to identify the new program, and

working with the parents and pending program on a transition plan designed to

ensure continuity of services to meet the child's needs

preschool age children, in all

instances when a facility decides that it is in the best interest of the child

to transition to a different program, the child's and parents' needs shall be

considered by planning with the parents to identify the new program, and

working with the parents and pending program on a transition plan designed to

ensure continuity of services to meet the child's needs.  Licensees shall

adhere to the following requirements regarding program transition plans:

1)         All day care centers shall have written transition policies

that outline circumstances in which children may transition out of the program

and what the transition process entails;

2)         Providers shall notify the Department of transition plans;

3)         Nothing shall preclude a parent's or legal guardian's right to

withdraw his or her child from a day care center.  A written statement from the

parent or guardian shall be requested by the provider and kept on file, stating

the reason for the decision to withdraw the child; and

4)         If parents/guardians are unable to provide a letter, the

licensee shall maintain documentation that includes the requestor's name and

relationship to the child, along with the withdrawal date.  The licensee must

also sign and date the documentation.

l)          Providers of childcare to i

nfants,

toddlers or preschool age children

shall

maintain documentation regarding steps taken to ensure that the child can

participate safely in the program, in accordance with the behavior support plan

and program transition policy.  This shall include attempts to utilize

qualified professional resources, including when parental consent is attempted

and whether it is obtained.

m)        Early intervention services received by

children shall be documented in the behavior support plan

to ensure that the child can

participate safely in the program, in accordance with the behavior support plan

and program transition policy.  This shall include attempts to utilize

qualified professional resources, including when parental consent is attempted

and whether it is obtained.

m)        Early intervention services received by

children shall be documented in the behavior support plan.  Providers shall

also document whether children are evaluated by the Early Intervention Program and/or

the school district and, with regard to those children evaluated, whether they

are found eligible or ineligible to receive services.

n)

Providers

shall collect, and report annually to the Illinois State Board of Education, in

compliance with 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2050.340 (Reporting), information on children.