Child care support center; operating certificate required

§ 390-n. Child care support center; operating certificate required. 1. For purposes of this section, "child care support center" shall mean an entity operating as a child care resource and referral program as defined in title five-B of this article that is certified by the office of children and family services to place individuals as substitute caregivers at child day care centers, group family day care homes, family day care homes, or school age child care programs as defined in section three hundred ninety of this title for the purpose of providing child day care.

2. The office of children and family services shall be authorized to certify child care support centers and may, at its discretion, limit the number of operating certificates issued. The office of children and family services shall regulate and monitor child care support centers.

3. No entity may place substitute caregivers at child day care centers, group family day care homes, family day care homes, or school age child care programs unless it possesses a valid operating certificate issued by the office of children and family services.

4. Prior to placing an individual as a substitute caregiver at a child day care center, group family day care home, family day care home, or school age child care program as defined in section three hundred ninety of this title for the purpose of providing child day care, a child care support center shall verify that the substitute caregiver has met the:

(a) standards and training requirements set forth in section three hundred ninety-a of this title for child day care program employees;

(b) criminal history review and background clearance requirements of section three hundred ninety-b of this title for prospective employees of a child day care program; and

(c) any other requirements established by the regulations of the office of children and family services.

5. Any child day care program licensed or registered by the office of children and family services shall be authorized to request placement of a substitute caregiver by a child care support center in accordance with procedures established by the child care support center.

6. Operating certificates issued under this section shall remain valid unless surrendered by the child care support center or revoked by the office of children and family services. The office of children and family services may revoke an operating certificate at any time upon a determination that the child care support center has not operated in accordance with applicable state or federal law.

7. The office of children and family services shall deny an application for certification of a child care support center if the applicant had an operating certificate revoked within the two years prior to the date of application.