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CAPS Policy – Health and Safety Standards No.: CAPS/00-15 Effective Date: 10/01/2016 Revised: 07/01/2025 Revision Effective: 07/01/2025

CAPS Policy Manual

Page 88 of 109 LEGAL AUTHORITY: Federal Register: 45 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 98 and 99.

Cross Reference/See Also: CAPS Participating Providers Policy (CAPS/00-11), CAPS Program Integrity Policy (CAPS/00-16), Rules and Regulations for Child Care Learning Homes and Family Child Care Learning Homes

Note: Definitions of words or phrases in bold are located in Definitions and Acronyms. Only the first occurrence of the defined words or phrases are bolded.

15 HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for protecting the health and safety of children who receive CAPS.

Scope This policy applies to all employees of the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), all parties responsible for the administration of the CAPS program, parents, and child care providers who receive subsidies administered by DECAL on behalf of parents.

Compliance Standards for all Providers Participating in CAPS 15.3.1 All providers participating in CAPS must comply with reporting requirements. Licensed providers must comply with reporting requirements as prescribed in Georgia child care licensing rules. License-exempt and informal providers must comply with reporting requirements as prescribed in the Health and Safety Standards for License-exempt Providers Receiving Subsidy manual and Health and Safety Standards for Informal Providers Receiving Subsidies manual. 15.3.2 All providers participating in CAPS must comply with DECAL’s Comprehensive Background Check policy. 15.3.2.1 The comprehensive records check must be processed by DECAL, and the comprehensive records check determination letter must be issued by DECAL. Any other fingerprint or records check, including those conducted by other state or federal agencies, will not satisfy the CAPS requirement. 15.3.2.2 All staff and residents of licensed, license-exempt, and informal providers participating in CAPS must meet DECAL’s background check requirements or they cannot be present in a child care program or reside at the location while children are present for care. 15.3.2.3 An individual must undergo an additional Comprehensive Records Check at least every five years or when that individual has not worked in the child care industry for six months or longer. 15.3.3 All providers participating in CAPS must maintain original and accurate arrival and departure records and transportation records (if applicable) for a minimum of three years from the last date service is provided. The primary purpose of arrival and departure records and transportation records is to account for each child in care and to protect the health and safety of children. For CAPS purposes, these records will also be used as evidence that care was provided. If there is an open investigation, or an open compliance review, providers, including providers who have closed or have been dismissed from the CAPS program, are required to maintain records beyond the three-year period until the investigation is completed, as prescribed in CAPS Provider Rights and Responsibilities Policy (CAPS/00-12). If it is determined through provider self-reporting, compliance reviews, or investigations that the provider failed to maintain arrival and departure records with the parent or authorized representative’s electronic signature, CAPS must recoup the amount of any child care subsidies paid for any portion of the review period for which the provider failed to maintain acceptable records.

Note: Refer to DECAL’s website for sample arrival and departure records: http://decal.ga.gov/BftS/FormList.aspx?cat=Child%20Care%20Learning%20Center 15.3.3.1 Arrival and departure records must have the parent’s or authorized representative’s original or electronic signature obtained at arrival and departure each time the parent or authorized representative drops off and picks up the child.