9.1 Parental Complaint Process

Lead Agencies must maintain a record of substantiated parental complaints against child care providers and make information regarding such complaints available to the public on request. Lead Agencies must also provide a detailed description of the hotline or similar reporting process for parents to submit complaints about child care providers; the process for substantiating complaints; the manner in which the Lead Agency maintains a record of substantiated parental complaints; and ways that the Lead Agency makes information on such parental complaints available to the public on request. Lead Agencies are not required to limit the complaint process to parents. 9.1.1 Parental complaint process a. Describe the Lead Agency’s hotline or similar reporting process through which parents can submit complaints about child care providers, including a link if it is a Web-based process: For complaints about licensed child care providers, parents or the public can submit a complaint via email at ldelicening@la.gov, via fax at 225-342-2498, via phone at 225-342- 9905 or 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) toll free. For complaints about license-exempt providers, parents or the public can also submit a complaint via email at providercertification@la.gov, via fax at 225-342-4180, or via phone at 225-342-0694. Complaints about child care providers suspected of committing fraud can be submitted via email at LDECCAPfraud@la.gov or via the fraud hotline at 225-342-6230. The Lead Agency may also receive referrals from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). b. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for families that speak languages other than English: The parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for families that speak languages other than English by offering translation services. A parent can choose to submit a complaint via our website, which offers translation service, or information submitted via email can be submitted for translation. c. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for persons with disabilities: The parental complaint process ensures broad access for persons with disabilities by allowing different ways for complaints for sites to be submitted, which includes via email, via fax, or via phone. d. For complaints about providers, including CCDF providers and non-CCDF providers, does the Lead Agency have a process and timeline for screening, substantiating, and responding to complaints, including information about whether the process includes monitoring? [x] Yes. If yes, describe: The Licensing team reviews all complaints forwarded to or received by their team. The complainant is informed of the following information: that the complaint has been received, whether or not the complaint meets the criteria for a licensing investigation, that contact may be made for additional information, that the investigation can take up to 30 calendar days, and that results of the investigation may be found on School and Center Finder using https://louisianaschools.com/. If the complaint warrants a notification to another state agency, a referral will be made. Any emails or calls received that are not a violation of licensure or policy are documented internally and closed out. If the complaint notes something that is considered a violation and enough information is obtained from the complaint or from following up with the complainant if the complaint contains contact information, a monitoring visit is conducted. Upon completion of the monitoring visit, if the complaint allegations are substantiated, necessary action on the provider is taken based on results of the Licensing Specialist’s monitoring visit and subject to Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Bulletins 137 and 139 and the Child Care Assistance Program Provider Agreement. If there is no cause for further concern, the case will be closed and logged, with investigation information noted on the Lead Agency website on that site’s page (louisianaschools.com). If a monitoring visit is determined as warranted, a complaint investigation of the provider regarding the allegations must be completed within 23 business days. If any deficiencies are cited related to the allegations, the complaint is considered substantiated. [ ] No. e. For substantiated parental complaints, who maintains the record for CCDF and non-CCDF providers? All complaints investigated, of both CCDF and non-CCDF providers, are tracked in the Lead Agency’s Licensing system, indicating whether or not the complaint was substantiated. The system allows the tracking of complaints and creation of reports enabling visibility of on-going or repeat violations. f. Describe how information about substantiated parental complaints is made available to the public; this information can include the consumer education website discussed in subsection 9.2: When a monitoring visit is complete and reviewed by a Licensing Supervisor or Consultant, the statement of deficiencies is made web-viewable under that site’s history of inspections through School and Site Finder (louisianaschools.com), and it is noted on the published inspection information that the findings are in regard to a complaint visit.