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: Licensed Providers: The Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB) within Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) handles complaints against child care homes, centers or facilities operating without a license. To make a complaint, the complainant can fill out the Online Complaint Form. They can also call 517-284-9730 option 4 to make a complaint or print and complete a paper Complaint Form. Mail or fax paper complaint forms should be sent to: Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) Child Care Licensing ￿ Complaint Intake 105 W Allegan, 2nd Floor PO Box 30664 Lansing, MI 48933 Fax: 517-284-7529 License Exempt Providers: The Child Development and Care (CDC) office within MiLEAP handles complaints against license exempt providers. Call 1-866-990-3227 to make a complaint against a license exempt provider. Billing complaints (for both provider types) can be made by calling the CDC office on 1-866-990-3227 or by contacting the Office of Inspector General at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Concerns relating to fraudulent child care activity can be submitted by calling 1-800-222-8558 or online through the Child Care Licensing Divisions website. b. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for families that speak languages other than English: The lead agency offers parent documents in Spanish and Arabic in addition they can be requested in another language for both license and license exempt providers. The lead agency call center has bi-lingual Spanish speaking staff available for assistance. c. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for persons with disabilities: The following is noted using the accessibility link at the bottom of State of Michigan webpages. Effective Communication: The State of Michigan executive branch will, upon request, provide auxiliary aids or alternative formats to qualified persons with disabilities for the purpose of effective communication. This can include but is not limited to providing a sign language interpreter, procuring documents in Braille, or modifying color contrast. Determinations on auxiliary aids, services, alternative formats for an individual are made on a case-by case basis. The Michigan Relay Service is available as a resource for people with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate by phone. Users may reach these services by dialing 7-1-1. 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: Complaint referrals from the public regarding licensed child care providers come to CCLB online, via fax, via mail, or by phone. Referrals are only considered a complaint if a program rule or act violation is alleged. Complaints are categorized as high or medium priority. High priority complaints investigations must be initiated within 24 hours and may require an onsite inspection within 72 hours. For investigations coordinated with law enforcement or other agencies, there may be exceptions to the on-site inspection timeline as they may require the department to refrain from a home visit if it is going to interfere with an investigation. All medium priority complaints require the investigation to begin within 5 calendar days, and an inspection to occur within 5 business days. If a program rule or act violation is alleged, the complaint is entered into Child Care Hub Information Records Portal (CCHIRP) and assigned for investigation. Complaints regarding violations of licensing rules are referred to the CCLB. The complaints are entered into an internal tracking database and are either auto assigned or assigned to a staff member to address on an individual basis as they investigate the complaint and work toward resolution. The CCLB’s policy is to complete all Special Investigations within 60 days. There are exceptions or extensions that may be granted for some investigations. Complaints of child abuse, child safety, and/or neglect are referred to the Child Abuse and Neglect Complaint hotline, 855-444-3911. License exempt provider complaints are considered if a program violation is alleged and referred within the lead agency for policy to review. If a violation is suspected the case is referred to Technology, Integrity and Outreach (TIO) to review. In matters for harm or threatened harm the parent is referred to their local police department for unrelated and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for related license exempt providers. Monitoring occurs when the consultants determines if violations are established based on the information that is gathered during the investigation process. Once an investigation is complete the consultant completes the special investigation report and makes a recommendation that is reviewed and approved by an area manager. [ ] No. e. For substantiated parental complaints, who maintains the record for CCDF and non-CCDF providers? Special Investigation Reports remain on the CCLB website for three years and then removed. A list of child care facilities that have had a license revoked, suspended or administratively closed or the department refused to renew are listed on the website for two years. For license exempt providers with substantiated parental complaints for program violations the lead agency maintains records of them in the program database. 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: Child care licensing complaints that are substantiated are posted on the child care licensing website, Statewide Facility Search (site.com) and appear in the 24/7 searchable provider database at www.greatstarttoquality.org for a period of three years.