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: Parents and the public can file a complaint using various means of communication such as in-person, by telephone, fax, email, regular mail, or by completing an online form available at https://dwss.nv.gov/Care/CCL/Licensing-Info/complaints-ccl/. b. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for families that speak languages other than English: Spanish speaking staff assist the parent with writing their complaint. c. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for persons with disabilities: The DWSS/CCL web-based complaint process is compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act. 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 provider will be sent a non-compliance form explaining the non-compliance issue, the time period allowed to correct the issue, and possible penalty if the issue is not corrected. The time period for correction cannot be less than 10 calendar days or greater than 30 calendar days from the date of notice. Monitoring is performed to confirm if the issue has been corrected or not corrected. Information is available online at https://dwss.nv.gov/Care/CCL/Find_Child_Care/#noback. Each complaint is assessed and prioritized based on a situation that may result in substantial, minimal or no harm to one or more individuals. Based on this assessment, an investigation could begin in as little as 48 hours or when staff resources are available. Child Care Licensing staff use whatever methods will result in the most thorough and efficient investigation. This can include interviews, records reviews, in-person observations, phone calls and/or policy or procedure evaluations. Investigators seek to establish whether there are violations of law or regulations. Each allegation is substantiated (resulting in a citation) or unsubstantiated (no citation). If a citation is issued, the facility must respond with a plan of correction, and depending on the severity of the citation there may be fines or other sanctions. [ ] No. e. For substantiated parental complaints, who maintains the record for CCDF and non-CCDF providers? DWSS/CCL maintains substantiated parental complaints for licensed facilities and the CCR&Rs maintain records for license-exempt providers. Licensed: All incoming complaints are inputted for intake, assigned an Inspector (as necessary), report generated for review of findings and pend supervisor closure This complaint system is tracked and monitored by the Licensing Program Manager and Supervisor through the licensing system which details out the intake, priority, assessment, findings and approved closure. All completed complaints (Substantiated or Unsubstantiated) can be viewed by the public online. Licensed Exempt: Our Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect form is placed in the provider’s permanent file and case noted and provider is ineligible from becoming a subsidy provider in the future. Parents are informed of provider’s ineligible status upon making the registration appointment. All complaints are kept in the provider’s file regardless of outcome. 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: Licensed Providers: Information is available online at https://dwss.nv.gov/Care/CCL/Find_Child_Care/#noback. Each complaint is assessed and prioritized based on a situation that may result in substantial, minimal or no harm to one or more individuals. Based on this assessment, an investigation could begin in as little as 48 hours or when staff resources are available. Child Care Licensing staff use whatever methods will result in the most thorough and efficient investigation. This can include interviews, records reviews, in-person observations, phone calls and/or policy or procedure evaluations. Investigators seek to establish whether there are violations of law or regulations. Each allegation is substantiated (resulting in a citation) or unsubstantiated (no citation). If a citation is issued, the facility must respond with a plan of correction, and depending on the severity of the citation there may be fines or other sanctions. License-Exempt Providers: The Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect form is placed in the provider’s permanent file and case noted and provider is ineligible from becoming a subsidy provider in the future. Parents are informed of provider’s ineligible status upon making the registration appointment. It is not posted on the web or made available to the public at large.