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: If a parent, guardian or other concerned citizen thinks that a child care program is not meeting the licensing requirements, a complaint can be made to the local child care licenser. The Department’s website has available a map with all child care licensers, child care licensing supervisors and their contact information. The parent, guardian or other concerned citizen are able to call the child care licenser or supervisor with a complaint or submit the complaint in writing via email. The Department has the authority to investigate all of these areas. However, the Department has no authority over areas such as operational policies about payment, hours or days of operation, if a program chooses not to administer medication, or enrollment or termination policies. The Complaint Investigation Procedure for Licensing Requirements are as follows: File Complaint; and Contact the child care licenser for the area. b. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for families that speak languages other than English: The Department’s website can be translated to Spanish via Google Translate. The Department staff works with translators, translator hotline, and the Latino Resource Center to assist parents on the parental complaint process as needed. c. Describe how the parental complaint process ensures broad access to services for persons with disabilities: The Department’s website is powered by Google and is accessible to those with disabilities. In addition, the Department staff work to assist persons with disabilities on the parental complaint process as needed. 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: For all licensed providers, the Department investigates complaints involving violations of child care licensing rules. If complaints are related to non-licensing issues (i.e. rates charged and hours of operation), the complaint shall be rejected or referred when appropriate. The provider and/or director shall be notified in writing of the allegations made in the complaint. The Department makes an unannounced visit to discuss the complaint with the provider and/or director. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, various aspects of the program will be monitored. Upon completion of the investigation: The provider and/or director shall be notified in writing of the findings and any areas of non-compliance with the rules. The Child Care Licensing programs determines whether a complaint is substantiated or not substantiated based on evidence gathered throughout the course of the investigation; What corrections shall be made and a date by which compliance shall be expected; Who is responsible for the correction; What was done or will be done to correct the problem; The child care licenser may monitor to ensure that the situation does not develop again; and An appropriate date is given, not to exceed 14 days from the date of the notice, for all issues of non-compliance to be corrected. The Department shall review, within 14 days after receipt, the program’s Corrective Action Plan and schedule. At that time, the Department shall: Approve the proposed Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule; Modify and approve the Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule; or Disapprove the Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule and revoke or suspend the prior certification of the program pursuant to Child Care Licensing Rules. For licensed- exempt providers, the Department investigates complaints of violations of the provider agreement. When a complaint is received by the Child Care Assistance worker or other Department staff, it is forwarded to the Child Care Assistance Program Manager. The Child Care Assistance Program Manager is responsible for contacting the licensed-exempt provider to gather information related to the complaint. Upon completion of the investigation, the Child Care Assistance Program Manager notifies the licensed-exempt provider of the outcome of the investigation. Depending on the type of complaint, negative action may be taken. For all licensed providers, the Department investigates complaints involving violations of child care licensing rules. If complaints related to non- licensing issues (i.e. rates charged and hours of operation), the complaint shall be rejected or referred when appropriate. The provider and/or director shall be notified in writing of the allegations made in the complaint. The Department makes an unannounced visit to discuss the complaint with the provider and/or director. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, various aspects of the program will be monitored. Upon completion of the investigation: The provider and/or director shall be notified in writing of the findings and any areas of non-compliance with the rules; What corrections shall be made and a date by which compliance shall be expected; Who is responsible for the correction; What was done or will be done to correct the problem; The child care licenser may monitor to ensure that the situation does not develop again; An appropriate date is given, not to exceed 14 days from the date of the notice, for the issues of non- compliance to be corrected. The Department shall review, within 14 days after receipt, the program’s Corrective Action Plan and schedule. At that time, the Department shall: Approve the proposed Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule; Modify and approve the Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule; or Disapprove the Corrective Action Plan and completion schedule and revoke or suspend the prior certification of the program pursuant to Child Care Licensing Rules. The Department responds to concerns or allegations of child care providers operating without a license. The Department makes an unannounced visit to discuss the complaint with the identified person. The Department tries to establish whether or not child care is being provided and if it would require licensure. If licensure is required, the Department child care licenser explains to the person what needs to happen in regards to licensing. In addition, the child care licenser explains the person shall ￿cease and desist￿ in operating without a license. The Department’s child care licenser provides a referral to local law enforcement and the county attorney’s office for issuance of a citation or prosecution. [ ] No. e. For substantiated parental complaints, who maintains the record for CCDF and non-CCDF providers? The Department, Child Care Licensing, uses the Child Care Licensing database system to keep records of all substantiated complaints. The records are maintained indefinitely for all operating, licensed facilities and the hard copy records for all closed facilities are archived and maintained for three (3) years. The Department, Child Care Assistance, documents all records of substantiated complaints for license exempt providers. The records are maintained indefinitely for all operating license-exempt providers and the records for all non operating license exempt providers are archived and maintained for three (3) years. 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 records are public records and anyone can access a provider’s history of licensing complaints on the Department’s public website (https://findchildcarewy.org/maps/) or call the Child Care Licensing office and ask if any licensing complaints have been substantiated against the provider. The public may also email a complaint and compliance history request to the Child Care Licenser and receive a copy of the substantiated allegations. All cases involving child abuse and neglect investigations are confidential and unavailable to the public.