NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON CHILD CARE FACILITIES LICENSING IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION The Department of Health proposes to change regulations on child care facilities licensing. |
The Department of Health proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 7 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with child care facilities licensing. The proposed changes are related to recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care, and include the following:***
***Please Note. Details related to the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care. The purpose of the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care is “to develop a plan to improve availability and affordability of … child care throughout Alaska. The related details may be accessed on the State of Alaska’s website at https://health.alaska.gov/Commissioner/Pages/cctf/default.aspx ; https://gov.alaska.gov/governor-dunleavy-establishes-task-force-on-child-care/ ; and https://gov.alaska.gov/admin-orders/administrative-order-no-346/ .***
- 7 AAC 57.015. Exemptions from licensure requirements, is proposed to include the following change.
- Add a new paragraph to include a facility approved by the Office of Child Care and a tribal lead agency in accordance with the Child Care and Development Fund requirements.
- 7 AAC 57.210. Administrator, is proposed to include the following changes.
- Remove the child care associate requirement and all references to a child care associate.
- Add an administrator designee who meets same qualifications as the administrator if administrator is absent for more than 30 consecutive days.
- 7 AAC 57.220. Child care facility operation and management, is proposed to include the following changes.
- Remove the child care associate requirement and all references to a child care associate.
- Add an administrator’s designee.
- 7 AAC 57.300. Qualifications of an administrator, is proposed to include the following changes.
- Add more education and certification options, to include elementary education, a seed level 7 certificate, and an early childhood education certificate or credential, a school age education certificate, or a child youth care credential.
- 7 AAC 57.330. Additional employee qualifications for child care centers, is proposed to be repealed. The intended effect of this repeal is to reduce barriers to staffing child care centers.
- 7 AAC 57.350.Orientation and training, is proposed to include the following changes.
- Remove the child care associate requirement and all references to a child care associate.
- Update the annual training to include at least one hour of health and safety topics training, or approved college credit for the annual training.
- 7 AAC 57.990.Definitions, is proposed to include the following changes.
- Remove the definition of a child care associate.
- Add the definition of an administrator designee.
You may comment on the regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the changes, by submitting written comments to Mr. Kendall Merry, State of Alaska, Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance, Child Care Program Office, 3601 C Street, Suite 140, Anchorage, AK 99503. Additionally, the Department of Health will accept comments by electronic mail at hss.dpa.ccl.policy@alaska.gov . The comments must be received not later than 5 p.m. on June 24, 2024.
You may provide oral comments relevant to the proposed action via telephone at the hearing to be held on June 13, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., by calling 1-800-893-7840 (TOLL-FREE). Please note that in-person attendance will not be provided at the hearing site. Please prepare to share your oral comments by telephone. If you call to provide oral testimony, you should be on the line before the hearing begins at 12:00 p.m. The Department of Health will give priority to those who call in before 1:30 p.m. The Department of Health may, before the hearing begins, limit the time allotted for each person providing oral testimony. The time limit may be necessary to conclude the hearing in the time provided.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Mr. Kendall Merry, by electronic mail at hss.dpa.ccl.policy@alaska.gov , or to Mr. Kendall Merry, State of Alaska, Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance, Child Care Program Office, 3601 C Street, Suite 140, Anchorage, AK 99503. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Health will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation to participate in this process, please contact Mr. Kendall Merry by electronic mail at hss.dpa.ccl.policy@alaska.gov , or by telephone at (907) 269-4511 not later than June 10, 2024, to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Mr. Kendall Merry by e-mail at hss.dpa.ccl.policy@alaska.gov , or by telephone at (907) 269-4511.
After the public comment period ends, the Department of Health will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory authority: AS 44.29.020; AS 47.05.310, AS 47.05.320, AS 47.05.330, AS 47.05.340, AS 47.32.010, AS 47.32.020, AS 47.32.030, AS 47.32.200.
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 44.29.020; AS 47.05.310, AS 47.05.320, AS 47.05.330, AS 47.05.340, AS 47.32.010, AS 47.32.020, AS 47.32.030, AS 47.32.200.
Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
The Division of Public Assistance/Department of Health (DOH) keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in its regulations. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all the Division of Public Assistance/DOH notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Division of Public Assistance/DOH at hss.dpa.ccl.policy@alaska.gov , giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices.
Individuals can also sign up to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System at https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.
DATE: May 14, 2024.
/s/Heidi Hedberg
Commissioner,
Department of Health
State of Alaska.