2004-PA-0315

Act No. 315

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

August 27, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

August 27, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2007

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Senator Thomas

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 1228

AN ACT to amend 1973 PA 116, entitled "An act to provide for the protection of children through the licensing and regulation of child care organizations; to provide for the establishment of standards of care for child care organizations; to prescribe powers and duties of certain departments of this state and adoption facilitators; to provide penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending sections 5 and 9a (MCL 722.115 and 722.119a), section 5 as amended by 1998 PA 519 and section 9a as added by 1980 PA 232.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 5. (1) A person, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or nongovernmental organization shall not establish or maintain a child care organization unless licensed or registered by the department. Application for a license or certificate of registration shall be made on forms provided, and in the manner prescribed, by the department. Before issuing or renewing a license, the department shall investigate the applicant's activities and proposed standards of care and shall make an on-site visit of the proposed or established organization. If the department is satisfied as to the need for a child care organization, its financial stability, the applicant's good moral character, and that the services and facilities are conducive to the welfare of the children, the department shall issue or renew the license. As used in this subsection, "good moral character" means that term as defined in and determined under 1974 PA 381, MCL 338.41 to 338.47. If a county juvenile agency as defined in section 2 of the county juvenile agency act, 1998 PA 518, MCL 45.622, certifies to the department that it intends to contract with an applicant for a new license, the department shall issue or deny the license within 60 days after it receives a complete application as provided in section 5b.

(2) The department shall issue a certificate of registration to a person who has successfully completed an orientation session offered by the department and who certifies to the department that the family day care home has complied with and will continue to comply with the rules promulgated under this act and will provide services and facilities, as determined by the department, conducive to the welfare of children. The department shall make available to applicants for registration an orientation session to applicants for registration regarding this act, the rules promulgated under this act, and the needs of children in family day care before issuing a certificate of registration. The department shall issue a certificate of registration to a specific person at a specific location. A certificate of registration is nontransferable and remains the property of the department. Within 90 days after initial registration, the department shall make an on-site visit of the family day care home.

(3) The department may authorize a licensed child placing agency or an approved governmental unit to investigate a foster family home or a foster family group home according to subsection (1) and to certify that the foster family home or foster family group home meets the licensing requirements prescribed by this act. A foster family home or a foster family group home shall be certified for licensing by the department by only 1 child placing agency or approved governmental unit. Other child placing agencies may place children in a foster family home or foster family group home only upon the approval of the certifying agency or governmental unit.

(4) The department may authorize a licensed child placing agency or an approved governmental unit to place a child who is 16 or 17 years of age in his or her own unlicensed residence, or in the unlicensed residence of an adult who has no supervisory responsibility for the child, if a child placing agency or governmental unit retains supervisory responsibility for the child.

(5) A licensed child placing agency, child caring institution, and an approved governmental unit shall provide the state court administrative office and a local foster care review board established under 1984 PA 422, MCL 722.131 to 722.139a, those records requested pertaining to children in foster care placement for more than 6 months.

(6) The department may authorize a licensed child placing agency or an approved governmental unit to place a child who is 16 or 17 years old in an adult foster care family home or an adult foster care small group home licensed under the adult foster care facility licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.701 to 400.737, if a licensed child placing agency or approved governmental unit retains supervisory responsibility for the child and certifies to the department all of the following:

(a) The placement is in the best interests of the child.

(b) The child's needs can be adequately met by the adult foster care family home or small group home.

(d) The child placing agency or approved governmental unit will periodically reevaluate the placement of a child under this subsection to determine that the criteria for placement in subdivisions (a) through (c) continue to be met.

(7) On an exception basis, the director of the department, or his or her designee, may authorize a licensed child placing agency or an approved governmental unit to place an adult in a foster family home if a licensed child placing agency or approved governmental unit certifies to the department all of the following:

(a) The adult is a person with a developmental disability as defined by section 100a of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1100a, or a person who is otherwise neurologically disabled and is also physically limited to a degree that requires complete physical assistance with mobility and activities of daily living.

(b) The placement is in the best interests of the adult and will not adversely affect the interests of the foster child or children residing in the foster family home.

(d) The adult will be compatible with other residents of the foster family home.

(e) The child placing agency or approved governmental unit will periodically reevaluate the placement of an adult under this subsection to determine that the criteria for placement in subdivisions (a) through (d) continue to be met and document that the adult is receiving care consistent with the administrative rules for a child placing agency.

(8) On an exception basis, the director of the department, or his or her designee, may authorize a licensed child placing agency or an approved governmental unit to place a child in an adult foster care family home or an adult foster care small group home licensed under the adult foster care licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.701 to 400.737, if the licensed child placing agency or approved governmental unit certifies to the department all of the following:

(a) The placement is in the best interests of the child.

(b) The placement has the concurrence of the parent or guardian of the child.

(d) The child's psychosocial and clinical needs are compatible with those of other residents of the adult foster care family home or small group home.

(e) The clinical treatment of the child's condition is similar to that of the other residents of the adult foster care family home or small group home.

(f) The child's cognitive level is consistent with the cognitive level of the other residents of the adult foster care family home or small group home.

(g) The child is neurologically disabled and is also physically limited to such a degree as to require complete physical assistance with mobility and activities of daily living.

(h) The child placing agency or approved governmental unit will periodically reevaluate the placement of a child under this subsection to determine that the criteria for placement in subdivisions (a) to (g) continue to be met.

(9) Beginning the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection, except as provided in subsection(1) and section 5b, the department shall issue an initial or renewal license or registration under this act for child care centers, group day care homes, and family day care homes not later than 6 months after the applicant files a completed application. Receipt of the application is considered the date the application is received by any agency or department of this state. If the application is considered incomplete by the department, the department shall notify the applicant in writing or make notice electronically available within 30 days after receipt of the incomplete application, describing the deficiency and requesting additional information. This subsection does not affect the time period within which an on-site visit to a family day care home shall be made. If the department identifies a deficiency or requires the fulfillment of a corrective action plan, the 6-month period is tolled until either of the following occurs:

(a) Upon notification by the department of a deficiency, until the date the requested information is received by the department.

(b) Upon notification by the department that a corrective action plan is required, until the date the department determines the requirements of the corrective action plan have been met.

(10) The determination of the completeness of an application is not an approval of the application for the license and does not confer eligibility on an applicant determined otherwise ineligible for issuance of a license.

(11) Except as provided in subsection (1) and section 5b, if the department fails to issue or deny a license or registration to a child care center, group day care home, or family day care home within the time required by this section, the department shall return the license or registration fee and shall reduce the license or registration fee for the applicant's next renewal application, if any, by 15%. Failure to issue or deny a license to a child care center, group day care home, or family day care home within the time period required under this section does not allow the department to otherwise delay the processing of the application. A completed application shall be placed in sequence with other completed applications received at that same time. The department shall not discriminate against an applicant in the processing of an application based on the fact that the application fee was refunded or discounted under this subsection.

(12) If, on a continual basis, inspections performed by a local health department delay the department in issuing or denying licenses or registrations for child care centers, group day care homes, and family day care homes under this act within the 6-month period, the department may use department staff to complete the inspections instead of the local health department causing the delays.

(13) Beginning October 1, 2008, the director of the department shall submit a report by December 1 of each year to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of the senate and house of representatives concerned with human services and children's issues. The director shall include all of the following information regarding applications for licenses and registrations only for child care centers, group day care homes, and family day care homes filed under this act in the report concerning the preceding fiscal year:

(a) The number of initial and renewal applications the department received and completed within the 6-month time period described in subsection (9).

(b) The number of applications requiring a request for additional information.

(d) The number of licenses and registrations not issued within the 6-month period.

(e) The average processing time for initial and renewal licenses and registrations granted after the 6-month period.

(14) As used in this section, "completed application" means an application complete on its face and submitted with any applicable licensing or registration fees as well as any other information, records, approval, security, or similar item required by law or rule from a local unit of government, a federal agency, or a private entity but not from another department or agency of this state. A completed application does not include a health inspection performed by a local health department.

Sec. 9a. (1) A certificate of registration shall be in force for 3 years unless revoked under section 11. A renewal certificate of registration shall be issued in the same manner as provided in section 5(2), (9), and (11) for the initial issuance of the certificate, except that an on-site visit of the family day care home and the orientation session are not required. The certificate shall state that the registrant may operate a family day care home and the number and the ages of the children that may be received and maintained.

(2) This section does not limit the right or the duty of the department to assess periodically, randomly, or at the time of renewal, the continued compliance with this act and rules promulgated under this act. The department shall make on-site visits as provided in this act to a 10% sample of the family day care homes in each county each year, or when a complaint about a family day care home or registrant is received by the department.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect October 1, 2007.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor