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Today,
I would like to bring to your attention Senate Bill 504 by Senator
A.G. Crowe of Pearl River, Louisiana. As written SB 504 would
exempt certain church based childcare centers from being licensed
in the state of Louisiana. In specific:
The proposed law would create an exemption for
Class B licensure for certain religious nonprofit
organizations.
Proposed law provides that, in order to be exempted from licensure
by DSS, the religious, nonprofit organizations must meet all of the
following criteria:
A. The organization is a nonprofit organization and declared by the
I.R.S. to be tax exempt and where the I.R.S. has designated the
organization as being tax-exempt for religious purposes.
B. The organization does not receive local, state, or federal
funds, directly or indirectly. Proposed law provides that the
tax-exempt, religious organization, receiving no government funds,
must register with the department if the organization operates a
child care facility or childplacing
agency in which an individual child remains for more than 18 ½
hours in a week.
Proposed law requires that religious organizations,
which operate child care facilities or childplacing
agencies and which are required to register with the department,
must provide records to establish the following:
1. All standards and safety regulations set by the fire marshal
have been met.
2. All standards of health and sanitation set by the office of
public health of the Dept. of Health and Hospitals have been met.
3. Compliance with all laws related to the prevention of child
abuse.
4. Verification that a criminal background check
has been performed on all current or
prospective employees.
5. Certification that the facility is operated by an organization,
or organizations, which are each tax-exempt and each is designated
as such for religious purposes according to the I.R.S.
6. Verification, in writing, that the facility does not receive
either local, state, or federal funds, directly or indirectly, for
providing such care.
Proposed law provides that, a lawful parent or guardian of the
child placing their child in a religious child care facility or
child-placing agency which is required to register with the
department, but is not licensed by the department, must sign an
acknowledgment indicating awareness that the department does not
regulate the facility or agency, with the exception of certain
safety and sanitary codes.
Additionally, effective July
1, 2011 Class B licensure would be repealed entirely.
On
Thursday March 25, 2010, the CCAL Board of Directors voted to
oppose SB 504. The Board believes that all children in
the state of Louisiana deserve to be cared for in a facility that
adheres to uniform quality standards, in all childcare settings.
To exempt churches from childcare licensing laws is a step in wrong
direction. Louisiana recently implemented a new Quality Rating
System (QRS) and 50% of licensed childcare centers in Louisiana are
participating on a voluntary basis. A new committee is in the
process of re-writing the rules and regulations on Class A and
Class B childcare centers. The current focus is on
improving quality in childcare settings and to carve out certain
facilities from our state's licensure laws goes contrary to the
direction our state Department of Social Services is headed.
Consider the fact that in the state of Louisiana, even florists
must be licensed to practice their trade. Our most precious
resource, our children, deserve to be cared for in regulated
childcare setting.
If you agree, CCAL would like you to contact members of the Senate
Health and Welfare Committee and express your opposition to SB
504. Below is a roster of the committee.
Additionally
please use this link below to contact YOUR LA House and LA Senate
Member to express your concerns:
http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/H_Reps_ByAddress.asp
CCAL
would like to form a legislative committee that will serve under
the auspices of the Childcare Association of Louisiana. We
would like the committee to be comprised of representatives
throughout Louisiana representing these nine geographic areas of
the state
Acadiana District (Lafayette area)
Bayou District (Morgan City, Houma, Thibodaux areas)
Greater Baton Rouge District
Central Louisiana District (Alexandria area)
Northeast Louisiana District (Monroe are)
Greater New Orleans District
Northlake District (Slidell, Covington, Hammond, Ponchatoula areas)
Northwest Louisiana District (Shreveport area)
Southwest Louisiana District (Lake Charles area)
If you are interested in serving on the CCAL Legislative Committee,
email Cindy Bishop at cindybishop@att.blackberry.net and give
your name, contact information and a paragraph about your interest
in serving on the Legislative Committee. Also mention the
geographic district to which you would like to be appointed.
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