Lesson 28 : Legal and regulatory process -Licensing and Certification
Licensing
Licensing of centers is required in most states and coverage varies from place to place. In some places only full day child care programmes are required to obtain a license while in other states, all full day care, half day and home based programmes must be licensed. Depending on the type of the programme being planned and the geographical location of the center both the local and state government requirements need to be met.
The licensing function is a result of legislation and its thrust is accountability for the health and safety of children. The licensing requirements are minimal and measurable but do not guarantee quality of care or protection for the children. Licensing requirements typically include minimal educational qualifications for staff members but rarely address the educational quality of the program.
Licensing function is essential and valuable but often it is misunderstood. A license gives permission to operate rather than indicating quality. After initial inspection and approval, inspections and license renewals will be required on a regular basis. Entrepreneurs are responsible for making sure their programmes are in compliance with regulations and also should be familiar with appeal and grievance procedures to be followed if needed.
