Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-79

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 19a-79 - (Formerly Sec. 19-43d). Regulations. Exemptions. Waivers

(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, , and 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive, and to assure that child care centers and group child care homes meet the health, educational and social needs of children utilizing such child care centers and group child care homes. Such regulations shall (1) specify that before being permitted to attend any child care center or group child care home, each child shall be protected as age-appropriate by adequate immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule of active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f, (2) specify conditions under which child care center directors and teachers and group child care home providers may administer tests to monitor glucose levels in a child with diagnosed diabetes mellitus, and administer medicinal preparations, including controlled drugs specified in the regulations by the commissioner, to a child receiving child care services at such child care center or group child care home pursuant to the written order of a physician licensed to practice medicine or a dentist licensed to practice dental medicine in this or another state, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a, or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d, and the written authorization of a parent or guardian of such child, (3) specify that an operator of a child care center or group child care home, licensed before January 1, 1986, or an operator who receives a license after January 1, 1986, for a facility licensed prior to January 1, 1986, shall provide a minimum of thirty square feet per child of total indoor usable space, free of furniture except that needed for the children's purposes, exclusive of toilet rooms, bathrooms, coatrooms, kitchens, halls, isolation room or other rooms used for purposes other than the activities of the children, (4) specify that a child care center or group child care home licensed after January 1, 1986, shall provide thirty-five square feet per child of total indoor usable space, (5) establish appropriate child care center staffing requirements for employees certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the National Safety Council, American Safety and Health Institute, Medic First Aid International, Inc. or an organization using guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care published by the American Heart Association and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, (6) specify that a child care center or group child care home (A) shall not deny services to a child on the basis of a child's known or suspected allergy or because a child has a prescription for an automatic prefilled cartridge injector or similar automatic injectable equipment used to treat an allergic reaction, or for injectable equipment used to administer glucagon, (B) shall, not later than three weeks after such child's enrollment in such a center or home, have staff trained in the use of such equipment on-site during all hours when such a child is on-site, (C) shall require such child's parent or guardian to provide the injector or injectable equipment and a copy of the prescription for such medication and injector or injectable equipment upon enrollment of such child, and (D) shall require a parent or guardian enrolling such a child to replace such medication and equipment prior to its expiration date, (7) specify that a child care center or group child care home (A) shall not deny services to a child on the basis of a child's diagnosis of asthma or because a child has a prescription for an inhalant medication to treat asthma, and (B) shall, not later than three weeks after such child's enrollment in such a center or home, have staff trained in the administration of such medication onsite during all hours when such a child is on-site, (8) establish physical plant requirements for licensed child care centers and licensed group child care homes that exclusively serve school-age children, (9) specify that a child care center or group child care home shall immediately notify the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such center or home if such child exhibits or develops an illness or is injured while in the care of such center or home, (10) specify that a child care center or group child care home shall create a written record of any such illness or injury, which shall, (A) include, but not be limited to, (i) a description of such illness or injury, (ii) the date, time of occurrence and location of such illness or injury, (iii) any responsive action taken by an employee of such center or home, and (iv) whether such child was transported to a hospital emergency room, doctor's office or other medical facility as a result of such illness or injury, (B) be provided to the parent or guardian of such child not later than the next business day, and (C) be maintained by such center or home for a period of not less than two years and be made immediately available upon the request of the Office of Early Childhood, and (11) specify that a child care center or group child care home shall maintain any video recordings created at such center or home for a period of not less than thirty days, and make such recordings immediately available upon the request of the Office of Early Childhood. When establishing such requirements, the Office of Early Childhood shall give consideration to child care centers and group child care homes that are located in private or public school buildings. With respect to subdivision (8) of this subsection, the commissioner shall implement policies and procedures necessary to implement the physical plant requirements established pursuant to this subdivision while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form. Until replaced by policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this subdivision, any physical plant requirement specified in the office's regulations that is generally applicable to child care centers and group child care homes shall continue to be applicable to such centers and homes that exclusively serve school-age children. The commissioner shall post notice of the intent to adopt regulations pursuant to this subdivision on the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation of such policies and procedures. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this subdivision shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted. For purposes of this subsection, "illness" means fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, headache, persistent coughing, persistent crying or any other condition deemed an illness by the Commissioner of Early Childhood.

(b) Any child who (1) presents a certificate, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health pursuant to section 7 of this act, signed by a physician, a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in the opinion of such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, the immunizations required pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section are medically contraindicated, (2) in the case of a child who is enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade, presented a statement, prior to the effective date of this section, that such immunizations are contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, or (3) in the case of a child who is enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program or below, (A) presented a statement, prior to the effective date of this section, that such immunizations are contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, and (B) presents a written declaration, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, from a physician, a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse stating that an immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule of active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f has been given to such child and that any additional necessary immunizations of such student against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by such schedule of active immunization are in process under guidelines specified by the Commissioner of Public Health or as recommended for the child by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, shall be exempt from the immunization requirements set forth in such regulations. The statement described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection shall be acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 134 and 1-35, by a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, a town clerk, a notary public, a justice of the peace, or an attorney admitted to the bar of this state.

(c) Any child who is enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program or below on or before the effective date of this section who presented, prior to the effective date of this section, the statement described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section, but did not present the written declaration described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section, shall comply, on or before September 1, 2022, or not later than fourteen days after applying to enroll in the child care center or group child care home, whichever is later, with the immunization requirements set forth in the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.

(d) The commissioner may adopt regulations, pursuant to chapter 54, to establish civil penalties of not more than one hundred dollars per day for each day of violation and other disciplinary remedies that may be imposed, following a contested-case hearing, upon the holder of a license issued under section 19a-80 to operate a child care center or group child care home or upon the holder of a license issued under section 19a-87b , to operate a family child care home.

(e) The commissioner shall exempt Montessori schools accredited by the American Montessori Society or the Association Montessori Internationale from any provision in regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section which sets requirements on group size or child to staff ratios or the provision of cots.

(f) Upon the declaration by the Governor of a civil preparedness emergency pursuant to section 28-9 or a public health emergency pursuant to section 19a-131a, the commissioner may waive the provisions of any regulation adopted pursuant to this section if the commissioner determines that such waiver would not endanger the life, safety or health of any child. The commissioner shall prescribe the duration of such waiver, provided such waiver shall not extend beyond the duration of the declared emergency. The commissioner shall establish the criteria by which a waiver request shall be made and the conditions for which a waiver will be granted or denied. The provisions of section 19a-84 shall not apply to a denial of a waiver request under this subsection.

(g) Any child care center or group child care home may provide child care services to homeless children and youths, as defined in 42 USC 11434a, as amended from time to time, for a period not to exceed ninety days without complying with any provision in regulations adopted pursuant to this section relating to immunization and physical examination requirements. Any child care center or group child care home that provides child care services to homeless children and youths at such center or home under this subsection shall maintain a record on file of all homeless children and youths who have attended such center or home for a period of two years after such homeless children or youths are no longer receiving child care services at such center or home.

(h) Any child care center or group child care home may provide child care services to a foster child for a period not to exceed forty-five days without complying with any provision in regulations adopted pursuant to this section relating to immunization and physical examination requirements. Any child care center or group child care home that provides child care services to a foster child at such center or home under this subsection shall maintain a record on file of such foster child for a period of two years after such foster child is no longer receiving child care services at such center or home. For purposes of this subsection, "foster child" means a child who is in the care and custody of the Commissioner of Children and Families and placed in a foster home licensed pursuant to section 17a-114, foster home approved by a child-placing agency licensed pursuant to section 17a-149, facility licensed pursuant to section 17a-145 or with a relative or fictive kin caregiver pursuant to section 17a-114.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-79

(1967, P.A. 696, S. 5; P.A. 75-527, S. 4, 5; P.A. 76-38, S. 2, 3; P.A. 77-157, S. 3, 11; P.A. 78-303, S. 60, 136; P.A. 85-59, S. 1, 2; 85-495, S. 2, 7; 85-613, S. 41, 154; P.A. 88-182, S. 2, 3; P.A. 90-97; P.A. 91-327 , S. 4 , 8 ; P.A. 93-381 , S. 9 , 39 ; P.A. 94-38 ; 94-213 , S. 2 ; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 , S. 129, 130; P.A. 95-257 , S. 12 , 21 , 58 ; 95-360 , S. 16 , 22 , 32 ; P.A. 97-14 , S. 1 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 , S. 48 , 58 ; P.A. 02-84 , S. 1 ; P.A. 04-221 , S. 24 , 32 ; P.A. 07-252 , S. 83 ; P.A. 10-90 , S. 1 ; P.A. 14-39 , S. 49 ; P.A. 15-174 , S. 2 ; 15-227 , S. 7 ; P.A. 18-172 , S. 1 .)

Amended by P.A. 22-0081, S. 14 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2022 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2022.

Amended by P.A. 21-0006, S. 5 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 4/28/2021.

Amended by P.A. 19-0121, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2019.

Amended by P.A. 19-0105, S. 4 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2019.

Amended by P.A. 19-0031, S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 6/26/2019.

Amended by P.A. 18-0172, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2018 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2018.

Amended by P.A. 15-0227, S. 7 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2015.

Amended by P.A. 15-0174, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2015.

Amended by P.A. 14-0039, S. 49 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2014.

Amended by P.A. 10-0090, S. 1 of the February 2010 Regular Session, eff. 5/26/2010.