The Department of Housing and the Public Housing Administration shall have the responsibility of designating, within the housing projects developed by the Public Housing Administration, the area where the Day Care Center shall be established. They shall also be responsible for the maintenance of the designated area to comply with the purposes of this chapter.
The Department of the Family shall be responsible for the management and operation of the Day Care Center. For such purposes, it shall be responsible for offering the necessary services to be rendered to the population. It is further provided, that courses or workshops directed toward parents or guardians on the teaching of nonreligious universal values and virtues for character development of shall be offered as a part of the services to be rendered. The teaching of values and virtues shall be included in its curriculum as a part of the educational services for pre-school children.
The Secretary of the Department of Family, with the consent of the Secretary Department of Housing, and the manager of the Public Housing Administration, shall appoint a Director to be in charge of the day care center’s management and operation. The Director, with the consent of the Secretary of the Department of Housing, and the manager of the Public Housing Administration shall establish the hours of operation during which the day care center shall be open.
The Director shall have the personnel necessary for offering the day care center’s services. The personnel offering a direct service to the children shall have knowledge, capability and experience in the care of children, specifically of preschool age. Additionally, they shall be duly trained and certified in a first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation course.
The Director and the center’s personnel shall submit to testing for the use of controlled substances, when applying for the job and periodically, and shall be bound to provide a negative certificate. The fact that the employee or applicant has been convicted of any crime involving domestic violence, abuse of a minor, sexual offenses, attempt against someone’s life, a crime involving public safety and/or the public service and/or the public treasury shall be an impediment to work in these day care centers. Additionally, work at the day care center shall be denied to those convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.
The Director and the personnel of the day care centers, before being employed, must submit to a psychological test showing that they are able to adequately perform the work and responsibilities related to the position they would hold and to the services they would offer. Afterwards, these people shall be retested at least once every two (2) years.
History —Sept. 27, 2003, No. 283, § 5; Mar. 25, 2008, No. 25, § 1.