Summary of Legislative Changes for the Star Rated License Systems

A new year brings new changes and as most of you know January 1st, 2006 the new star rated license system came into effect for North Carolina's Licensed child care centers and family child care homes. Listed below are the changes to the law:

• Compliance History: compliance history will now be a minimum requirement for maintaining any license as well as a Notice of Compliance. By 2008 all existing child care facilities must have a compliance history of 75% for the previous 18 months.

• Star Rated License System: Star ratings of Two to Five Stars will be based only on program standards and staff education.

Existing child care programs have until January 1, 2008, to be assessed under the revised two component system.

As North Carolina transitions to a revised star rated license system by 2008, Rated License Transitions Grants will be offered to financially assist child care providers. You should have received information on the application process in December.

Revised Child Care Sanitation Standards

Beaufort/Hyde County 

Star Ratings

SIDS

In 2003 a Safe Sleep law came into effect for all licensed child care centers and family child care homes in North Carolina. One of the components to the Safe Sleep law is all new child care center teachers caring for children less that 12 months of age must have the ITS-SID training within four months of employment and Family Child Care Home providers must have the ITS-SIDS training with four months of obtaining a license. Also, the ITS-SIDS training must be renewed every three years. Christina has added extra ITS-SIDS trainings to accommodate the need.