Int. No. 473-A

By Council Members DeBlasio, The Speaker (Council Member Miller), Katz, Boyland, Palma, Reyna, Quinn, Brewer, Clarke, Comrie, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Jennings, Liu, Martinez, Nelson, Rivera, Seabrook, Stewart, Vann, Weprin, Recchia, Avella, Felder, Sanders, Jackson, Oddo and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to information furnished to and provided by agencies that make child care referrals.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1.  Legislative intent.  The city of New York has an obligation to protect and promote the safety and well being of its youngest and most vulnerable residents.  Public and private agencies upon which parents depend when they seek appropriate child care must be equipped to supply complete and accurate information regarding child care citywide.  The purpose of this local law is to enhance the flow of information regarding child care facilities to public and private agencies that make referrals and ensure that referring agencies provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information to parents who seek child care. 

§ 2.   Title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is hereby amended by adding a new section 17-919 to read as follows:

§ 17-919.  Distribution of information to referral agencies. 

a.  Definitions.  1.  “Child day care program” means any program that provides child day care as defined in section 390 of the new york state social services law or day care services as defined in article 47 of title 24 of the rules of the city of new york. 

2. “Referral agency” means the administration for children’s services, the department of social services/human resources administration or any state-funded child care resource and referral agency operating in New York City.

b.  To the extent permissible under law, the department shall promptly make available to referral agencies information regarding any child day care program for which the department is aware of a current suspension of its license, registration or permit or that it has had its license, registration or permit terminated.   

c.  The department shall request that referral agencies advise parents to seek additional information regarding any program to which a referral is made by consulting the department’s website or by calling 311. 

d.  Within six months of the effective date of the local law that added this section, the department shall publish an informational pamphlet which shall, at a minimum, do the following: 

1. Describe the government authorities responsible for regulating child day care programs, along with contact information for persons to use if they have questions or complaints about child day care programs. 

2.  Describe key rules or regulations relating to child day care, including mandated staff and adult/child ratios, maximum capacity and health and safety standards.

3.  Describe the inspection process and the registration, licensing and permitting processes for child day care programs. 

4.  Advise parents seeking child day care to ask child day care program providers to see the program’s current license, registration or permit and not to enroll a child in any program that does not have a current registration, license or permit or has a current suspension of its registration, license or permit.  

The informational pamphlet required by this section shall be translated into all covered languages as defined in § 8-1002 of the administrative code of the city of new york.  Copies of the pamphlet shall be provided to all referral agencies. 

§ 3.                     This local law shall take effect 180 days after its enactment.