File #: Res 0757-2005    Version: * Name: Inspection of Child Care Facilities
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
On agenda: 1/5/2005
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution urging the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to negotiate a contract for the inspection of child care facilities regulated under state law that facilitates the development of a unified database to provide parents in New York City access to crucial information regarding child care providers.
Sponsors: Melinda R. Katz, Tony Avella, Yvette D. Clarke, Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Lewis A. Fidler, Helen D. Foster, James F. Gennaro, Sara M. Gonzalez, Letitia James, John C. Liu, Margarita Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Michael C. Nelson, Annabel Palma, Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Larry B. Seabrook, Helen Sears, David I. Weprin, Bill De Blasio, Tracy L. Boyland, Gale A. Brewer, Diana Reyna, Simcha Felder, Alan J. Gerson, Betsy Gotbaum
Council Member Sponsors: 25
Attachments: 1. Committee Report, 2. Hearing Transcript, 3. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting - 1/19/05
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
1/19/2005*Melinda R. Katz City Council Approved, by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
1/13/2005*Melinda R. Katz Committee on General Welfare Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/13/2005*Melinda R. Katz Committee on General Welfare Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
1/5/2005*Melinda R. Katz City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/5/2005*Melinda R. Katz City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Res. No. 757

 

Resolution urging the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to negotiate a contract for the inspection of child care facilities regulated under state law that facilitates the development of a unified database to provide parents in New York City access to crucial information regarding child care providers.

 

By Council Members Katz, Avella, Clarke, Comrie, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Gonzalez, James, Liu, Lopez, Martinez, Nelson, Palma, Recchia, Seabrook, Sears, Weprin, DeBlasio, Boyland, Brewer, Reyna, Felder, Gerson and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

 

Whereas, Over 300,000 children in New York City are enrolled in one of more than 12,000 publicly or privately operated child care facilities; and

Whereas, Agencies that provide regulated child care in New York City fall into one of four different categories: group day care facilities; family day care facilities; group family day care facilities and school age child care facilities; and

Whereas, Group day care facilities are regulated under local law, while family day care facilities, group family day care facilities and school age child care facilities are regulated under state law;  and

Whereas, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH”) is responsible for conducting inspections of all types of city and state regulated child care in New York City; and 

Whereas, DOHMH has assumed significant responsibility for providing day-to-day oversight of family day care facilities, group family day care facilities and school age child care facilities under a contract entered with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (“OCFS”); and

Whereas, Fragmentation in the regulation of child care has impeded the development of a single, seamless system for delivering important information regarding all forms of regulated child care to the public; and 

Whereas, In order to make informed choices regarding child care for their children, parents must have access to critical information regarding the available options; and

Whereas, This information should all be available in one place and should include basic information such as the name and address of the facility, the people responsible for the facility; the total capacity for the facility; when the permit, license or registration was issued; when the most recent inspection occurred; whether, as of the most recent inspection, any circumstances existed at the child care facility that could place a child in danger; and

Whereas, The current contract between DOHMH and OCFS does not contemplate development of a unified database for information regarding all types of regulated child care in New York City; and

Whereas, As a result of the lack of easily accessible, comprehensive information regarding child care facilities in New York City, parents are unable to make informed choices about where to send their children to receive safe, nurturing care; and

Whereas, The term of the last contract expired on December 31, 2004; and

Whereas, For the sake of families in need of child care in New York City, the next contract between OCFS and DOHMH for the inspection of child care facilities should enable and require DOHMH to develop a single, seamless system to provide public information to parents regarding child care facilities in New York City; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the city of New York urges the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to negotiate a contract for the inspection of child care facilities regulated under state law that facilitates the development of a unified database to provide parents in New York City access to crucial information regarding child care providers.