Report Title:

Infant and Toddler Child Care; Complaint & Grievance Policy

 

Description:

Allows the department of human services to adopt rules to implement a standardized set of procedures accommodating complaints and grievances against infant and toddler child care centers.  Allows the department to publicize procedures, including on its website. (HB155 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

155

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO INFANT AND TODDLER CHILD CARE CENTERS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Pursuant to chapter 17-895, Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), the department of human services regulates infant and toddler child care centers.  However,  The legislature finds that current law does not adequately protect parents and their infants and toddlers because no standardized or written procedure exists for an individual to file a complaint against an infant and toddler child care center.  In addition, there are no rules that address the filing of a complaint against a center's alleged omissions or wrongful actions.  Section 17-895-6, HAR, only requires an infant and toddler child care center to provide a written statement on the center's operation policies, including a statement on grievance procedures, presumably to accommodate a center's employees.

     The purpose of this Act is to allow the department of human services to adopt rules to provide standardized procedures for complaints and grievances by both clients and employees against infant and toddler child care centers in the state.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§346-     Infant and toddler child care centers; standardized complaint and grievance procedures; public information.  (a)  The department may adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91, to implement a standardized set of procedures to accommodate:

(1)  Complaints by individuals, including parents or legal guardians of client infants and toddlers; and

(2)  Grievances by employees of an infant and toddler child care center,

regarding omissions or alleged wrongful actions committed by the infant and toddler child care center.

     (b)  The department may make public information regarding this standardized set of procedures, including any additional relevant information, and may publicize it on the department's website."
     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2050.