The bill amends Section 42-12-23.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-12, which pertains to the Department of Human Services, by establishing a voluntary quality rating system aimed at assessing and improving the quality of early care and education programs and school-age child care in Rhode Island. This system will include programs licensed under chapter 12.5 of title 42 and approved under chapter 48 of title 16, such as childcare centers and preschools, while excluding child placement agencies.

The bill introduces specific provisions for school-age child care programs operating within RIDE-certified school buildings. It states that any facility-based elements of observational tools or environment rating scales used to assess these programs, including the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) or any successor tools, will be deemed met or treated as neutral for the purpose of determining the program's quality rating level. This provision ensures that these elements do not negatively impact the program's quality rating.

Additionally, the bill clarifies definitions related to the quality rating system, including terms such as "RIDE-certified school building" and "facility-based element." It outlines the implementation process, requiring the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and other partner agencies, to ensure compliance with the new provisions within 180 days of the bill's passage. The bill also specifies that the requirement does not waive or diminish any licensure or health and safety requirements applicable to child care centers or school-age child care programs, nor does it affect the authority of relevant state agencies to enforce applicable laws and regulations.

Statutes affected:
2433: 42-12-23.1