Section 5104.04 | Investigating, inspecting, and licensing procedures established.
(A) The department of children and youth shall establish procedures to be followed in investigating, inspecting, and licensing child care centers, type A family child care homes, and licensed type B family child care homes.
(B)(1)(a) The department shall, at least once during every twelve-month period of operation of a center, type A home, or licensed type B home, inspect the center, type A home, or licensed type B home. The department shall inspect a part-time center or part-time type A home at least once during every twelve-month period of operation. The department shall provide a written inspection report to the licensee within a reasonable time after each inspection.
Inspections may be unannounced. No person, firm, organization, institution, or agency shall interfere with the inspection of a center, type A home, or licensed type B home by any state or local official engaged in performing duties required of the state or local official by this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, including inspecting the center, type A home, or licensed type B home, reviewing records, or interviewing licensees, employees, children, or parents.
(b) Upon receipt of any complaint that a center, type A home or licensed type B home is out of compliance with the requirements of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, the department shall investigate the center or home, and both of the following apply:
(i) If the complaint alleges that a child suffered physical harm while receiving child care at the center or home or that the noncompliance alleged in the complaint involved, resulted in, or poses a substantial risk of physical harm to a child receiving child care at the center or home, the department shall inspect the center or home.
(ii) If division (B)(1)(b)(i) of this section does not apply regarding the complaint, the department may inspect the center or home.
(c) Division (B)(1)(b) of this section does not limit, restrict, or negate any duty of the department to inspect a center, type A home, or licensed type B home that otherwise is imposed under this section, or any authority of the department to inspect a center, type A home, or licensed type B home that otherwise is granted under this section.
(2) If the department implements an instrument-based program monitoring information system, it may use an indicator checklist to comply with division (B)(1) of this section.
(C) The department may deny an application or revoke a license of a center, type A home, or licensed type B home, if the applicant knowingly submits falsified information to the department or if the center or home does not comply with the requirements of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(D) If the department finds, after notice and hearing pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, that any applicant, person, firm, organization, institution, or agency applying for licensure or licensed under section 5104.03 of the Revised Code is in violation of any provision of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, the department may issue an order of denial to the applicant or an order of revocation to the center, type A home, or licensed type B home revoking the license previously issued by the department. Upon the issuance of such an order, the person whose application is denied or whose license is revoked may appeal in accordance with section 119.12 of the Revised Code.
(E) The surrender of a center, type A home, or licensed type B home license to the department or the withdrawal of an application for licensure by the owner or administrator of the center, type A home, or licensed type B home shall not prohibit the department from instituting any of the actions set forth in this section.
(F) Whenever the department receives a complaint, is advised, or otherwise has any reason to believe that a center or type A home is providing child care without a license issued pursuant to section 5104.03 and is not exempt from licensing pursuant to section 5104.02 of the Revised Code, the department shall investigate the center or type A home and may inspect the areas children have access to or areas necessary for the care of children in the center or type A home during suspected hours of operation to determine whether the center or type A home is subject to the requirements of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(G) The department, upon determining that the center or type A home is operating without a license, shall notify the attorney general, the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the center or type A home is located, or the city attorney, village solicitor, or other chief legal officer of the municipal corporation in which the center or type A home is located, that the center or type A home is operating without a license. Upon receipt of the notification, the attorney general, prosecuting attorney, city attorney, village solicitor, or other chief legal officer of a municipal corporation shall file a complaint in the court of common pleas of the county in which the center or type A home is located requesting that the court grant an order enjoining the owner from operating the center or type A home in violation of section 5104.02 of the Revised Code. The court shall grant such injunctive relief upon a showing that the respondent named in the complaint is operating a center or type A home and is doing so without a license.
(H) The department shall prepare an annual report on inspections conducted under this section. The report shall include the number of inspections conducted, the number and types of violations found, and the steps taken to address the violations. The department shall file the report with the governor, the president and minority leader of the senate, and the speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives on or before the first day of January of each year, beginning in 1999.
Last updated August 28, 2023 at 2:51 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- January 1, 2014 – Senate Bill 316 - 129th General Assembly [ View January 1, 2014 Version ]
- September 29, 2015 – House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly [ View September 29, 2015 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]
- January 1, 2025 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View January 1, 2025 Version ]