Family Child Care Home and Group Family Child Care Home Adjustments to Capacity During COVID-19

Regulation Authority :

RI Executive Order 20-02

Purpose and Reason :

This new part adds the definition of "relative child" and gives an exemption to Family Child Care Home and Group Family Child Care Home Providers from having to count their own relative children in their group size/ratios during COVID-19.

Editorial Notes :

The agency requested an extension to the effective dates allowed by R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-35-2.10 for this emergency adoption which was initially promulgated as an adoption on September 20, 2020. An extension was granted in accordance with Executive Order 21-16 which permit extensions for sixty (60) days. As a result of this additional extension, the effective date has been revised to add to the original ineffective date and the regulation will now become ineffective on May 18, 2021.

Brief statement of Reason for Finding Imminent Peril :

During COVID-19 many children are home due to distance learning. This regulation allows Family Child Care Home and Group Family Child Care Home Providers to continue to provide care for the number of children they are licensed for while also supporting their own children who are home due to distance learning. This allows providers to continue to be able to support their program and provide access to safe child care for working families in Rhode Island.