State child care laws to change this month

A bill that will change current laws regarding child care is set to go into effect later this month.

Gov. Mike Parson signed House Bill 397 in July. Under the law, unlicensed child care providers may care for a total of six children and no more than three children younger than 2 years old. Currently, a day care provider is exempt from licensure if he or she cares for four or fewer children, but children related to the caregiver are not included in that number.

The bill also raises the offense of providing illegal child care from an infraction to a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for subsequent offenses. The law will also increase the fines for offenses.

The Department of Health and Senior Services will also now be required to file for civil penalties for the provision of unlicensed illegal child care. The department must provide written notice of the violation, educational materials about Missouri’s child care laws and regulations, how a facility may become exempt or licensed and penalties for operating an unlicensed, nonexempt child care facility. The individual will then have 30 days to become compliant.

The law will also allow the department to deny an application if the child care facility is located within 1,000 feet of a location where a registered sex offender lives or receives treatment.

The law takes effect Aug. 28.

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