Tulare County Office of Education - Child Care Educational Program

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Resource & Referral Services
Complaint Policies and Procedures

The California Department of Education, Child Development Division requires the Tulare County Office of Education to have a complaint process for all child development programs. This complaint process ensures a 60-day response to all complaints.

The Resource & Referral Services policies for handling complaints about providers is part of this uniform complaint process. Our complaint policy is designed to show concern for the safety and welfare of children in child care facilities and to show fairness to child care providers who may be subject to complaints.

As a referral agency, we do not license child care providers, nor do we deal directly with licensing violations. The responsibility for investigating complaints rests with the appropriate licensing agency.

We will respond to the following types of complaints by referring them to the appropriate licensing agency:

If a person reports that a child/ren in a child care facility is in immediate danger because of health and/or safety conditions. This would include a complaint of child abuse or neglect. Reports of suspected child abuse will also be referred to the local reporting hotline, (800) 331-1585 and/or local law enforcement.
If a person reports that the child care facility is not in compliance with licensing regulations.
If a person reports that a facility is operating without a license, and licensing is required.

We will not respond to complaints when they involve the following circumstances:

When a complaint is received regarding a disagreement between a parent and a provider involving fees for child care services.
When a complaint is received regarding a disagreement between a parent and a provider, and the disagreement is of a minor nature.

When we receive a complaint, we encourage the person making the complaint to report it directly to the licensing agency. In addition, we will document the complaint on a Resource & Referral Services Complaint Form and report the complaint to the appropriate agency. Any information received will be considered confidential. After a complaint is filed, we place a temporary hold on referrals until the complaint has been investigated and we have received information regarding the investigation by the agency. If the complaint is unsubstantiated or has been corrected, the temporary hold will be released on referrals.

Reasons for removing a provider from our referral files include, but are not limited to:

We believe the safety of the child(ren) is endangered.
Provider's license is suspended, revoked or not renewed.
A child abuse report is substantiated.
Provider has a history of substantiated licensing violations of a serious nature.

Licensing violations of a serious nature include, but are not limited to the following situations:

The center or home is consistently exceeding licensed capacity.
Staffing ratios are not maintained.
Children are left with a minor, with no responsible adult in attendance.
The provider is under the influence of drugs, alcohol or other substance while providing care.
Corporal punishment is used.

If a provider(s) disagrees with our decision to remove his/her name from the referral files, he/she has the right to appeal by requesting a conference with the Project Director of the Tulare County Child Care Educational Program. If further appeal is requested, the provider may request a conference with the Tulare County Superintendent of Schools, whose decision will be binding.

When we receive documentation of a substantiated complaint from the appropriate agency, we will review the complaint, decide if it fits the criteria of a serious complaint, and notify the provider in writing, by certified mail that he/she has been removed from our referral files. The same appeal procedure will be used if a provider disagrees with our decision to remove his/her name or their facility's name from the referral files.

Tulare County Child Care Resource & Referral Services
7000 Doe Avenue, Suite C
Visalia, CA 93291

(559) 651-0862 or toll free (800) 613-6262
Fax: (559) 651-2427

Tulare County Office of Education
Child Care Educational Program
7000 Doe Avenue, Suite C
Visalia, CA 93291

Ray Chavez, Administrator
(559) 651-3022
fax: (559) 651-3802

Please direct web site problems or comments to tcoeweb@tcoe.org.

Resource & Referral ServicesComplaint Policies and Procedures

Resource & Referral Services
Complaint Policies and Procedures