(a) As used in this section and sections 19a-77a to 19a-80, inclusive, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive, “child care services” includes:

Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 19a-77

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • License: includes the whole or part of any Department of Public Health permit, approval or similar form of permission required by the general statutes and which further requires: (A) Practice of the profession by licensed persons only. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-13
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Registration: means the required entry upon a list maintained by the Department of Public Health of the name of a practitioner or the address of a place where a practice or profession subject to the provisions of this chapter and chapters 368v, 369 to 375, inclusive, 378 to 381, inclusive, 383 to 388, inclusive, 398 and 399 may be engaged in. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-13

(1) A “child care center” which offers or provides a program of supplementary care to more than twelve related or unrelated children outside their own homes on a regular basis;

(2) A “group child care home” which offers or provides a program of supplementary care (A) to not less than seven or more than twelve related or unrelated children on a regular basis, or (B) that meets the definition of a family child care home except that it operates in a facility other than a private family home;

(3) A “family child care home” which consists of a private family home providing care (A) for (i) not more than six children, including the provider’s own children not in school full time, without the presence or assistance of an assistant or substitute staff member approved by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, pursuant to § 19a-87b, present and assisting the provider, or (ii) not more than nine children, including the provider’s own children, with the presence and assistance of such approved assistant or substitute staff member, and (B) for not less than three or more than twelve hours during a twenty-four-hour period and where care is given on a regularly recurring basis except that care may be provided in excess of twelve hours but not more than seventy-two consecutive hours to accommodate a need for extended care or intermittent short-term overnight care. During the regular school year, for providers described in subparagraph (A)(i) of this subdivision, a maximum of three additional children who are in school full time, including such provider’s own children, shall be permitted, except that if such provider has more than three children who are such provider’s own children and in school full time, all of such provider’s own children shall be permitted. During the summer months when regular school is not in session, for providers described in subparagraph (A)(i) of this subdivision, a maximum of three additional children who are otherwise enrolled in school full time shall be permitted if there is such an approved assistant or substitute staff member present and assisting such provider, except that (i) if such provider has more than three such additional children who are such provider’s own children, all of such provider’s own children shall be permitted, and (ii) such approved assistant or substitute staff member shall not be required if all of such additional children are such provider’s own children;

(4) “Night care” means the care provided for one or more hours between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.;

(5) “Year-round” program means a program open at least fifty weeks per year.

(b) For licensing requirement purposes, child care services shall not include such services which are:

(1) (A) Administered by a public school system, or (B) administered by a municipal agency or department;

(2) Administered by a private school which is in compliance with § 10-188 and is approved by the State Board of Education or is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education, provided the provision of such child care services by the private school is only to those children whose ages are covered under such approval or accreditation;

(3) Classes in music, dance, drama and art that are no longer than two hours in length; classes that teach a single skill that are no longer than two hours in length; library programs that are no longer than two hours in length; scouting; programs that offer exclusively sports activities; rehearsals; academic tutoring programs; or programs exclusively for children thirteen years of age or older;

(4) Informal arrangements among neighbors and formal or informal arrangements among relatives in their own homes, provided the relative is limited to any of the following degrees of kinship by blood, marriage or court order to the child being cared for: Grandparent, great-grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle;

(5) Supplementary child care operations for educational or recreational purposes and the child receives such care infrequently where the parents are on the premises;

(6) Supplementary child care operations in retail establishments where the parents remain in the same store as the child for retail shopping, provided the drop-in supplementary child-care operation does not charge a fee and does not refer to itself as a child care center;

(7) Administered by a nationally chartered boys’ and girls’ club that are exclusively for school-age children;

(8) Religious educational activities administered by a religious institution exclusively for children whose parents or legal guardians are members of such religious institution;

(9) Administered by Solar Youth, Inc., a New Haven-based nonprofit youth development and environmental education organization;

(10) Programs administered by organizations under contract with the Department of Social Services pursuant to § 17b-851a that promote the reduction of teenage pregnancy through the provision of services to persons who are ten to nineteen years of age, inclusive;

(11) Administered by the Cardinal Shehan Center, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit organization that is exclusively for school-age children;

(12) Administered by Organized Parents Make a Difference, Inc., a Hartford-based nonprofit organization that is exclusively for school-age children; or

(13) Administered by Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc., a New Haven-based nonprofit youth development organization.

(c) Any entity or organization that provides services or a program described in subsection (b) of this section shall inform the parents and legal guardians of any children receiving such services or enrolled in such programs that such entity or organization is not licensed by the Office of Early Childhood to provide such services or offer such program.

(d) No registrant or licensee of any child care services as defined in subsection (a) of this section shall be issued an additional registration or license to provide any such services at the same facility.

(e) When a licensee has vacated premises approved by the office for the provision of child care services and the landlord of such licensee establishes to the satisfaction of the office that such licensee has no legal right or interest to such approved premises, the office may make a determination with respect to an application for a new license for the provision of child care services at such premises.