(a) (1) Any entity operating child care and development programs funded pursuant to this chapter that provide direct services to children at two or more sites, including through more than one contract or subcontract funded pursuant to this chapter, shall employ a program director.

(2) Programs providing direct services to children, for the purposes of this section, are general child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10240), migrant child care and development programs pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 10235), child care and development services for children with special needs programs pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 10260), and any of these programs operated through family child care homes.

(b) (1) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “Administrative responsibility” means awareness of the financial and business circumstances of the program, and, in appropriate cases, supervision of administrative and support personnel and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify administrative practices and procedures to ensure compliance to administrative and financial standards imposed by law.

(B) “Program director” means a person who, regardless of their title, has programmatic and administrative responsibility for a child care and development program that provides direct services to children at two or more sites.

(C) “Programmatic responsibility” means overall supervision of curriculum and instructional staff, including instructional aides, and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify program practices and procedures to ensure compliance to applicable quality and health and safety standards imposed by law.

(2) Administrative and programmatic responsibility also includes the responsibility to act as the representative for the child development program to the department. With respect to programs operated through family child care homes, administrative and programmatic responsibility includes ensuring that quality services are provided in the family child care homes.

(c) The program director also may serve as the site supervisor at one of the sites, provided that the program director both fulfills the duties of a “child care center director,” as set forth in Section 101215.1 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and meets the qualifications for a site supervisor as set forth in subdivision (aa) of Section 10213.5.

(d) The department may waive the qualifications for program director described in Sections 10380.5 and 10381.5 upon a finding of one of the following circumstances:

(1) The applicant is making satisfactory progress toward securing a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing supervision of a child care and development program operating in two or more sites or fulfilling the qualifications for program directors in severely disabled programs, as specified in Section 10381.5.

(2) The place of employment is so remote from institutions offering the necessary coursework as to make continuing education impracticable and the contractor has made a diligent search but has been unable to hire a more qualified applicant.

(e) The department, upon good cause, may by rule identify and apply grounds in addition to those specified in subdivision (d) for granting a waiver of the qualifications for program director.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 116, Sec. 260. (AB 131) Effective July 23, 2021.)