(a) No person or entity shall care for or board a child without a license obtained from the Commissioner of Children and Families, except: (1) When a child has been placed by a person or entity holding a license from the commissioner; (2) any residential educational institution exempted by the State Board of Education under the provisions of § 17a-152; (3) residential facilities under contract with or licensed by the Department of Developmental Services pursuant to § 17a-227; (4) facilities providing child care services, as defined in § 19a-77; or (5) any home that houses students participating in a program described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (8) of § 10a-29. The person or entity seeking a child care facility license shall file with the commissioner an application for a license, in such form as the commissioner furnishes, stating the location where it is proposed to care for such child, the number of children to be cared for, in the case of a corporation, the purpose of the corporation and the names of its chief officers and of the actual person responsible for the child. The Commissioner of Children and Families is authorized to fix the maximum number of children to be boarded and cared for in any such home or institution or by any person or entity licensed by the commissioner. If the population served at any facility, institution or home operated by any person or entity licensed under this section changes after such license is issued, such person or entity shall file a new license application with the commissioner, and the commissioner shall notify the chief executive officer of the municipality in which the facility is located of such new license application, except that no confidential client information may be disclosed.

(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, setting forth standards for the licensing of child care facilities. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, minimum standards for (1) the physical requirements of such facilities, (2) the care and treatment of children cared for or boarded in such facilities, and (3) the staffing of such facilities.

(c) Each person or entity licensed by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall designate an on-site staff member who shall apply a reasonable and prudent parent standard, as defined in subsection (a) of § 17a-114d, on behalf of the child.

(d) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall not be responsible for the licensing of any facility that does not board or care for children or youths under eighteen years of age.