HB4587: CHILD CARE DIRECTORS

HB4587 Enrolled LRB104 16993 AAS 30407 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by adding 5 Sections 6.3 and 6.5 as follows: 6 (225 ILCS 10/6.3 new) 7 Sec. 6.3. Child care director educational qualifications. 8 Child care directors hired on or after the effective date of 9 this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall meet 10 the following educational requirements: 11 (1) a minimum of an associate degree from an 12 accredited college or university in child development or 13 early childhood education; or 14 (2) the equivalent to paragraph (1) (defined as 64 15 semester hours or 96 quarter hours in any discipline, with 16 a minimum of 21 semester hours or 31.5 quarter hours from 17 an accredited college or university in courses related to 18 child development, early childhood education, or early 19 childhood special education) and one of the following: 20 (A) Gateways to Opportunity Level I Illinois 21 Director Credential; 22 (B) 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of 23 college credit in administration, leadership, or HB4587 Enrolled - 2 - LRB104 16993 AAS 30407 b 1 management; or 2 (C) 3 points of credential-approved training in 3 administration, leadership, or management. 4 (225 ILCS 10/6.5 new) 5 Sec. 6.5. Qualifications for interim conditional child 6 care directors. 7 (a) A licensed day care center may employ an individual 8 who is in the process of completing the educational 9 requirements set forth in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(e)(2) as 10 an interim conditional child care director for a period of 12 11 months if they meet the conditions outlined in paragraph (1) 12 or (2) of subsection (b). An individual employed under this 13 Section shall comply with the process established by the 14 Department of Early Childhood. This process requires the 15 licensed day care center, at the time of employment, to 16 provide documentation showing that the individual is enrolled 17 in courses at an accredited college or university that satisfy 18 the requirements of 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(e)(2). 19 (b) During the 12-month employment period, an interim 20 conditional child care director with any of the following 21 qualifications is exempt from the educational requirements set 22 forth in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(e)(2): 23 (1) At least 2 years or 3,120 clock hours as an early 24 childhood teacher at the licensed day care center where 25 the individual shall serve as an interim conditional child HB4587 Enrolled - 3 - LRB104 16993 AAS 30407 b 1 care director and has at least 64 semester hours or 96 2 quarter hours of credit from an accredited college or 3 university in any discipline, with a minimum of 15 4 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours in courses related to 5 early childhood education, child development, or early 6 childhood special education, and (i) a Gateways to 7 Opportunity Level I Illinois Director Credential, (ii) 3 8 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of credit from an 9 accredited college or university in administration, 10 leadership, or management, or (iii) 3 points of 11 credential-approved training in administration, 12 leadership, or management. A person who is exempt under 13 this paragraph shall obtain a total of at least 21 14 semester hours or 31.5 quarter hours in courses related to 15 early childhood education, child development, or early 16 childhood special education by the end of the prescribed 17 12-month period; or 18 (2) At least 2 years or 3,120 clock hours as an early 19 childhood teacher at the licensed day care center where 20 the individual shall serve as an interim conditional child 21 care director and has at least 64 semester hours or 96 22 quarter hours of credit from an accredited college or 23 university in any discipline, with a minimum of 21 24 semester hours or 31.5 quarter hours in courses related to 25 early childhood education, child development, or early 26 childhood special education and without (i) a Gateways to HB4587 Enrolled - 4 - LRB104 16993 AAS 30407 b 1 Opportunity Level I Illinois Director Credential, (ii) 3 2 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of credit from an 3 accredited college or university in administration, 4 leadership, or management, or (iii) 3 points of 5 credential-approved training in administration, 6 leadership, or management. A person who is exempt under 7 this paragraph shall obtain the Gateways to Opportunity 8 Level I Illinois Director Credential, semester or quarter 9 hours, or points of training during the prescribed 10 12-month period. 11 (c) Only a licensed day care center that has already 12 employed at least one fully qualified and credentialed child 13 care director may hire an interim conditional child care 14 director. 15 (d) Any licensed day care center that employs an interim 16 conditional child care director is restricted to hiring no 17 more than one interim conditional child care director at a 18 time for every credentialed and qualified child care director 19 employed. If an interim conditional child care director leaves 20 the position during the 12-month period, the licensed day care 21 center may employ a new interim conditional child care 22 director to replace the previous interim conditional child 23 care director. 24 (e) A day care center must ensure direct supervision on an 25 ongoing basis by a fully qualified child care director 26 practicing in the State of Illinois, with a minimum of monthly HB4587 Enrolled - 5 - LRB104 16993 AAS 30407 b 1 on-site check-ins, unless the supervising director determines 2 that more frequent check-ins are required. This shall continue 3 for the entire duration of any interim conditional child care 4 director's appointment. An interim conditional child care 5 director shall not be scheduled during any hours when an 6 interim conditional teacher is on duty. Parents and caregivers 7 must be notified if an interim conditional child care director 8 is employed by a day care center. This information must be 9 posted in a common area that is visible to parents and 10 caregivers for the duration of the interim period. 11 (f) Failure to comply with the requirements in this 12 Section shall result in a violation and the issuance of a 13 corrective action plan. The Department of Early Childhood 14 shall adopt rules to implement this Section in accordance with 15 the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. 16 (g) This Section is repealed on June 30, 2032. 17 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 18 2027.