The Bureau of Child Care Licensing uses progressive enforcement when evaluating concerns at facilities. Several areas are reviewed to determine what steps need to be taken when a facility cannot meet substantial compliance.

Factors that are considered include:

• Number of deficiencies
• Repeat deficiencies
• Length of time of occurrences
• Actual harm
• Potential for harm
• Patterns of deficiencies
• Aggravators / mitigators
• Size of facility
• Scope and severity of each deficiency
• Services
• Transportation, field trips and medication

Surveyors work with facilities to assist in understanding why deficiencies have occurred and participate in the resolution to help the provider develop a plan that explains how these issues will not happen again.

Options that are available to the Department are as follows:

• Giving technical assistance
• Holding Provider Meetings
• Assessing civil money penalties
• Limiting services and/or hours of operation
• Temporarily suspending licenses
• Denying licenses
• Revoking licenses

The types of enforcement actions used by the Department are determined by analyzing the scope, severity and frequency of the deficiencies found. Once those elements are identified, the Division Enforcement Team determines the most effective actions for the facility to reach substantial compliance.