What constitutes a day care center in Louisiana?

State law defines “day care center” as any place operated to care for and supervise “seven or more children, not including those related to the caregiver, unaccompanied by parent or guardian, on a regular basis for at least twelve and one-half hours in a continuous seven-day week.”

The state issues two kinds of day care center licenses, Class A and Class B. Centers must prominently display the licenses; church-run day cares need only keep them on file and available on request.

Some differences between the two day care types, according to a Department of Children and Family Services fact sheet:

Class A

May receive state and federal money.

Must log children’s arrival and departure.

Visitors must be accompanied.

Must have parents’ “written informed consent” before releasing information on children.

Can’t employ felons.

Spanking is prohibited.

Staff members must receive 12 hours of state-approved continuing education training each year.

Half of the staff must have infant/child/adult CPR certification.

Can’t have trampolines or infant walkers.

Must keep railings up and locked when infants are in beds.

Must immediately change wet or soiled sheets and coverings.

Class B

Prohibited from receiving government funding.

No log required.

Visitors need not be accompanied.

Information on children can be released without parents’ consent.

May employ felons if the convicts have obtained permission from a judge or district attorney.

Spanking is allowed if parents consent.

Staff members must receive three hours of annual training; watching videos and reading magazine articles count toward the requirement.

Half of the staff must have infant/child CPR certification; one staff member must have adult CPR certification.

May have trampolines and infant walkers.

Not required to raise and lock infant bed railings.

Not required to immediately change wet or soiled sheets and coverings.

Additionally, workers at all day care centers that provide transportation must check vehicles to ensure no children have been left behind.

For more information, call the Children and Family Services Department’s licensing office at 225-342-9905.

Online: www.dss.state.la.us.

Do Not Call numbers requested by reader

Please print the Do Not Call numbers. I’ve been getting a lot of telemarketer calls and would like them to stop.

The number for the state program is 877-676-0773, and the number for the National Do Not Call Registry is 888-382-1222 (TTY: 866-290-4236).

Online: www.lpsc.org; www.donotcall.gov.

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com

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