HB21-1222 Regulation of Family Child Care Homes (Valdez & Van Winkle/Smallwood & Winter)
Summary
This bill would reduce burdensome regulations family child care homes (FCCHs) face by simply requiring local regulatory entities to treat family child care homes as residences for regulatory purposes such as zoning, fire, life safety, and building codes. Given that state licensing regulations already require FCCHs to meet health and safety standards to ensure the wellbeing of all children in care, this change would prevent additional or conflicting regulations from being placed on FCCH providers above state licensing requirements.
Position
The Colorado Children’s Campaign strongly supports this bill. Quality child care is a necessity for Colorado’s economy and working families with young children, yet the number of licensed child care facilities have declined over the last decade. Between 2002 and 2018, Colorado has lost more than 11,600 licensed slots in family child care homes, and the loss of child care for working families has only worsened with the pandemic. Colorado’s child care supply gaps continue to worsen, and without efficient policy solutions, Colorado cannot increase the number of quality child care options to meet the needs of all working families.
Current Status
Signed by the Governor.
Previous Statuses
May 7, 2021
The bill passed both the House and the Senate unanimously, but had a minor amendment added in the Senate so is awaiting House action to conform both versions of the bills.
April 30, 2021
Passed out of the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee as amended unanimously and now heads to the Senate floor, where it has been placed on the consent calendar.
April 23, 2021
Passed out of the House unanimously and now heads to the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee where it is scheduled to be heard on Tues. Apr. 27 at 2:00 p.m. You can tune in to the committee hearing by clicking here.
April 9, 2021
Passed out of the House on Apr. 6 on a vote of 62-0-3. Introduced in the house and assigned to the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee.
April 2, 2021
Passed out of the House Committee on Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services and now heads to the house floor for debate
