A. 1. Except as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection, the Department of Human Services shall have authority at any reasonable time to investigate and examine the conditions of any child care facility in which a licensee or applicant hereunder receives and maintains children, and shall have authority at any time to require the facility to provide information pertaining to children in its care.
2. When the Department of Human Services is reviewing the star rating of a child care program with a capacity of fifty or more, the comprehensive visit to inspect and examine the program shall be scheduled with the administration of the program at least one (1) week in advance of the visit, if requested by the child care facility.
B. 1. The State Department of Health may visit any licensee or applicant at the request of the Department to advise on matters affecting the health of children and to inspect the sanitation of the buildings used for their care.
2. The State Fire Marshal may visit any licensee or applicant at the request of the Department to advise on matters affecting the safety of children and to inspect the condition of the buildings used for their care.
C. 1. Upon receipt of a complaint against any child care facility alleging a violation of the provisions of the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act, or any licensing standard promulgated by the Department, the Department shall conduct a full investigation. If upon investigation, it is determined that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a facility is in violation of the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act or of any standard or rule promulgated pursuant thereto, the Department shall:
2. If the Department determines there has been a violation and the violation has a direct impact on the health, safety or well-being of one or more of the children cared for by the facility, the Department shall notify the facility and require correction of the violation.
3. The Department shall notify the facility that failure to correct the confirmed violation can result in the revocation of the license, the denial of an application for a license, the issuance of an emergency order or the filing of an injunction pursuant to the provisions of Section 409 of this title.
4. If the facility refuses to correct a violation or fails to complete the plan of correction, the Department may issue an emergency order, revoke the license, or deny the application for a license. Nothing in this section or Section 407 of this title shall be construed as preventing the Department from denying an application, revoking a license, or issuing an emergency order for a single violation of this act, or the rules of the Department as provided in Section 404 of this title.
5. If the Department determines there has been a substantiated finding of heinous and shocking abuse by a person responsible for a child's health, safety or welfare, as those terms are defined in Section 1-1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes, the Department shall notify the child care facility owner or operator and the child care resource and referral organization in writing immediately or not later than one (1) business day after the substantiated finding. Upon receiving notice of a substantiated finding, the facility owner or operator shall attempt to immediately notify, but not later than seventy-two (72) hours after receiving notice of the substantiated finding, parents or legal guardians of children attending the facility by certified mail.
D. Upon the completion of the investigation of a complaint against any child care facility alleging a violation of the provisions of the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act or any licensing standard promulgated thereto by the Department, the Department shall clearly designate its findings on the first page of the report of the investigation. The findings shall state whether the complaint was substantiated or unsubstantiated.
E. Information obtained by the Department or Oklahoma Child Care Services concerning a report of a violation of a licensing requirement, or from any licensee regarding children or their parents or other relatives shall be deemed confidential and privileged communications, shall be properly safeguarded, and shall not be accessible to anyone except as herein provided, unless upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Provided, however, this provision shall not prohibit the Department from providing a summary of allegations and findings of an investigation involving a child care facility that does not disclose identities but that permits parents to evaluate the facility.
F. The Department shall promulgate rules to establish and maintain a grievance process that shall include an anonymous complaint system for reporting and investigating complaints or grievances about employees of the Department who retaliate against a child care facility or facility employee.
Added by Laws 1953, p. 19, § 6. Amended by Laws 1963, c. 89, § 6, emerg. eff. May 23, 1963; Laws 1993, c. 122, § 6, emerg. eff. April 29, 1993; Laws 1995, c. 222, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1995; Laws 1999, c. 130, § 2, emerg. eff. April 26, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 174, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2001; Laws 2004, c. 187, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; Laws 2008, c. 296, § 6, eff. Nov. 1, 2008; Laws 2009, c. 230, § 8, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009; Laws 2013, c. 308, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2018, c. 73, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2019, c. 368, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws 2021, c. 547, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2021.