MONTESSORI COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA RESPONSE TO SB 401:
MCC IS excited about Senator Nguygen's introduction of Senate Bill 401 – Day Care Facilities.
Issues of square footage for child care centers in urban settings, often in office buildings, have been a challenge to facilities in such settings. Currently the requirement is 35 SF / child.
The other major challenge in the urban setting is the playground square footage requirement of 75 SF / child.
In New York City there is no playground space requirement, but rather the requirement of being within two blocks of a public playground.
- MCC suggests expanding the scope of the Bill to include addressing playground space solutions.
-MCC suggests expanding the setting to include any building in an urban setting, not just office buildings.
The issue of inside square footage is under discussion within MCC.
SENATE BILL 401 DAY CARE FACILITIES
An act to amend Section 1516 of, and to add Section 1596.810 to, to the Health and Safety Code, relating to day care facilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 401, as amended, Nguyen. Day cares. care facilities.
Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of child day care facilities, as defined, and crisis nurseries by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law requires that the maximum licensed capacity for those facilities be based on 35 square feet of indoor activity space per child.
This bill would exempt those facilities from the 35 square footage requirement if the facility is located in an office building.
SEC. 2.SECTION 1.
Section 1596.810 is added to the Health and Safety Code, immediately following Section 1596.809, to read:
1596.810.
A child day care facility, other than a family day care home, shall not be required to meet the square footage requirements of indoor activity space for child care centers if the facility is located in an office building.