OCFP Office of Child and Family Policy	Department of Children and Family Services
	Index No: 2001.10	Issuance Date: October 19, 2001
	Origin of Request: Central Office of Licensing
	Distribution: Licensing Staff, Administrative Staff, Office of Child and Family Policy (A,L,P)
	Key Words: Center Director, Multi-site School-age Program, School-age Site Coordinator, 89 IAC 407, Day Care Centers.
	Approved by:

Interpretation

Question: 1) In a multi-site school-age program, does the school-age site coordinator act in place of the school-age director when the director is not on site?

2) When the school-age director of a multi-site school-age program is on vacation, can the school age site coordinator act as director or does the facility need a director-qualified person to assume the position of director?

Applicable To: Licensed Day Care Centers

Policy Citation: Section 407.2 Definitions

"School-age director" means a person designated by the governing body to assume full administrative responsibility for the ongoing operation of one or more sites (not to exceed six) and who meets the qualifications for a child care director as outlined in Section 407.130.

"School-age site coordinator" means a person responsible for implementing curriculum and ensuring that licensing standards are met at the site of a school-age program serving a maximum of 50 children and that is overseen by a school-age director responsible for multiple sites.

Section 407.90 Staffing Structure

c) Multi-site school-age programs, with a maximum daily enrollment of 50 children per site, may use a two-tier administrative structure consisting of a school-age director responsible for multiple school-age sites and school-age site coordinators responsible for each school-age site. The school-age director may be responsible for up to six different school-age sites, each of which is under the direct supervision of a school-age site coordinator. When the school-age director is responsible for four to six sites, he or she shall not have any additional programmatic or administrative responsibilities for other sites or programs. The division of responsibilities between the school-age director and the on-site coordinator shall be documented.

Section 407.130 Qualifications for Child Care Director

a) Day care centers licensed for more than 50 children shall employ a full-time child care director to be on site in a non-teaching capacity.

j) A staff member who meets the qualifications for a day care center director shall be designated to assume decision-making responsibility whenever the child care director is off site. A record of employees who meet the qualifications for director and who have been designated to assume decision-making responsibility in the director's absence shall be kept at the site.

(Source: Added at 22 Ill. Reg. 1728, effective January 1, 1998)

Discussion: Day care center rules allow a two-tier administration structure for multi-site school-age programs where the school-age director of a multi-site school-age program may be responsible for up to six different school-age sites. The director continues to have the responsibility to ensure that all school-sites comply with the licensing standards for day care centers. The school-age site coordinator, who may not qualify to be a director, has responsibility for each school-age site and is to be on site when the director is not.

In a single site school-age program where there is a director per center, a staff member who meets the qualifications for a day care center director must be designated to assume decision-making responsibility whenever the child care director is off site.

Whenever a director of a multi-site school-age program is on vacation or otherwise absent, a staff member who meets the qualifications for a day care center director must be designated to assume decision-making responsibility for the sites.

Response: 1) The school-age site coordinator does not act as director in place of the multi-site school-age director when this person is not on site. The director continues to have the responsibility of the day to day operation of all sites. The school-age site coordinator has responsibility for the site.

2) Whenever a director of a multi-site school-age program is on vacation or otherwise absent, the program must have a staff member who meets the qualifications of a director to function as director.