Family child-care home certification program -- When required -- Requirements for certification -- Unannounced inspection -- Use of information -- Authority to promulgate administrative regulations -- Hearing - - Emergency action -- Training -- Powers of local government in regulation of certified family child-care homes -- Exemptions
KRS 199.8982
in effect199.8982. Family child-care home certification program -- When required -- Requirements for certification -- Unannounced inspection -- Use of information -- Authority to promulgate administrative regulations -- Hearing - - Emergency action -- Training -- Powers of local government in regulation of certified family child-care homes -- Exemptions
(1) (a) The cabinet shall establish a family child -care home certification program which shall be administered by the department. A family child -care provider shall apply for certification of the provider's home if the provider is caring for four (4) to six (6) children unrelated to the provider. A family child -care provider caring for three (3) or fewer children may apply for certification of the provider's home at the discretion of the provider. Applicants for certification shall not have been found by the cabinet or a court to have abused or neglected a child, and shall meet the following minimum requirements: 1. Submit two (2) written character references; 2. Provide a written statement from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse that the applicant is in good health; 3. Submit to a criminal record check in accordance with KRS 199.8965; 4. Provide smoke detectors, a telephone, an adequate water supply , sufficient lighting and space, and a safe environment in the residence in which care is provided; 5. Provide a copy of the results of a tuberculosis risk assessment and the results of any appropriate follow-up with skin testing or chest X-ray for applicants who are determined to be at risk for developing tuberculosis in accordance with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within thirty (30) days of the date of application for certification; and 6. Demonstrate completion of a total of at least six (6) hours of training in the following areas within three (3) months of application for certification: a. Basic health, safety, and sanitation; b. Recognizing and reporting child abuse; and c. Developmentally appropriate child-care practice.
(b) Initial applications for certification shall be made to the department. The cabinet may promulgate administrative regulations to establish fees that shall not exceed costs of the program to the cabinet, for proper administration of the certification. The department shall issue a certificate of operation upon inspecting the family child -care home and determining the provider's compliance with the provisions of this section. The inspection shall be unannounced. A certificate of operation issued pursuant to this section shall not be transferable and shall be renewed every two (2) years for a fee that shall not exceed costs of the program to the cabinet for renewal.
(c) A certified family child-care provider shall display the certificate of operation in a prominent place within the residence in which care is provided. The cabinet shall provide the certified family child-care provider with written information explaining the requirements for a family day-care provider and instructions on the method of reporting violations of the requirements which the provider shall distribute to parents.
(d) Upon request of any person, the cabinet shall provide information regarding the denial, revocation, suspension, or violation of any type of day-care license of the family child-care provider. Identifying information regarding children and their families shall remain confidential.
(e) The cabinet shall provide, upon request, public information regarding the inspections of and the plans of correction for the family child-care home within the past year. All information distributed by the cabinet under this paragraph shall include a statement indicating that the reports as provided under this paragraph from the past five (5) years are available from the family child-care home upon the parent's, custodian's, guardian's, or other interested person's request.
(f) The cabinet shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A which establish standards for the issuance, monitoring, release of information under this section and KRS 199.896 and 199.898, renewal, denial, revocation, and suspension of a certificate of operation for a family child-care home and establish criteria for the denial of certification if criminal records indicate convictions that may impact the safety and security of children in care. A denial, suspension, or revocation of a certificate may be appealed, and upon appeal an administrative hearing shall be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B. If the cabinet has probable cause to believe that there is an immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, the cabinet may take emergency action to suspend a certificate pursuant to KRS 13B.125. The cabinet shall promulgate administr ative regulations to impose minimum staff-to-child ratios. The cabinet may promulgate administrative regulations relating to other requirements necessary to ensure minimum safety in family child-care homes. The cabinet shall develop and provide an easy-to-read guide containing the following information to a family child-care provider seeking certification of his or her home: 1. Certification requirements and procedures; 2. Information about available child-care training; and 3. Child-care food sponsoring organizations.
(2) Family child-care providers shall annually demonstrate to the department completion of at least six (6) hours of training in child development. These hours shall include but are not limited to:
(a) One and one-half (1.5) hours one (1) time every five (5) years of continuing education in the recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma, as defined in KRS 620.020. Training in recognizing pediatric abusive head trauma may be designed in collaboration with organizations and agencies that specialize in the prevention and recognition of pediatric abusive head trauma approved by the secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services; and
(b) One (1) hour one (1) time every three (3) years of continuing education in the recognition and prevention of pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances. The continuing education required under this subsection shall be included in the current number of required continuing education hours.
(3) The cabinet shall, either through the development of or approval of, make available a model training curriculum and training materials, including video instructional materials, to cover the areas specified in subsection (1)(a)6. of this section. The cabinet shall develop or approve the model training curriculum and training materials to cover the areas specified in subsection (1)(a)6. of this section.
(4) (a) As used in this subsection "local government" means a city, county, charter county, urban-county government, consolidated local government, or unified local government.
(b) The provisions of this section shall supersede all local government ordinances or regulations pertaining to the certification, licensure, and training requirements related to the operation of family child-care homes and a local government shall not adopt or enforce any additional licensure, certification, or training requirements specifically applicable to family child-care homes in addition to those provided in this section. This subsection shall not be interpreted or construed to exempt family child-care homes from compliance with local government ordinances and regulations that apply generally within the jurisdiction.
(c) Because the availability of adequate child-care as an essential business is vital to the Commonwealth's state and local economies, a local government that has adopted land use regulations pursuant to KRS Chapter 100 shall specifically name family child-care homes in the text of its zoning regulations to authorize the board of adjustments to separately consider the applications of proposed family child-care homes for conditional use permits within the residential zones of the planning unit where they are not a fully permitted use pursuant to KRS 100.237.
(5) Notwithstanding any state law or administrative regulation to the contrary:
(a) A child-care provider located on a military installation or military facility that is licensed or certified as a family child-care provider by the United States Department of Defense (DOD), any branch of the Armed Forces as defined in KRS 40.010, the National Guard, or reserve component thereof shall be exempt from the requirements of this section;
(b) For a pilot period of two (2) years, beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, a family child-care home shall be exempt from the requirements of this section if it is: 1. Located outside of the boundaries of a military installation of any branch of the Armed Forces as defined in KRS 40.010; 2. Providing child care exclusively to children eligible for care under the DOD Instruction 6060.02; 3. Has a certificate issued by the DOD to provide child care; and 4. Has completed background screening by the DOD pursuant to 34 U.S.C. sec. 20351 and 32 C.F.R. pt. 86 and has received a favorable suitability and fitness determination;
(c) During the pilot period established in paragraph (b) of this subsection: 1. The regulatory authority having oversight of family child care-homes for each respective military installation shall: a. Be responsible for registering each DOD -certified family child- care home with the cabinet by providing, upon certification: i. Name of the family child-care home operator; ii. Address of the family child-care home; iii. Military installation providing oversight over the family child-care home; iv. Number of children permitted to be served by the family child-care home; and v. Number of children actively enrolled in the family child-care home; b. Provide the cabinet with updates to its registrations on a quarterly basis; and c. Immediately notify the department when the DOD adds or removes a family child-care home operating under this subsection from its registry or closes a family child -care home for cause; 2. In the event the program's DOD certification as a family child -care home operator is suspended or terminated due to noncompliance with the health, safety, or licensing standards or there is sub stantiated evidence of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, the operator shall be ineligible to apply for a child -care license or certification pursuant to this chapter and, if voluntarily certified by the cabinet under this chapter, shall be subject to an administrative action revoking its child - care certification; and 3. If the DOD substantiates child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, the operator shall have the operator's name placed on the Kentucky Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry and shall not be employed at any state-regulated child care program; and
(d) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall provide two (2) reports on the registration data required in paragraph (c) of this subsection to the Legislative Research Commission for referr al to the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children, with the first due by December 1, 2026, and the second due by December 1, 2027.
Effective: July 15, 2026
History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 68, sec. 19, effective July 15, 2026; and ch. 146, sec. 15, effective April 14, 2026. -- Amended 2021 Ky. Acts ch. 172, sec. 2, effective March 30, 2021. -- Amended 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 136, sec. 6, effective July 1, 2019. -- Amended 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 135, sec. 6, effective March 27, 2017. -- Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 85, sec. 71, effective July 15, 2010; and ch. 171, sec. 8, effective July 15, 2010. -- Amended 2008 Ky. Acts ch. 144, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2008. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 24, effective July 14, 2000; and ch. 308, sec. 19, effective July 14, 2000;. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 426, sec. 158, effective July 15, 1998; and ch. 524, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 318, sec. 91, effective July 15, 1996. -- Created 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 57, sec. 2, effective July 14 , 1992.
Legislative Research Commission Note (7/15/2026). This statute was amended by 2026 Ky. Acts chs. 68 and 146, which do not appear to be in conflict and have been codified together. Legislative Research Commission Note (7/14/2000). This section was amended by 2000 Ky. Acts chs. 14 and 308, which are in conflict. Under KRS 446.250, Acts ch. 308, which was last enacted by the General Assembly, prevails.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57467Fetched: 10/20/2026