* § 390-n. Child care support center; operating certificate required.
1. For purposes of this section, "child care support center" shall mean
an entity operating as a child care resource and referral program as
defined in title five-B of this article that is certified by the office
of children and family services to place individuals as substitute
caregivers at child day care centers, group family day care homes,
family day care homes, or school age child care programs as defined in
section three hundred ninety of this title for the purpose of providing
child day care.

2. The office of children and family services shall be authorized to
certify child care support centers and may, at its discretion, limit the
number of operating certificates issued. The office of children and
family services shall regulate and monitor child care support centers.

3. No entity may place substitute caregivers at child day care
centers, group family day care homes, family day care homes, or school
age child care programs unless it possesses a valid operating
certificate issued by the office of children and family services.

4. Prior to placing an individual as a substitute caregiver at a child
day care center, group family day care home, family day care home, or
school age child care program as defined in section three hundred ninety
of this title for the purpose of providing child day care, a child care
support center shall verify that the substitute caregiver has met the:

(a) standards and training requirements set forth in section three
hundred ninety-a of this title for child day care program employees;

(b) criminal history review and background clearance requirements of
section three hundred ninety-b of this title for prospective employees
of a child day care program; and

(c) any other requirements established by the regulations of the
office of children and family services.

5. Any child day care program licensed or registered by the office of
children and family services shall be authorized to request placement of
a substitute caregiver by a child care support center in accordance with
procedures established by the child care support center.

6. Operating certificates issued under this section shall remain valid
unless surrendered by the child care support center or revoked by the
office of children and family services. The office of children and
family services may revoke an operating certificate at any time upon a
determination that the child care support center has not operated in
accordance with applicable state or federal law.

7. The office of children and family services shall deny an
application for certification of a child care support center if the
applicant had an operating certificate revoked within the two years
prior to the date of application.

* NB Effective May 9, 2026