To make changes to child care safety standards by providing tools to promote the hiring of suitable child care providers. The bill would also authorize the Department of Early Learning to make available on the internet all inspection reports and notices of enforcement actions involving child day-care centers and family day-care providers. The department would also be required to notify the parents of an alleged victim of sexual misconduct or abuse at the first opportunity, but no later than 48 hours. See companion HB 1462.   Official Text and Analysis.

To eliminate a section that required an employer to require applicants for employment to sign a release, authorizing current and past employers to disclose information about applicant's history of sexual misconduct or abuse; required the employer to request such information from former employers; and required former employers to respond within 20 days. DEL is allowed to consider all founded child abuse and neglect history in determining character and suitability of persons wanting to provide child care; does not allow DEL to disclose unfounded or inconclusive allegations to licensed agency.

To strike the original bill and amend provisions regarding creating additional safeguards for child care.

To state that promoting the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving child care and early learning assistance is paramount over the right of any person to provide care. Directs the DEL to conduct background checks on all persons who will have unsupervised access to children in care. Authorizes the DEL to consider child abuse and neglect history information regarding prospective child care providers. Requires the DEL to include parents and guardians in the groups of persons with whom the DEL consults when adopting and publishing minimum requirements for licensing of child care agencies. Clarifies that child care inspection reports and licensing action histories, as compared to all complaints, are to be provided to parents and accessible to the public. Specifies that the duty to post inspection reports and licensing action reports on a publically accessible website begins when the early learning information system is implemented. Makes two housekeeping corrections to the DEL's licensing enforcement authority.