By Pamela Filler
by Pamela Filler
child care licensor
My name is Pamela Filler. I am the child care licensor serving Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Roosevelt, Daniels, and Sheridan counties. My goal is to increase parent knowledge of Montanas rules and regulations of child care and awareness of what every parent has the right to know concerning their selected child care facility. Lets start with the basics:
When does a person have to be registered?
A person must become registered if he/she is providing care for more than three children on a regular basis. Regular basis is defined as providing supplemental parental care to children of separate families for three or more weeks.
Do you know if your provider is registered/licensed by the state of Montana?
Many providers display the registration/license. If not, ask your provider to show you their registration certificate. The certificate states the number and ages of children a provider can care for. It also state the address that the registration is intended for and the duration of the registration/license. The provider may not have received the registration if it has recently been changed or renewed. In those cases, you may call me at 265-1233 and I can let you know.
What is a child care licensors role?
As the child care licensor, I process the registration process and activate the registration and license upon completion of application. I am required to insect 20 percent of my family and group day care home caseload each year and I conduct two visits a year to each day care center. All visits are announced. Most times, I exceed this requirement and inspect many more facilities. I investigate all day care infractions that are reported to me and cite the provider when information has been substantiated or noncompliances are found. Based on the investigation results, I make necessary change to the registration by entering into a corrective action plan, reducing status to a provisional until corrections and/or training has been completed by the provider and in the worse case scenario, terminating registration/license.
Helping you to make smart and healthy child care choices
Pamela Filler is the child care licensor for Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Roosevelt, Daniels, and Sheridan counties. She will be writing the Child care Matters column for the Havre Daily News twice a month.
