Exemptions
Effective April 1, 2021, all new Exemption applications submitted to the Department will be required to submit state and local municipality approval documents with the application. These approval documents include zoning approval, fire inspection from a fire marshal, building/fire certificate of occupancy, proof of water/sewer services, and if applicable environmental health approval for a septic tank or well water.
When operating or planning to operate a child care program that may not be subject to licensure, an application for exemption from licensure must be submitted electronically to the Department.
Once submitted electroincally, the application will be reviewed, and a determination will be made based on the applicable rules and guidelines. The exemption requirements and categories are in the attached documents below.
- An Exemption Application can also be submitted if there have been any changes since the initial exemption approval. Exempt programs are required to submit a new application when the following applies: change of ownership; adding a new exemption category; or relocation.
- The Department must be notified when a program relocates. A relocation requires that the previous location be closed, and a new Exemption Application must be submitted.
- Exemptions are valid only at the program address to which they were granted.
- An Exemption Amendment Application can be submitted for review of changes to the initial exemption from licensure and can affect any of the following: ages served; months, days, and/or hours of operation; program’s operating name; street address - changed by US Postal Service only.
- If you are interested in opening an exempt program or making changes to an existing exemption, click on the button below to be routed to the online provider self-serve web portal DECAL KOALA.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 requires that DECAL conduct annual monitoring visits to exempt child care providers receiving subsidy payments through the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program. There are two exemption categories that are eligible to receive CAPS funding. Category 1 – Government owned and operated programs which include any department or state agency, county or municipal government such as Local School Systems (LSS), Parks and Recreation and College/University systems. There is no age restriction. Also eligible is category 7 - Day Camps for children 5 and older that operate during school breaks typically occurring during the summer and holiday breaks for no more than 12 hours per day.
The annual CCDF monitoring visits are documented on an Exemption Monitoring Visit Checklist. The site visits consist of inspections for compliance with the health & safety standards and consist of the following compliance indicators: staff:child ratios and group size; administrator credentials; criminal background checks (fingerprints must comply with DECAL standards); health and safety focus areas similar to core rules which align with the required training needed to complete Health and Safety Orientation modules.
Other types of license-exempt programs will receive monitoring visits at initial review and periodic sampling visits to ensure compliance with exemption criteria and data collection for health and safety standards. Please submit all exemption applications through the electronic system that is mentioned above.