CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

210.254 Religious facilities exemption

Religious organization operating facilities exempt under licensing laws required to file parental notice of responsibility and fire, safety inspections annually. — 1.  Child-care facilities operated by religious organizations pursuant to the exempt status recognized in subdivision (5) of section 210.211 shall upon enrollment of any child provide the parent or guardian enrolling the child two copies of a notice of parental responsibility, one copy of which shall be retained in the files of the facility after the enrolling parent acknowledges, by signature, having read and accepted the information contained therein.

  2.  The notice of parental responsibility shall include the following:

  (1)  Notification that the child-care facility is exempt as a religious organization from state licensing and therefore not inspected or supervised by the department of health and senior services other than as provided herein and that the facility has been inspected by those designated in section 210.252 and is complying with the fire, health and sanitation requirements of sections 210.252 to 210.257;

  (2)  The names, addresses and telephone numbers of agencies and authorities which inspect the facility for fire, health and safety and the date of the most recent inspection by each;

  (3)  The staff/child ratios for enrolled children under two years of age, for children ages two to four and for those five years of age and older as required by the department of health and senior services regulations in licensed facilities, the standard ratio of staff to number of children for each age level maintained in the exempt facility, and the total number of children to be enrolled by the facility;

  (4)  Notification that background checks have been conducted on each individual caregiver and all other personnel at the facility.  The background check shall be conducted upon employment and every two years thereafter on each individual caregiver and all other personnel at the facility.  Such background check shall include a screening for child abuse or neglect through the children’s division, and a criminal record review through the Missouri highway patrol pursuant to section 43.540.  The fee for the criminal record review shall be limited to the actual costs incurred by the Missouri highway patrol in conducting such review not to exceed ten dollars;

  (5)  The disciplinary philosophy and policies of the child-care facility; and

  (6)  The educational philosophy and policies of the child-care facility.

  3.  A copy of notice of parental responsibility, signed by the principal operating officer of the exempt child-care facility and the individual primarily responsible for the religious organization conducting the child-care facility and copies of the annual fire and safety inspections shall be filed annually during the month of August with the director of the department of health and senior services.  Exempt child-care facilities which begin operation after August 28, 1993, shall file such notice at least five days prior to starting to operate.

(L. 1993 H.B. 376 § 2 subsecs. 1, 2, 3, A.L. 1999 H.B. 490 & H.B. 308, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1299 Revision)