Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Childcare Licensure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bill to exempt DOD‑certified military family childcare providers from separate state licensure
Summary
Senate Bill 218 would add Department of Defense–certified family childcare providers to the list of providers exempt from state licensure, arguing the DOD’s annual certification, higher insurance and training standards remove the need for duplicate state oversight. Sponsor testimony and department coordination were described; no vote was taken.
The Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 218, which would exempt family childcare providers already certified by any branch of the Department of Defense from separate state licensure requirements.
Senator Roegner, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure is intended to reduce duplicative regulation for military families who move frequently and for many spouses who operate family childcare homes. “We definitely don’t need both,” Roegner said, arguing that Department of Defense certification already imposes stringent requirements.
Roegner described differences between state licensure and DOD certification: the Ohio Department of Children and Youth issues a provisional license for 12 months followed by continuous licensure, requires a license fee and background checks for all employees and residents over 18, and sets minimum liability coverage of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in the aggregate. By contrast, he said, DOD certification is renewed annually, requires a $0 application fee (per testimony), requires background checks for adults in the home, maintains higher minimum liability insurance (described in testimony as $500,000), mandates 40 hours of orientation and 24 hours of annual training, and includes unannounced monthly home visits and multidisciplinary inspections.
Roegner said the bill was drafted with input from the Department of Defense and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth and that committee members can review a side‑by‑side comparison in the committee’s submissions. He cited Department of Defense counts presented to the committee — 793 certified family childcare providers in September 2023, rising to 814 in June 2024 — and said 87% of those providers in fiscal year 2021 were military spouses. Roegner also said similar legislation has passed in 21 other states and was pending in at least seven more.
During questioning, Senator Craig asked whether the Department of Children and Youth had objected to the bill; Roegner said there had been no objection and reiterated that the departments worked together on the draft. The committee did not take a vote on SB 218 during the session; Roegner concluded by thanking the committee for the opportunity to testify.
Next steps: Representative testimony and any formal committee action were not scheduled or recorded during this hearing.
