Article 16. Child Development Program Personnel Qualifications of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 16.

(a) (1) Child development programs shall include a career ladder program for classroom staff. Persons who are 18 years of age and older may be employed as aides and may be eligible for salary increases upon the completion of additional semester units in early childhood education or child development. The governing board of each contracting agency shall be encouraged to provide teachers and aides with salary increases for the successful completion of early childhood education or child development courses in six semester unit increments.
  (2) Persons employed as teachers shall possess a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program.
  (b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to serve in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program:
  (1) Possesses a current credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing teaching service in elementary school or a single subject credential in home economics.
  (2) Twelve units in early childhood education or child development, or both, or two years' experience in early childhood education or a child care and development program.

Except as waived under Section 8242 and except as stated in Section 18203 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations regarding program directors in schoolage community child care services programs, any entity operating child care and development programs providing direct services to children, as defined in Section 8244, at two or more sites, shall employ a program director who possesses one of the following:
  (a) A permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing supervision of a child care and development program operating in multiple sites.
  (b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to supervise a child care and development program operating in multiple sites and serve in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program:
  (1) Possesses a current credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing teaching service in elementary school or a single subject credential in home economics.
  (2) Six units in administration and supervision of early childhood education or child development, or both. The requirement set forth in this paragraph does not apply to any person who was employed as a program director prior to January 1, 1993, in a child care and development program receiving funding under this chapter.
  (3) Twelve units in early childhood education or child development, or both, or at least two years' experience in early childhood education or a child care and development program.
  (c) A waiver issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction pursuant to Section 8244. This section shall become operative on January 1, 1997.

Not later than 95 days after the governing board of a public agency sets the date a person employed by that board shall begin service in a position requiring a children's center instructional permit or a children's center supervision permit, that person shall file, on or before that date, with the county superintendent of schools a valid permit issued on or before that date, authorizing him or her to serve in a position for which he or she was employed. Upon renewal of that permit, that person shall file that renewal with the county superintendent of schools no later than 95 days after the renewal.

Notwithstanding Sections 8360 and 8360.1, any person serving as a teacher or program director in a child care and development program that provides service to severely handicapped children, as defined in Section 8208, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8250, shall hold an appropriate child care and development permit, be deemed to hold that permit pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8360 or subdivision (f) of Section 8360.1, or meet one or more of the following options:
  (a) Is a teacher meeting one of the following criteria:
  (1) Has completed all the following:
  (A) Twenty-four semester units of coursework, with a "C" or better average, from an accredited institution in any one or a combination of the following areas: psychology, sociology, special education, physical education, recreation therapy, vocational education, early childhood education, and child development.
  (B) Sixteen semester units of coursework in general education, including one course in each of the following areas: humanities, social sciences, math or science, or both, and English.
  (C) Completed one of the following:
  (i) Two experience periods as a paid aide or assistant in a program serving children with exceptional needs or severely handicapped children.
  (ii) Three experience periods as a volunteer in an instructional capacity in a program serving children with exceptional needs or severely handicapped children.
  (iii) Two or more semester units of supervised field coursework in a child care and development program at an accredited institution, plus one experience period in a program serving children with exceptional needs or severely handicapped children. For purposes of this subparagraph, "experience period" means paid or volunteer services in a program serving children with exceptional needs or severely handicapped children for not less than 200 hours. Those services shall have been provided for a minimum of two hours per day during not more than 36 consecutive months.
  (2) Holds a California special education credential.
  (b) Is a program director meeting one of the following criteria:
  (1) Holds a California special education credential.
  (2) Holds a professional credential, license, or masters degree in psychology, social work, special education, physical education, recreation therapy, vocational education, counseling, early childhood education, or child development, and has completed six semester units of administration and supervision of early childhood education or child development programs, or both.
  (c) Was employed prior to January 1, 1993, as a teacher or program director in a child care and development program that provides services to severely handicapped children.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a high school student or any other adult shall be selected by the governing board of a public or private agency as defined within Section 8213 to serve as nonteaching personnel as provided in Section 8242 to perform noninstructional work. A career ladder shall be utilized in the employment and promotion of such noninstructional personnel. Each such person shall have had a health examination made within the 12-month period preceding the date of employment. Each person shall also submit duplicate personal identification cards upon which shall appear legible fingerprints and a personal description of the applicant.

The same fee as that prescribed for a credential provided in Section 44235 shall be charged for either the issuance or renewal of each child development permit authorizing service in the supervision and instruction of children in child development programs or authorizing service as a supervisor in a program.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall by rule or regulation establish the requirements for the following:
  (a) The issuance and the renewal of permits authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in child care and development programs, as well as the issuance of emergency permits for this purpose.
  (b) The issuance and renewal of permits authorizing supervision of a child care and development program, as well as the issuance of emergency permits for this purpose.
  (c) The periods of duration of the permits set forth in this section.

(a) On or before July 1, 2016, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall review, and update if appropriate, the requirements for the issuance and renewal of permits authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in child care and development programs and permits authorizing supervision of a child care and development program.
  (b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends that date.

(a) A special child development permit shall be issued to any person employed as a supervisor, head teacher, or teacher by an agency conducting a child care and development program under contract with a county who did not meet the requirements for an emergency instructional permit authorizing service in children's centers or a supervisor's permit with postponement of requirements authorizing service in a children's center in effect on October 15, 1974. A special child development permit issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for 36 months after its date of issuance. Within the 36-month period following the date of issuance of the permit, the following shall apply:
  (1) A person employed as a head teacher or teacher who has completed 30 semester hours of coursework taken in an approved institution, including 12 semester hours of coursework in subject fields related to early childhood education, shall be issued an emergency instructional permit authorizing service in a children's center and be subject to the term and renewal regulations in effect on October 15, 1974.
  (2) A person employed as a supervisor who has obtained a bachelor' s degree from an approved institution and completed at least 12 semester hours of coursework in subject fields related to early childhood education shall be issued a supervision permit with postponement of requirements authorizing service in children's centers and be subject to the term and renewal regulations in effect on October 15, 1974.
  (b) It is the intention of the Legislature that this section be liberally interpreted to ensure that those experienced and qualified persons employed in county contract day care centers prior to July 1, 1974, maintain their positions and be given ample opportunity to upgrade their skills to meet revised educational standards.

Service under a provisional permit shall not be included in computing the service required as a prerequisite to attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent employee of a child development program. Such persons employed on the effective date of Chapter 1717 of the Statutes of 1965 and who have been employed for three consecutive years prior to the effective date of this legislation shall be deemed to have met the requirements for a regular permit and shall not be subject to the requirements of a provisional permit.

Each county or city and county board of education or community colleges board may issue temporary certificates for the purpose of authorizing salary payments to child development employees whose child development permit applications are being processed. The applicant for such a temporary certificate shall make a statement under oath that he has duly filed his application for a permit together with the required fee and that to the best of his knowledge no reason exists why he should not be issued a permit. Such certificate shall be valid for not more than 90 schooldays and only until the permit originally requested is either issued or denied by the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing.

For the purposes of Section 44882, service of 134 days, consecutive or nonconsecutive, by certificated personnel in a children's center during a one-year period, July 1 to June 30th, shall be considered as one year of service. This section shall not be construed as permitting a certificated employee assigned 12 calendar months of the year to acquire permanent classification with respect to employment for more than the regular academic year, as defined in Section 37250. This section shall be applicable to service rendered between July 1, 1976, and June 30, 1977, and subsequent one-year periods.

Each person employed by a public or private agency as defined in Section 8213 in a position requiring a child development permit for the supervision and instruction of children, or for service as a physician, dentist, or nurse, or in the supervision of the child development program, shall be deemed to be employed in a position requiring certification qualifications. Each other person employed by an agency in a child development program under the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed for all purposes, including retirement, to be a person employed by the agency in a position not requiring certification qualifications. The provisions of Section 45053 or 45054 shall not apply to employees in child development programs. A district may lay off an employee required to have such a permit at any time during the school year for lack of work or lack of funds or may provide for his employment for not to exceed 90 days in any one school year on an intermittent basis which shall not be deemed probationary service. The order of layoff shall be determined by length of service. The employee who has served the shortest time shall be laid off first, except that no permanent employee shall be laid off ahead of a probationary employee. A permanent employee who has been laid off shall hold reinstatement rights for a period of 39 months from the date of layoff. Service performed prior to September 18, 1959, shall not be included in computing the service required as a prerequisite for attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent child development employee. A person who is employed by an agency as a probationary employee in a position requiring a child development permit for the supervision and instruction of children, or for service as a physician, dentist, or nurse, or in the supervision of the children's program and who has served in such a position for three complete consecutive school years as defined in Sections 44908 or 87468 and 44975 or 87776 immediately prior to September 18, 1959, may be dismissed only in accordance with the provisions of Section 44949 or 87740. Other persons who are employed as probationary employees in positions requiring such permits on or after September 18, 1959, may be dismissed in accordance with the provisions of Section 44949 or 87740.

Any city, county, or city and county charter provision to the contrary notwithstanding, each person employed by an agency on July 1, 1955, and each person employed by an agency on September 11, 1957, who was theretofore excluded, solely by reason of the provisions of the predecessor of Section 8366 in effect prior to July 1, 1955, or who was therefore excluded solely by reason of the provisions of the predecessor of this section prior to September 11, 1957, from membership in any retirement system in which the agency participates or to which it contributes for the purpose of providing retirement rights and benefits for employees of the agency not employed in a status requisite for membership in the State Teachers' Retirement System, shall become a member of the retirement system from which he was excluded, on July 1, 1955, or on September 11, 1957, if theretofore excluded solely by reason of the provisions of the predecessor of this section in effect prior to that date. Every such member shall be entitled to credit for service in child development programs rendered prior to July 1, 1955, or prior to September 11, 1957, if theretofore excluded, and before he became a member of the system, in the same manner as if he had not theretofore been excluded from membership in the retirement system, except that he shall not be required to make any contributions to the retirement system in respect to such service rendered prior to his membership, and all contributions necessary to provide benefits on account of such service shall be paid to the retirement system by the agency by which the member is employed. For the purpose of computing benefits for services rendered prior to July 1, 1955, as provided in this section, the average monthly salary earned by such employee in the fiscal year 1954-55 shall be used and for the purpose of computing benefits for service rendered between July 1, 1955, and September 11, 1957, for members receiving credit for service between those dates under the provisions of the predecessor of this section as amended by Chapter 1238 of the Statutes of 1957, the average monthly salary earned by such employees in the fiscal year 1956-57 shall be used. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, for the purpose of computing benefits for any person retired on and after January 1, 1958, for services rendered prior to July 1, 1955, as provided in this section, and for the purpose of computing benefits for services rendered between July 1, 1955, and September 11, 1957, for members receiving credit for service between those dates under the provisions of this section, the "final compensation" of such person shall be computed in the same manner as for other employees who are included in the same retirement system and in the same class of retirement system members and who are not affected by this section. The amendment to this section enacted at the 1963 session shall be applied to increase the allowances, payable subsequent to October 1, 1963, in respect to those members who retired on or after July 1, 1955. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section no increased allowance shall be paid, as authorized by this section, to any person who has retired between July 1, 1955, and October 1, 1963, unless the person to whom the increase would otherwise be payable mails written application for the increase to the appropriate retirement system prior to April 1, 1964.

Any person who is employed in a child development program on October 1, 1965, and who was brought into membership in a retirement system on October 1, 1963, notwithstanding his prior election pursuant to Section 8367 or the predecessor of such Section 8367 as it read prior to October 1, 1963, not to be a member of such system, shall have the same rights under such system with respect to his service in child development programs as he would have had under Section 8367 or the predecessor of such section had he elected thereunder to be a member of such system.

Every employee of a child development program who before his employment in such program was employed by the agency maintaining such program in a position entitling him to membership in, and who was a member of, the retirement system maintained by such district, and if such employee's contributions to such retirement system were returned to him when he was employed in the program, such employee shall have the right to elect, by written document filed with the Board of Administration, Public Employees' Retirement System, at any time within 90 days after the date upon which the notice of the right to make such election is mailed by such system, either to the member' s latest address on file in the office of such system, or to the office of the governing board of such agency or agencies, and prior to the date of retirement, to contribute to such system, subject to minimum payments fixed by the Board of Administration, and in one or more sums, or in not to exceed 60 monthly payments, an amount which, when added to his accumulated contributions, including interest, transferred as required in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 24810, will make a total amount equal to the accumulated contributions, including interest, which would have been credited to him in such plan, if he had never had his contributions returned to him. Such employee shall pay to the Public Employees' Retirement System interest on the unpaid balance of the amount payable to such system, beginning with the date of transfer, at the rate of interest currently used from time to time under the system. If such employee elects to make, and makes, such contributions and pays such interest, but not otherwise, he shall receive credit under such employees' system, as state service, for all prior service rendered while he was not a member of such plan.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall establish standards for the issuance of the permits herein provided for. The standards may be changed from time to time, but changes therein shall not affect then valid permits issued to persons.