***** 722.120.amended THIS AMENDED SECTION IS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 22, 2020 *****

Sec. 10.

(1) The department may investigate, inspect, and examine conditions of a child care organization and may investigate and examine the books and records of the licensee. The licensee shall cooperate with the department's investigation, inspection, and examination by doing all of the following:

(a) Admitting members of the department into the child care organization and furnishing all reasonable facilities for thorough examination of its books, records, and reports.

(b) Allowing the department to perform routine investigative functions during the course of an investigation, inspection, or examination. Routine investigative functions include, but are not limited to, interviewing potential witnesses, such as staff and household members, and taking photographs to assess and document the conditions of the child care organization and its compliance with this act and the rules promulgated under this act.

(c) Providing accurate and truthful information to the department, and encouraging witnesses, such as staff and household members, to provide accurate and truthful information to the department.

(2) The licensee shall allow the department, the bureau of fire services, or local authorities access to the child care organization to carry out the provisions of this act and rules promulgated under this act related to the health or fire protection of children.

(3) A licensee shall keep the records the department prescribes regarding each child in its control and care and shall report to the department, if requested, the facts the department requires with reference to the children upon forms furnished by the department. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and subsection (4), records regarding children and facts compiled about children and their parents and relatives are confidential and disclosure of this information must be properly safeguarded by the child care organization, the department, and any other entity in possession of the information. Records that are confidential under this section are available to 1 or more of the following:

(a) A standing or select committee or appropriations subcommittee of either house of the legislature having jurisdiction over protective services matters for children, according to section 7 of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.627.

(b) The children's ombudsman established in section 3 of the children's ombudsman act, 1994 PA 204, MCL 722.923.

(c) An employee of an agency, bureau, division, or other entity within the department, or an employee of a child caring institution, or a child placing agency contracted with the department, but only to the extent necessary for the administration of child welfare services in each case. The director of the agency responsible for child welfare services, or his or her designee, is responsible for authorizing an employee to have access to the records according to this subdivision and for ensuring that access is given only to the extent necessary.

(d) A national accreditation program, only while on-site, for the purpose of review and accreditation of a child welfare program, agency, or organization.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3) and sections 5 and 7(2) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.625 and 722.627, information or records in the possession of the department or the department of licensing and regulatory affairs may be shared to the extent necessary for the proper functioning of the department or the department of licensing and regulatory affairs in administering child welfare or child care licensing under this act or in an investigation conducted under section 43b of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.43b. Information or records shared under this subsection shall not be released by the department or the department of licensing and regulatory affairs unless otherwise permitted under this act or other state or federal law. Neither the department nor the department of licensing and regulatory affairs shall release or open for inspection any document, report, or record authored by or obtained from another agency or organization unless 1 of the conditions of section 7(10) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.627, applies.

(5) A child care center, group child care home, or family child care home licensee shall provide the department with child information cards for all children presently enrolled for care, as requested by the department, whenever the department initiates or conducts an investigation, inspection, or assessment. If the investigation, inspection, or assessment results in the department pursuing disciplinary action as provided by section 11, the child care center, group child care home, or family child care home licensee must provide the department with child information cards for newly enrolled children for the pendency of the proposed disciplinary action.

(6) The department may suspend, deny, revoke, or refuse to renew a license of the child care organization if the licensee does not cooperate with an investigation, inspection, or examination under this section.

History: 1973, Act 116, Eff. Mar. 29, 1974 ;-- Am. 1980, Act 498, Imd. Eff. Jan. 21, 1981 ;-- Am. 1994, Act 205, Eff. Jan. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 206, Imd. Eff. June 19, 2006 ;-- Am. 2016, Act 495, Eff. Apr. 6, 2017 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 257, Eff. Mar. 28, 2018 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 94, Eff. Jan. 22, 2020 Compiler's Notes: For transfer of powers and duties of state fire marshal to department of labor and economic growth, bureau of construction codes and fire safety, by type II transfer, see E.R.O. No. 2003-1, compiled at MCL 445.2011.For transfer of powers and duties pertaining to children's camp, child care center, day care center, family day care home, and group day care home licensing and regulation from department of human services to department of licensing and regulatory affairs, see E.R.O. No. 2015-1, compiled at MCL 400.227.For transfer of powers and duties relative to the licensing and regulation of child caring institutions, child placing agencies, foster family homes, foster family group homes, and court-operated facilities from department of licensing and regulatory affairs to the department of health and human services, see E.R.O. No. 2018-6, compiled at MCL 722.110.Popular Name: Act 116Popular Name: Child Care Licensing ActAdmin Rule: R 400.1 et seq.; R 400.9101 et seq.; R 400.11101 et seq.; and R 400.12101 et seq. of the Michigan Administrative Code.