71-1912 Department; investigation; inspections.
71-1912. Department; investigation; inspections.(1) Before issuance of a license, the department shall investigate or cause an investigation to be made, when it deems necessary, to determine if the applicant or person in charge of the program meets or is capable of meeting the physical well-being, safety, and protection standards and the other rules and regulations of the department adopted and promulgated under the Child Care Licensing Act. The department may investigate the character of applicants and licensees, any member of the applicant's or licensee's household, and the staff and employees of programs by making a national criminal history record information check. The department may at any time inspect or cause an inspection to be made of any place where a program is operating to determine if such program is being properly conducted.(2) All inspections by the department shall be unannounced except for initial licensure visits and consultation visits. Initial licensure visits are announced visits necessary for a provisional license to be issued to a family child care home II, child care center, or preschool program. Consultation visits are announced visits made at the request of a licensee for the purpose of consulting with a department specialist on ways of improving the program.(3) An unannounced inspection of any place where a program is operating shall be conducted by the department or the city, village, or county pursuant to subsection (2) of section 71-1914 at least annually for a program licensed to provide child care for fewer than thirty children and at least twice every year for a program licensed to provide child care for thirty or more children.(4) Whenever an inspection is made, the findings shall be recorded in a report designated by the department. The public shall have access to the results of these inspections upon a written or oral request to the department. The request must include the name and address of the program. Additional unannounced inspections shall be performed as often as is necessary for the efficient and effective enforcement of the Child Care Licensing Act. SourceLaws 1984, LB 130, § 5; Laws 1985, LB 447, § 38; Laws 1987, LB 386, § 5; Laws 1988, LB 1013, § 2; Laws 1995, LB 401, § 33; Laws 1997, LB 310, § 7; Laws 2004, LB 1005, § 73.