8254. (a) The family fee schedule shall provide, among other things, that a contractor or provider may require parents to provide diapers. A contractor or provider offering field trips either may include the cost of the field trips within the service rate charged to the parent or may charge parents an additional fee. Federal or state money shall not be used to reimburse parents for the costs of field trips if those costs are charged as an additional fee. A contractor or family childcare home provider that charges parents an additional fee for field trips shall inform parents, before enrolling the child, that a fee may be charged and that no reimbursement will be available.
(b) A contractor or family childcare home provider may require parents to provide diapers or charge parents for field trips, subject to all of the following conditions:
(1) The contractor or family childcare home provider has a written policy adopted by the agency’s governing board that includes parents in the decisionmaking process regarding both of the following:
(A) Whether or not, and how much, to charge for field trip expenses.
(B) Whether or not to require parents to provide diapers.
(2) The contractor or family childcare home provider does not charge fees in excess of twenty-five dollars ($25) per child in a contract year.
(3) The contractor or family childcare home provider does not deny participation in a field trip due to a parent’s inability or refusal to pay the fee.
(4) The contractor or family childcare home provider does not take adverse action against a parent for the parent’s inability or refusal to pay the fee.
(c) A contractor or family childcare home provider shall establish a system that prevents the identification of children based on whether or not a child’s family has paid field trip fees.
(d) The contractor or provider shall report expenses incurred and income received for field trips to the department. Income received shall be reported as restricted income.
(Added by renumbering Section 8273.3 by Stats. 2021, Ch. 116, Sec. 104. (AB 131) Effective July 23, 2021.)