Child Safety Alarm Device FAQs
December 2011
What is happening with child care facilities and alarms?
On Aug. 16, 2011, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners adopted a regulation that requires all vehicles used by or on behalf of acenter-based child care facility for the transportation of children and that are designed to transport six (6) or more passengers to be equipped with a child safety alarm device that prompts the driver to inspect the vehicle for children when the vehicle is turned off.
When are the alarms required?
The devices must be installed in all vehicles by Sept. 1, 2012.
What alarm should we get?
The standards developed by the Palm Beach County Health Department for the child safety alarm devices are available by clicking here. The child care provider is responsible for verifying that whatever alarm device isinstalled meets these performance standards.
Neither the Palm Beach County Health Department nor Palm Beach County will endorse any specific alarm device. The Health Department has provided a partial list of devices that meet the standards,but the list should not be considered a product approval or an endorsement of any product(s). There may be other, non-listed products available that also meet the performance standards contained in the Health Department standards, and providers may choose to install them.
How do we get the alarms installed?
The child care provider is responsible for ensuring that the device selected is installed and maintained per manufacturer’s specifications for that device.
What is the Children’s Services Council’s role?
TheChildren’s Services Council is an independent district established by Palm Beach County voters in 1986 to provide leadership, funding and research on behalf of the county’s children, so they are born healthy, grow up safe, are ready to learn when they enter school, and are on grade level by the end of third grade. As such, the Children’s Services Council does not regulate or license child care facilities, nor did it develop the rule or the standards for its implementation. Our role is to encourage child care facilities to comply quickly with the alarm rule to help ensure the safety of children, and to help make the purchase and installation as accessible as possible. That’s why we are offering this reimbursement program.
Installation of the alarmsby Sept. 1, 2012, is mandatory, as a county requirement. However, participation in this reimbursement program, which expires April 1, 2012, is voluntary.
Is our child care site eligible for reimbursement program?
Eligible sites are those licensed by the Palm Beach County Health Department and those vehicles certified by the Health Department to provide transportation services. To check whether your facility is eligible, see the Health Department’s listand search for “Child Care Facility” and “Transportation” here:
The vehicle must be owned and operated by the child care facility. We will not reimburse for leased or rented vehicles, or for transportation vendors or services.
How much will you reimburse?
The reimbursement is up to $150 per vehicle for the purchase and installation of the device, and no more than the total cost of purchase and installation.
What will you reimburse?
We will reimburse for alarms purchased and installed between Oct. 1, 2011, and April 1, 2012. The Children’s Services Council does not reimburse for State of Florida Sales Tax, so an invoice submitted for reimbursement that includes Sales Tax will be adjusted and reimbursed at the pre-tax amount.We will reimburse with one payment per facility, so facilities that own and operate multiple vehicles should equip all the vehicles with devices before submitting the application for reimbursement.
What if we had the alarms installed before the county required them?
Congratulations for your proactive step. However, we cannot reimburse purchase prior to the start of our fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2011.
What paperwork do we need to provide?
The application for reimbursement form is available on our website at licensed child care provider must submit the invoice for purchase of the device and the invoice for installation, along with a completed IRS Form W-9. The reimbursement is up to $150 per vehicle and no more than the total cost of purchase and installation.
When will the reimbursements be sent?
Although the new alarm rule is not effective until Sept. 1, 2012, the Children’s Services Council encourages all sites to meet the requirement as soon as possible. Therefore, all paperwork for reimbursement must be hand-delivered to the Children’s Services Council or postmarked by April 6, 2012. Please allow 6-8 weeks for payment.
I am a Family child care home who transports children.Am I eligible for the Children’s Services Council reimbursement for my vehicle alarm?
At this time, the requirement for child safety alarm devices applies only to licensed, center-based child care facilities.Therefore, Children’s Services Council will not provide reimbursement to family child care homeswho have an alarm installed.
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