The department shall institute a staff development and training program within the organizational structure to develop among staff the knowledge, understanding of children and child care, and regulatory administration necessary to successfully carry out this act. Specifically, the department shall do all of the following:

(a)  Provide staff with 36 hours of training per year that reflect the unique needs of children. The training shall include training relating to regulation administration, including communication skills, writing skills, and human relations skills.

(b)  Find ways to encourage applications from individuals with child care provider experience or educational backgrounds applicable to the provision of child care.

(c)  Provide new staff with comprehensive training within the first six months of employment. This training shall, at a minimum, include the following core areas: administrative action process, client populations, conducting facility visits, cultural awareness, documentation skills, facility operations, human relation skills, interviewing techniques, investigation processes, and regulation administration.

This program shall also provide new staff who have earned fewer than 16 semester units in child development or early childhood education from an accredited college at least 40 hours of preservice training in child development or early childhood education.

(d)  Submit for approval to the advisory committee established in Section 8286 of the Education Code a plan for meeting the provisions of subdivisions (a) and (c).

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1319, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1993.)