Complaint Policy Summary

Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties is the State-designated child care resource and referral agency for Lane County, Oregon. Our mission, "Strengthening our community through partnerships that promote and provide access to quality child care systems" emphasizes our commitment to improve the quality of care children receive in child care settings.

In accordance with our commitment to quality child care, Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties has a policy that allows for child care providers to be suspended or removed from our referral database. In instances where serious questions concerning the quality of care and safety provided for children are reported, Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties reserves the right to temporarily suspend providers from the database. Our policies and procedures are designed to base such decisions on objective criteria; however, Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties will act immediately to protect children by temporarily suspending referrals to providers about whom we receive serious complaints. Temporary suspensions will be lifted or made permanent depending upon information received from the investigative agency, such as the Child Care Division, the Department of Human Services Child Care Unit/Child Welfare Program, or law enforcement officials.

When Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties receives complaints indicating allegations of any actions that may threaten the well-being of a child, such as physical, sexual emotional abuse or neglect or lack of supervision, Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties will urge persons with such complaints to report to Child Protective Services at: (541) 686-7555 or 1 (866) 300-2782 (toll free.) Violations of the rules and regulations pertaining to child care will be reported to the Child Care Division at 1 (800) 556-6616, voice prompt #3. The local Child Care Division office can be reached at (541) 349-4102 and will respond to complaints about certified child care settings.

Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties will report serious incidents to the same authorities and may temporarily suspend referrals to the provider. When complaints categorized as personal disputes such as differences in child rearing customs or styles, business disagreements, or scheduling concerns, are received, Family Connections of Lane and Douglas Counties encourages the parties involved to clarify and resolve matters themselves. All complaint information that is received is confidential and is only shared with the appropriate regulatory and/or investigative authorities. A copy of the complete Complaint Policy is available upon request.