What are some actions that Bright from the Start can take?

Because Bright from the Start is an administrative agency. It has its own type of process and court system to hear and handle issues that arise involving early learning facilities.  This court system is part of the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH).  There are a specific set of rules that govern how cases such as these are conducted. These rules provide the process for filing initial notices of hearing and the filing of motions, as well as the appeals process. 

Prior to the hearing process, Bright from the Start can refuse to license a center, revoke a center’s existing license, suspend a center’s license, administer a fine that is not to exceed $500.00 per day for each rule violation, order an emergency closure, and issue a public reprimand.  It is up to the agency to decide what kind of enforcement action it will take.

The calendar for hearings at OSAH is public and accessible online.  A case can be searched by the docket number, date and judge, county and last name, or the name of the agency.  The decisions in these cases are made public, meaning that any member of the public can review what the judge decided and why.  In addition, OSAH issues an Administrative Law Report that can also be viewed and searched online at http://administrativelawreport.com/. This report includes the latest news on decisions that have been made with a brief summary of the case and a copy of the judge’s decision in the case. Parents can use these sites as resources when researching a care facility for their child.