Iowa Code § 237C.3: Certification standards — consultation with other agencies.

1. The department shall consult with the department of education and the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, and other agencies as determined by the department to establish certification standards for children’s residential facilities in accordance with this chapter.

2. Standards established by the department under this chapter shall at a minimum address the basic health and educational needs of children; protection of children from mistreatment, abuse, and neglect; background and records checks of persons providing care to children in facilities certified under this chapter; the use of seclusion, restraint, or other restrictive interventions; health; safety; emergency; and the physical premises on which care is provided by a children’s residential facility. The background check requirements shall be substantially equivalent to those applied under chapter 237 for a child foster care licensee or an approved kinship caregiver.

3. Standards established by the department under this chapter shall not regulate religious education curricula at children’s residential facilities.