Child care staff qualification, staff ratio, and group size licensing standards modified.

HF 628 modifies Minnesota's licensing standards for child care centers by updating requirements for staff qualifications, ratios, and group sizes. It specifies that directors must meet new education and experience thresholds (e.g., 1,040 hours of classroom experience for some credentials), clarifies that substitute staff must be at least 16 years old and complete training/background checks, and prohibits unsupervised volunteers. The bill also defines "substitute" staff as those filling temporary roles under 240 hours annually and ensures all training hours count toward yearly requirements. These changes directly affect licensed child care centers by altering how they staff and supervise facilities for children.