The OCFS-5014 is New York’s parental consent form that lets a licensed or registered child care program give your child medication during program hours. To complete it, fill in your child’s identifying information and the exact medication details, have your child’s health care provider sign the provider section for any medication given on more than a single day, then sign and date the parent section with specific start and end dates. Hand the signed form to the program director along with the medication in its original labeled container. You can download the OCFS-5014 parental consent form as a PDF from the OCFS website at ocfs.ny.gov.
When You Actually Need to Submit This Form
New York’s child day care regulations, found in 18 NYCRR Parts 414, 416, 417, and 418, require written parental consent before any regulated provider gives a child prescription drugs, oral over-the-counter medications, medicated patches, or eye, ear, or nasal drops and sprays.1Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 418-1.11 – Health and Infection Control The OCFS-5014 is how most families satisfy that written consent rule.
Length of treatment changes what you need to turn in. For a single day, verbal permission from you is enough for most medications, though for children under 18 months, verbal instructions from the health care provider are also required. If the medication will be given on more than one day or on an ongoing basis, both written parental permission and written instructions from the health care provider must be on file before staff can administer it.2Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 416.11 – Health and Infection Control That written piece is what the OCFS-5014 captures.
Over-the-counter topical products follow a lighter rule. Sunscreen, insect repellent, diaper cream, and similar items only need verbal permission for a single day. For ongoing use, written parental permission is required, but a health care provider’s signature is not.1Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 418-1.11 – Health and Infection Control
Child and Medication Details
Start with your child’s full legal name and date of birth. Then enter the medication information, matching the pharmacy label exactly. New York regulations require the following details to appear either on the prescription label or on the consent form itself:2Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 416.11 – Health and Infection Control
- Medication name and dosage.
- Frequency (every four hours, twice daily, as needed, and so on).
- Method of administration (oral, topical, inhaled, drops, patch, or other route).
- The reason the medication is being given, unless confidential by law.
- Common side effects or reactions staff should watch for.
- Special instructions, including interactions with other medications, age-related concerns, allergy considerations, or conditions that affect how the medication should be given.
Cross-check every entry against the pharmacy label before you turn the form in. If the two don’t agree, the program cannot give the medication, and you’ll be called to fix it.
Health Care Provider Section
For prescription medications, oral over-the-counter medications, medicated patches, and eye, ear, or nasal drops and sprays given on an ongoing basis, a licensed health care provider must complete their portion of the form. That section requires the provider’s name, telephone number, signature, and the date they authorized the medication.2Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 416.11 – Health and Infection Control
The simplest approach is to bring the OCFS-5014 to the appointment where your child’s provider prescribes or renews the medication and have them fill it out on the spot. For long-term prescriptions like maintenance inhalers or allergy medications, coordinate a new form around your child’s regular check-ups so the provider can sign an updated version at the same visit where they renew the prescription.
Parent or Guardian Section
You sign and date the form to authorize the program to follow the provider’s instructions. The form includes start and end dates that define the window during which the program may administer the medication. Be specific with these dates. An open-ended authorization is not acceptable. The signed original stays with the program as its proof of proper consent.
Delivering the Form and Medication
Hand the completed OCFS-5014 directly to the program director or the staff member designated to handle medications. Bring the medication at the same time, and expect the program to be strict about how it’s packaged. New York regulations require all prescription and over-the-counter medications to arrive in their original bottles or containers.3Cornell Law Institute. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 18 417.11 – Health and Infection Control Prescription bottles must show the child’s first and last name, the medication name, and the dosage. Programs will not accept medications transferred into plastic bags, unmarked containers, or bottles labeled for someone else.
If your child takes a morning dose at home and an afternoon dose at child care, ask the pharmacy for a second labeled bottle rather than splitting pills into an unlabeled container. Most pharmacies will print a duplicate label at no extra charge if you explain it’s for a child care program.
When You Need a New Form
The OCFS-5014 only covers the window set by the start and end dates on the form. Once that window closes, a new form is required to continue the medication. You also need to submit a fresh OCFS-5014 within an active consent period whenever the dosage changes, the medication switches, or the health care provider updates instructions. Any change to what’s written on the current form is a trigger for a new one.
Emergency Medications Still Need the Form
Epinephrine auto-injectors, diphenhydramine given alongside an auto-injector, asthma inhalers, and nebulizers all require a completed OCFS-5014 with the health care provider’s written instructions on file for your child’s specific device. The form tells staff exactly when and how to use it, which matters most in an emergency.
If your child has a known allergy or asthma, talk with the program director about where the emergency medication will be kept and which staff members are trained to use it. Many programs store emergency medications in a separate, clearly labeled location, away from routine medications, so staff can reach them quickly when they need to.