Childcare Network #337

Rule .32(1) - Ratios: (1) A center must establish groupings of children for care and maintain staff:child ratios as follows: Ages of Children Staff:Child Ratio* Maximum Group Size** Infants less than one (1) year old or children under eighteen (18) months who are not walking 1:6 12 One (1) year olds who are walking 1:8 16 Two (2) year olds 1:10 20 Three (3) year olds 1:15 30 Four (4) year olds 1:18 36 Five (5) year olds 1:20 40 Six (6) years and older 1:25 50 * Staff, such as the director or service workers (food, maintenance and clerical staff, etc.), shall be counted in the staff:child ratio only during the time that they are giving full attention to the direct supervision of the children. Service staff routinely acting as child care workers shall meet the qualifications of the respective caregivers. ** Maximum group size does not apply to outdoor play on the playground routinely used by the center or for special activities in the center lasting no more than two (2) hours. However, required staff:child ratios must be maintained.

Rule .09(1)(j) - Portability-Records Check Determination: (j) Portability for Directors, Employees and Provisional Employees, excluding Students-in-Training. Only the most recently issued determination letter is eligible for portability and must be ported electronically. A Center may accept a satisfactory Fingerprint Records Check Determination letter or a satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination letter issued by the Department if the Records Check Clearance Date is within the preceding 12 months from the hire date, the individual has not had a lapse of employment from the child care industry that lasted for 180 days (6 months) or longer, and the Center does not know or reasonably should not know that the individual's satisfactory status has changed.

Rule .33(5)(a) - New - Staff training-annual/10 hours: (a) Every calendar year after the first year of employment, all supervisory and caregiver Personnel, except independent contractors, Students-in-Training and volunteers, shall attend ten (10) clock hours of diverse training which is offered by an accredited college, university or vocational program or other Department-approved source.

Rule .33(4) - Staff training-food preparation and nutrition training: (4) Food Preparation and Nutrition Training. Within the first year of employment, the Director and the person primarily responsible for food preparation shall receive four (4) clock hours of training in food nutrition planning, preparation, serving, proper dish washing and food storage.

Rule .25(3) - Clean, free of debris, good repair: (3) Cleanliness. The Center and surrounding premises shall be kept clean, free of debris and in good repair. Hygienic measures such as, but not limited to, screened windows and proper waste disposal procedures shall be utilized to minimize the presence of rodents, flies, roaches and other vermin at the Center.

Rule .25(13) - Indoor Storage-Hazards: (13) Indoor Storage Areas. Potentially hazardous equipment, materials and supplies shall be stored in a locked area inaccessible to children. Examples of items to be stored include non-food related products under pressure in aerosol dispensing cans, flammable and corrosive materials, cleaning supplies, poisons, insecticides, office supplies and industrial-sized or commercial buckets with a capacity of three gallons or more or any other similar device with rigid sides which would not tip over if a toddler fell into the container head first.

Rule .29(3) - Required Reporting-Incidents: (3) Incident Required Reports. The Director or designated person-in-charge shall report or cause to be reported to the Department within twenty-four (24) hours or the next work day: any death of a child while in the care of the Center; any serious illness or injury requiring hospitalization or professional medical attention other than first aid of a child while in the care of the Center; any situation when a child in care becomes missing, such as, but not limited to, a child who is left on a vehicle, a child who leaves the building, playground, or property, or a child who is left behind on any trip; any fire; any structural disaster; any emergency situation that requires temporarily relocating children; and any time the program’s operating status changes (i.e., open to closed or temporarily closed and temporarily closed to open).

Rule .33(4) - Staff training-food preparation and nutrition training: (4) Food Preparation and Nutrition Training. Within the first year of employment, the Director and the person primarily responsible for food preparation shall receive four (4) clock hours of training in food nutrition planning, preparation, serving, proper dish washing and food storage.

Rule .32(4) - Center Cap. 19+/ Separate ages: (4) For Centers with a licensed capacity of 19 or more, children under three (3) years of age shall be housed in separate physical areas from older children and cannot be mixed with older children except at the following times and circumstances:

Rule .06(4) - Ventilation in restrooms: Ventilation. In centers first licensed after March 1, 1991, and centers that remodel or add to existing plumbing facilities, the bathroom area shall be fully enclosed and ventilated to the outside of the building with either an open screened window or functioning exhaust fan and duct system. Centers without fully enclosed bathrooms shall ensure that there is adequate ventilation to control odors and adequate sanitation measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

Rule .12(2) - Equipment/Furniture-not hazardous/clean (Recite-Not Met): (2) Equipment and Furniture. Equipment and furniture shall be free from hazardous conditions such as, but not limited to, sharp rough edges or toxic paint and shall be kept clean.

Rule .36(4)(c) - Fire Extinguisher: (c) Fire Extinguisher. Each vehicle shall be equipped with a fire extinguisher maintained in working order and kept inaccessible to children.

Rule .26(9) - Playground-Safe/Clean: (9) Safety and Upkeep of Playground. Playgrounds shall be kept clean, free from litter and free of hazards, such as but not limited to rocks, exposed tree roots and exposed sharp edges of concrete.

Rule .25(13) - Indoor Storage-Hazards (Recite-Not Met): (13) Indoor Storage Areas. Potentially hazardous equipment, materials and supplies shall be stored in a locked area inaccessible to children. Examples of items to be stored include non-food related products under pressure in aerosol dispensing cans, flammable and corrosive materials, cleaning supplies, poisons, insecticides, office supplies and industrial-sized or commercial buckets with a capacity of three gallons or more or any other similar device with rigid sides which would not tip over if a toddler fell into the container head first.