Preschool Scholars

Rule .19(1) - License capacity-35 square feet: (1) Usable Space Per Child. A Center's License capacity is based upon its size. A Center must have thirty-five (35) square feet of usable space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, closets, halls, storage areas or rooms, offices, rooms designated for Staff use, other single use areas and space occupied by adult size furniture shall be excluded in determining usable space.

Rule .17(8) - Handwashing-Staff: (8) Handwashing, Staff. Personnel shall wash their hands with liquid soap and warm running water: immediately upon arrival for the day, when moving from one child care group to another, and upon re-entering the child care area after outside play; before and after diapering each child, dispensing medication, applying topical medications, ointments, creams or lotions, handling and preparing food, eating, drinking, preparing bottles, feeding each child, and assisting children with eating and drinking; after toileting or assisting children with toileting, using tobacco products, handling garbage and organic waste, touching animals or pets, and handling bodily fluids, such as, but not limited to, mucus, saliva, vomit or blood; and after contamination by any other means.

Rule .15(3) - Baby Bottles/Formula/Breast Milk: (3) Baby Bottles and Formula. All baby bottles shall be clearly labeled with the individual child's name. Formula or breast milk shall be supplied by the parent daily in bottles. Only the current day's formula or breast milk shall be served. Bottles shall be refrigerated at a temperature of forty (40) degrees Fahrenheit or less. If formula must be provided by the Center, only commercially prepared, ready-to-feed formula shall be used. Refrigerated or frozen breast milk shall only be heated or thawed under warm running water or in a container of warm water.

Rule .03(2) - Lesson Plans/ Equipment/Materials (Recite-Not Met): (2) Current lesson plans shall be kept on site and reflect appropriate instruction practices and activities to support children’s development. The center shall have sufficient and varied play and learning equipment and materials to support the above program of activities in all developmental areas.

Rule .21(2)(r) - New - Policies & Procedures - Shaken Baby Syndrome & Abusive Head Trauma: (r) A description of the practices followed by the Center to prevent shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma in children up to five years of age that includes the following information: how to recognize, respond to, and report the signs and symptoms of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma; strategies to assist staff members in understanding how to care for infants and how to cope with a crying, fussing, or distraught child; strategies to ensure staff members understand the brain development of children up to five years of age; and a list of prohibited behaviors when dealing with children.

Rule .07(5) - Pacifiers and other attachments around neck: (5) Hazardous Items. Children shall not be permitted to wear around their necks or attach to their clothing pacifiers or other hazardous items.

Rule .03(2) - Lesson Plans/ Equipment/Materials: (2) Current lesson plans shall be kept on site and reflect appropriate instruction practices and activities to support children’s development. The center shall have sufficient and varied play and learning equipment and materials to support the above program of activities in all developmental areas.

Rule .30(2) - Safe sleep environment: (2) Sleeping and Resting Environment for Infants. A Center shall provide a safe sleep environment in accordance with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) recommendations as listed in these rules for all infants. Center Staff shall place an infant to sleep on the infant’s back unless the Parent has provided a physician’s written statement authorizing another sleep position for that particular infant that includes how the infant shall be placed to sleep and a time frame that the instructions are to be followed. When an infant can easily turn over from back to front and back again, Staff shall continue to put the infant to sleep initially on the infant’s back but allow the infant to roll over into his or her preferred position and not re-position the infant. Sleepers, sleep sacks and wearable blankets that fit according to the commercial manufacturer’s guidelines and will not slide up around the infant’s face may be used when necessary for the comfort of the sleeping infant. However, swaddling shall not be used unless the Center has been provided a physician’s written statement authorizing its use for a particular infant that includes instructions and a time frame for swaddling the infant. Staff shall not place objects or allow objects to be placed in or on the crib with an infant such as but not limited to toys, pillows, quilts, comforters, bumper pads, sheepskins, stuffed toys, or other soft items and shall not attach objects or allow objects to be attached to a crib with a sleeping infant, such as, but not limited to, crib gyms, toys, mirrors and mobiles.

Rule .26(6) - Equipment-outdoor: (6) Equipment. Playground equipment shall provide an opportunity for the children to engage in a variety of experiences and shall be age-appropriate. For example, toddlers shall not be permitted to swing in swings designed for School-age Children. The outdoor equipment shall be free of lead-based paint, sharp corners and shall be regularly maintained in such a way as to be free of rust and splinters that could pose significant safety hazard to the children. All equipment shall be arranged so as not to obstruct supervision of children.

Rule .26(3) - Playground location-route/shade: (3) Location. Playgrounds shall be adjacent to the Center or in an area which can be reached by a safe route or method approved by the Department. Except in School-age Centers, the playground shall have shaded areas.

Rule .19(1) - License capacity-35 square feet: (1) Usable Space Per Child. A Center's License capacity is based upon its size. A Center must have thirty-five (35) square feet of usable space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, closets, halls, storage areas or rooms, offices, rooms designated for Staff use, other single use areas and space occupied by adult size furniture shall be excluded in determining usable space.