South Ga Childcare

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 .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 .15(5) - Menu requirements (Recite-Not Met): (5) Menus. The Center shall provide a menu listing all meals and snacks to be served during the current week except for School-age Centers where the food may be provided by the Parent(s) by agreement between the School-age Center and the Parents. Substitutions shall be recorded on the posted menu. Menus shall be retained at the Center for six (6) months.

Rule .17(7) - Handwashing-Children: (7) Handwashing, Children. Children's hands shall be washed with soap and warm running water: immediately upon arrival for care; when moving from one child care group to another, and upon re-entering the child care area after outside play; before and after eating meals and snacks, handling or touching food, or playing in water; after toileting and diapering, playing in sand, touching animals or pets, and contact with bodily fluids such as, but not limited to, mucus, saliva, vomit or blood; and after contamination by any other means.

Rule .15(5) - Menu requirements: (5) Menus. The Center shall provide a menu listing all meals and snacks to be served during the current week except for School-age Centers where the food may be provided by the Parent(s) by agreement between the School-age Center and the Parents. Substitutions shall be recorded on the posted menu. Menus shall be retained at the Center for six (6) months.

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 .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 .26(6) - Equipment-outdoor (Recite-Not Met): (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 .10(4) - Diaper Changing surface (Recite-Not Met): (4) If diapers are changed on a diaper changing surface, the surface shall be smooth, nonporous, and equipped with a guard or rails to prevent falls. Between each diaper change, the diaper changing surface shall be cleaned with a disinfectant and dried with a single-use disposable towel.

Rule .26(6) - Equipment-outdoor (Recite-Not Met): (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 .21(3) - Fire/Tornado Drills (Recite-Not Met): (3) The Center shall conduct drills for fire, tornado and other emergency situations. The fire drills will be conducted monthly and tornado and other emergency situation drills will be conducted every six months. The Center shall maintain documentation of the dates and times of these drills for two years.

Rule .15(5) - Menu requirements (Recite-Not Met): (5) Menus. The Center shall provide a menu listing all meals and snacks to be served during the current week except for School-age Centers where the food may be provided by the Parent(s) by agreement between the School-age Center and the Parents. Substitutions shall be recorded on the posted menu. Menus shall be retained at the Center for six (6) months.

Rule .10(4) - Diaper Changing surface: (4) If diapers are changed on a diaper changing surface, the surface shall be smooth, nonporous, and equipped with a guard or rails to prevent falls. Between each diaper change, the diaper changing surface shall be cleaned with a disinfectant and dried with a single-use disposable towel.

Rule .08(6) - Arrival and Departure Records (Recite-Not Met): (6) Arrival and Departure Records. Records of a child’s daily arrival and departure for the twelve (12) preceding months shall be maintained but need not be filed in each child’s record. The Parent or person(s) authorized by the Parent to drop off and pick up the child will document, in written or electronic format, each time the Parent or authorized person drops off and picks up the child. The documentation shall include at least the following information: the date, the child’s name, the arrival and departure times, and the signature or initials of the Parent or authorized person at the time of arrival and departure. These records shall be made available to the Department in printed or written form upon request.

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 .33(3) - Staff Training-Health and Safety Orientation

Rule .33(2) - Orientation-Subjects (Recite-Not Met): (2) The initial orientation must include the following subjects: the Center's policies and procedures; the portions of these rules dealing with the care, health and safety of children; the Employee's assigned duties and responsibilities; reporting requirements for suspected cases of child abuse, neglect or deprivation; communicable diseases and serious injuries; emergency plans; childhood injury control; the administration of medicine; reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); hand washing; fire safety; water safety; and prevention of HIV/Aids and blood borne pathogens.

Rule .32(7) - Supervision-Watchful Oversight: (7) Supervision. Children shall be supervised at all times appropriate to the individual age, needs and capabilities of each child. Such supervision must include, but not be limited to, indoor and outdoor activities, mealtimes, naptime, transportation, field trips, and transitions between activities. "Supervision" means that the appropriate number of Staff members are physically present in the area where children are being cared for and are providing watchful oversight to the children, volunteers and Students-in-Training. The persons supervising in the child care area must be alert, positioned to maximize their ability to hear and see the children at all times, and able to respond promptly to the needs and actions of the children being supervised, as well as the actions of the volunteers and Students-in-Training, and provide timely attention to the children's actions and needs. Staff shall be attentive and participating with all children during mealtimes and shall be seated within an arm’s length away from children thirty-six (36) months of age and younger.

Rule .32(2) - Mixed-ages groups/cap. of 19+: (2) Mixed-Age Groups for Centers with a licensed capacity of 19 or more children. The Staff:child ratios for a mixed-age group shall be based on the age of the youngest group of children that includes more than twenty (20%) of the total number of children in the mixed-age group .

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 .27 - Posted Notices: Each Center shall post in a designated area for public viewing near the front entrance the following: the Center's current License or Permit; a copy of these rules; a copy of the current communicable disease chart; a statement allowing Parent(s) access to all child care areas upon notifying any staff member of his or her presence; names of persons responsible for the administration of the Center in the administrator's absence; the dated current week's menu for meals and snacks; emergency plans for severe weather, fire, and other emergency situations; a statement requiring visitors to check in with Staff when entering the Center; no smoking signs; and a notice provided by the Department which advises Parents of their right to review a copy of the Center's most recent licensure evaluation report upon request to the Center Director. The Center shall provide any Parent with a copy of this evaluation report upon request.

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 .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 .25(8) - Outlets: (8) Electrical Outlets. Except in School-age Centers, all unused electrical outlets within reach of children shall have protective caps specifically designed to prohibit children from placing anything in the receptacle. Electrical outlets in use which the children can reach shall be made inaccessible to the children.

Rule .21(3) - Fire/Tornado Drills: (3) The Center shall conduct drills for fire, tornado and other emergency situations. The fire drills will be conducted monthly and tornado and other emergency situation drills will be conducted every six months. The Center shall maintain documentation of the dates and times of these drills for two years.

Rule .15(5) - Menu requirements: (5) Menus. The Center shall provide a menu listing all meals and snacks to be served during the current week except for School-age Centers where the food may be provided by the Parent(s) by agreement between the School-age Center and the Parents. Substitutions shall be recorded on the posted menu. Menus shall be retained at the Center for six (6) months.

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 .09(1)(c) - Employee - satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination: (1)(c) A Center must ensure that every Employee has a valid and current satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination on file prior to being present at the Center while any child is present for care or before an individual age 17 or older resides in the Center. The Comprehensive Records Check Determination must have a Records Check Clearance Date that is no older than the preceding 12 months of the hire date; provided, however, if the Employee has had a lapse of employment from the child care industry that lasted for 180 days (6 months) or longer, a new satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination is required.

Rule .08(6) - Arrival and Departure Records: (6) Arrival and Departure Records. Records of a child’s daily arrival and departure for the twelve (12) preceding months shall be maintained but need not be filed in each child’s record. The Parent or person(s) authorized by the Parent to drop off and pick up the child will document, in written or electronic format, each time the Parent or authorized person drops off and picks up the child. The documentation shall include at least the following information: the date, the child’s name, the arrival and departure times, and the signature or initials of the Parent or authorized person at the time of arrival and departure. These records shall be made available to the Department in printed or written form upon request.

Rule .33(3) - Staff Training-Health and Safety Orientation

Rule .33(2) - Orientation-Subjects: (2) The initial orientation must include the following subjects: the Center's policies and procedures; the portions of these rules dealing with the care, health and safety of children; the Employee's assigned duties and responsibilities; reporting requirements for suspected cases of child abuse, neglect or deprivation; communicable diseases and serious injuries; emergency plans; childhood injury control; the administration of medicine; reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); hand washing; fire safety; water safety; and prevention of HIV/Aids and blood borne pathogens.

Rule .30(1)(b)2 - Cots and Mats-Individual Use: 2. Individual Use. Cots and mats must be used by the same child daily and marked for individual use.