No. 40162 (Amendment): Rule R381-70. Out of School Time Child Care Programs

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 40162
Filed: 01/28/2016 03:43:04 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

The proposed changes are mostly to clarify rules and to facilitate compliance with required training topics.

Summary of the rule or change:

This rule changes are proposed by the Child Care Center Licensing Committee. They include clarification of some terms, language required to adjust the policies and procedures and emergency and disaster plan to the new federal Office of Child Care requirements, and renumbering.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Title 63G, Chapter 3

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

No state agencies operate licensed homes. Therefore, the Department does not anticipate any cost or savings as a result of this change.

local governments:

Some local governments operate child care centers. Since the proposed changes are mostly clarification to the current rule and training for caregivers that is provided by Child Care Licensing at no cost, the Department does not anticipate any new costs or savings to child care programs operated by state agencies.

small businesses:

Almost all child care centers are small businesses. Since the proposed changes are mostly documentation of policies and procedures and emergency and disaster plan and training for caregivers, which is provided by Child Care Licensing at no cost, the Department does not anticipate any new costs or savings to child care small business.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

Because this rule will not change any of the requirements for child care programs, except required training for caregivers which is provided by Child Care Licensing at no cost, the Department does not anticipate any new costs or savings to entities or persons that are not small businesses.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

Because this rule will not change any of the requirements for child care programs, the Department does not anticipate any compliance costs for affected persons.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

There is no fiscal impact to business because any required training for child care programs is provided at no cost.

Joseph Miner, MD, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Health
Child Care Center Licensing Committee
3760 S HIGHLAND DR
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84106

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Simon Bolivar at the above address, by phone at 801-803-4618, by FAX at 801-237-0786, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

03/16/2016

This rule may become effective on:

03/24/2016

Authorized by:

Joseph Miner, Executive Director

RULE TEXT

R381. Health, Child Care Center Licensing Committee.

R381-70. Out of School Time Child Care Programs.

R381-70-2. Definitions.

(1) "Accredited College" means a college accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as a valid accrediting agency.

(2) "ASTM" means American Society for Testing and Materials.

(3) "Body Fluids" means blood, urine, feces, vomit, mucous, and saliva.

(4) "Caregiver" means an employee or volunteer who provides direct care to children.

(5) "CPSC" means the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

(6) "Department" means the Utah Department of Health.

(7) "Designated Play Surface" means a flat surface on a piece of stationary play equipment that a child could stand, walk, sit, or climb on, and that is at least 2" by 2" in size.

(8) "Director" means a person who meets the director qualifications of this rule, and who assumes the day-to-day responsibilities for the facility to be in compliance with Child Care Licensing rules.

(9) "Direct Supervision" means the caregiver must be able to hear all of the children and must be near enough to intervene when necessary.

(10) "Emotional Abuse" means behavior that could impair a child's emotional development, such as threatening, intimidating, humiliating, or demeaning a child, constant criticism, rejection, profane language, and inappropriate physical restraint.

(11) "Group" means the children assigned to one or two caregivers, occupying an individual classroom or an area defined by furniture or another partition within a room.

(12) "Health Care Provider" means a licensed professional with prescriptive authority, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant.

(13) "Inaccessible to Children" means either locked, such as in a locked room, cupboard or drawer, or with a child safety lock, or in a location that a child cannot get to.

(14) "Infectious Disease" means an illness that is capable of being spread from one person to another.

(15) "Licensee" means the legally responsible person or persons holding a valid Department of Health child care license.

(16) "Over-the-Counter Medication" means medication that can be purchased without a written prescription from a health care provider. This includes herbal remedies.

(17) "Parent" means the parent or legal guardian of a child in care.

(18) "Person" means an individual or a business entity.

(19) "Physical Abuse" means causing non-accidental physical harm to a child.

(20) "Play Equipment Platform" means a flat surface on a piece of stationary play equipment intended for more than one user to stand on, and upon which the users can move freely.

(21) "Protective Barrier" means an enclosing structure such as bars, lattice, or a solid panel, around an elevated play equipment platform that is intended to prevent a child from either accidently or deliberately passing through the barrier.

(22) "Protective cushioning" means cushioning material that is approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials. For example, sand, pea gravel, engineered wood fibers, shredded tires, or unitary cushioning material, such as rubber mats or poured rubber-like material.

(23) "Provider" means the licensee or [a staff member to whom the licensee has delegated a duty under this rule]the entity providing child care services.

(24) "Sanitize" means to remove soil and small amounts of certain bacteria from a surface or object with a chemical agent.

(25) "Sexual Abuse" means abuse as defined in Utah Code, Section 76-5-404.1(2).

(26) "Sexually Explicit Material" means any depiction of sexually explicit conduct, as defined in Utah Code, Section 76-5a-2(8).

(27) "Stationary Play Equipment" means equipment such as a climber, a slide, a swing, a merry-go-round, or a spring rocker that is meant to stay in one location when children use it. Stationary play equipment does not include:

(a) a sandbox;

(b) a stationary circular tricycle;

(c) a sensory table; or

(d) a playhouse, if the playhouse has no play equipment, such as a slide, swing, ladder, or climber attached to it.

(28) "Use Zone" means the area beneath and surrounding a play structure or piece of equipment that is designated for unrestricted movement around the equipment, and onto which a child falling from or exiting the equipment could be expected to land.

(29) "Volunteer" means a person who provides care to a child but does not receive direct or indirect compensation for doing so. A volunteer is not included in the provider to child ratio, unless the volunteer meets all of the caregiver requirements of this rule.

 

R381-70-7. Personnel.

(1) The program must have a director who is at least 21 years of age, who has completed the Center Director Training class offered by the Department, and who has one of the following educational credentials:

(a) an associates, bachelors, or graduate degree from an accredited college and successful completion of at least 12 semester credit hours of coursework in childhood development, elementary education, or a related field;

(b) a currently valid national certification such as a Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) issued by the National Child Care Association, a Child Development Associate (CDA) issued by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, or other credential that the licensee demonstrates as equivalent to the Department; or

(c) a currently valid National Administrator Credential (NAC) [issued by the National Child Care Association, ]as approved by the Department, plus one of the following:

(i) valid proof of successful completion of 12 semester credit hours of coursework in childhood development, elementary education, or a related field; or

(ii) valid proof of completion of the following six Utah Career Ladder courses, or their equivalent, as approved by the Utah Child Care Professional Development Institute: Child Development: Ages and Stages; Advanced Child Development; School Age Course 1; School Age Course 2; School Age Course 3; and School Age Course 4.

(2) Any new Center director must complete the Department's Center Director Training Class no later than 60 working days after assuming director duties.

(3) All caregivers shall be at least 18 years of age.

(4) All assistant caregivers shall be at least 16 years of age, and shall work under the immediate supervision of a caregiver who is at least 18 years of age.

(5) Assistant caregivers may be included in caregiver to child ratios, but shall not be left unsupervised with children.

(6) Assistant caregivers shall meet all of the caregiver requirements under this rule, except the caregiver age requirement of 18 years.

(7) Whenever there are children at the program, there shall be at least one caregiver present who can demonstrate the English literacy skills needed to care for children and respond to emergencies.

(8) Each new [director, assistant director, caregiver, assistant ]caregiver, and volunteer s who count in the caregiver to child ratio, shall receive at least 2.5 hours of pre-service [orientation ]pre-service training prior to assuming caregiving duties. [Orientation ]Pre-service training shall be documented and shall include the following topics:

(a) job description and duties;

(b) the Department-approved program's written policies and procedures;

(c) the Department-approved program's emergency and disaster plan;

(d) the current child care licensing rules found in Sections R381-70-11 through 22;

(e) introduction and orientation to the children assigned to the caregiver;

(f) a review of the information in the health assessment for each child in their assigned group;

[(g) procedure for releasing children to authorized individuals only;

(h) proper cleanup of body fluids;

]([i]g) signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse, and legal reporting requirements for witnessing or suspicion of abuse, neglect, and exploitation;

[(j) obtaining assistance in emergencies, as specified in the program's emergency and disaster plan.]

(h) recognizing the signs of homelessness and available assistance;

(i) prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, and coping with crying babies; and

(j) prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and use of safe sleeping practices.

(9) The program director, assistant director, all caregivers, and substitutes who work an average of 10 hours a week or more, as averaged over any three month period, shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of training for each month during which they are employed, or 20 hours of training each year, based on the program's license date.

(a) Documentation of annual training shall be kept in each caregiver's file, and shall include the name of the training organization, the date, the training topic, and the total hours or minutes of training.

(b) Annual training hours shall include the following topics:

(i) a review of the current child care licensing rules found in Sections R381-70-11 through 22;

(ii) a review of the Department-approved program's written policies and procedures and emergency and disaster plans, including any updates;

(iii) signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse, and legal reporting requirements for witnessing or suspicion of abuse, neglect, and exploitation;

(iv) principles of child growth and development, including development of the brain; [and]

(v) positive guidance;[.]

(vi) prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, and coping with crying babies;

(vii) prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and use of safe sleeping practices; and

(viii) recognizing the signs of homelessness and available assistance;

(10) A minimum of 10 hours of the required annual in-service training shall be face-to-face instruction.

 

R381-70-8. Administration.

(1) The licensee is responsible for all aspects of the operation and management of the program.

(2) The licensee shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws and rules pertaining to the operation of a child care program.

(3) The provider shall not engage in or allow conduct that is adverse to the public health, morals, welfare, and safety of the children in care.

(4) The provider shall take all reasonable measures to protect the safety of children in care. The licensee shall not engage in activity or allow conduct that unreasonably endangers children in care.

(5) Either the program director or a designee with authority to act on behalf of the program director shall be present at the facility whenever the program is open for care.

(6) Director designees shall be at least 21 years of age, and shall have completed their [orientation ]pre-service training.

(7) Each week, the program director shall be on-site at the program during operating hours for at least 50% of the time the program is open to children, in order to fulfill the duties specified in this rule, and to ensure compliance with this rule.

(8) The program director must have sufficient freedom from other responsibilities to manage the program and respond to emergencies.

(9) There shall be a working telephone at the facility, and the program director shall inform each child's parent and the Department of any changes to the program's telephone number within 48 hours of the change.

(10) The provider shall report to the Child Care Licensing Program within the next Department business day any fatality, hospitalization, emergency medical response, or injury that requires attention from a health care provider, unless that medical service was part of the child's medical treatment plan identified by the parent. The provider shall also submit a written report to Child Care Licensing within five working days of the incident.

(11) The duties and responsibilities of the program director include the following:

(a) appoint one or more individuals who meet the background screening and training requirements of this rule to be a director designee, with authority to act on behalf of the program director in his or her absence;

(b) train and supervise staff to:

(i) ensure their compliance with this rule;

(ii) ensure they meet the needs of the children in care as specified in this rule; and

(iii) ensure that children are not subjected to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse while in care.

(12) [The provider shall establish and follow written policies and procedures for the health and safety of the children in care. The written policies and procedures shall address at least the following areas:

(a) supervision and protection of children at all times, including when they are using the bathroom, on the playground, and during off-site activities;

(b) maintaining required caregiver to child ratios when the program has more than the expected number of children, or fewer than the scheduled number of caregivers;

(c) procedures to account for each child's attendance and whereabouts;

(d) procedures to ensure that the program releases children to authorized individuals only;

(e) confidentiality and release of information;

(f) the use of movies and video or computer games, including what industry ratings the program allows;

(g) recognizing early signs of illness and determining when there is a need for exclusion from the program;

(h) discipline of children, including behavioral expectations of children and discipline methods used;

(i) transportation to and from off-site activities, or to and from home, if the program offers these services; and

(j) if the program offers transportation to or from school, policies addressing:

(i) how long children will be unattended before and after school;

(ii) what steps will be taken if children fail to meet the vehicle;

(iii) how and when parents will be notified of delays or problems with transportation to and from school; and

(iv) the use of size-appropriate safety restraints.

(k) if the program has a computer that is connected to the internet and that is accessible to any child in care:

(i) written policies for parents explaining how children's computer use is monitored; and

(ii) a signed parent permission form for each child who is allowed to use the computer.

] (12) The licensee shall establish, and shall ensure that all caregivers follow, written policies and procedures for the health and safety of each child in care. The licensee shall submit to the Department these policies and procedures for approval on a form provided by Child Care Licensing.

(13) The provider shall ensure that the written policies and procedures are available for review by parents, staff, and the Department during business hours.

 

R381-70-9. Records.

(1) The provider shall maintain the following general records on-site for review by the Department:

(a) documentation of the previous 12 months of fire and disaster drills as specified in R381-70-10(9) and R381-70-10(11);

(b) current animal vaccination records as required in R381-70-22(3);

(c) a six week record of child attendance, including sign-in and sign-out records;

(d) a current local health department inspection;

(e) a current local fire department inspection;

(f) copy of all covered individuals' background screening cards issued by the Department.

(2) The provider shall maintain the following records for each currently enrolled child on-site for review by the Department:

(a) an admission form containing the following information for each child:

(i) name;

(ii) date of birth;

(iii) the parent's name, address, and phone number, including a daytime phone number;

(iv) the names of people authorized by the parent to pick up the child;

(v) the name, address and phone number of a person to be contacted in the event of an emergency if the provider is unable to contact the parent;

(vi) if available, the name, address, and phone number of an out of area/state emergency contact person for the child; and

(vii) current emergency medical treatment and emergency medical transportation releases with the parent's signature;

(b) a current annual health assessment form as required in R381-70-14(5);

(c) a transportation permission form, if the program provides transportation services;

(d) a six week record of medication permission forms, and a six week record of medications actually administered; and

(e) a six week record of incident, accident, and injury reports.

(3) The provider shall ensure that information in children's files is not released without written parental permission.

(4) The provider shall maintain the following records for each staff member on-site for review by the Department:

(a) date of initial employment;

(b) copy of the current background screening card issued by the Department;

(c) a six week record of days and hours worked;

(d) [orientation ]pre-service training documentation for caregivers, and for volunteers who [work at the program at least once each month]count in the caregiver to child ratio;

(e) annual training documentation for all providers and substitutes who work an average of 10 hours a week or more, as averaged over any three month period; and

(f) current first aid and CPR certification, if applicable as required in R381-70-10(2), R381-70-20(5)(d), and R381-70-21(2).

 

R381-70-10. Emergency Preparedness.

(1) The provider shall post the program's street address and emergency numbers, including ambulance, fire, police, and poison control, near each telephone in the facility.

(2) At least one person at the facility at all times when children are in care shall have a current Red Cross, American Heart Association, or equivalent first aid and CPR certification.

(3) The program shall maintain first aid supplies in the center, including at least antiseptic, band-aids, and tweezers.

[(4) The provider shall have a written emergency and disaster plan which shall include at least the following:

(a) procedures for responding to medical emergencies and serious injuries that require treatment by a health care provider;

(b) procedures for responding to fire, earthquake, flood, power failure, and water failure;

(c) the location of and procedure for emergency shut off of gas, electricity, and water;

(d) an emergency relocation site where children may be housed if the facility is uninhabitable;

(e) a means of posting the relocation site address in a conspicuous location that can be seen even if the facility is closed;

(f) the transportation route and means of getting staff and children to the emergency relocation site;

(g) a means of accounting for each child's presence in route to and at the relocation site;

(h) a means of accessing children's emergency contact information and emergency releases; including contact information for an out of area/state emergency contact person for the child, if available;

(i) provisions for emergency supplies, including at least food, water, a first aid kit, and a cell phone;

(j) procedures for ensuring adequate supervision of children during emergency situations, including while at the program's emergency relocation site; and

(k) staff assignments for specific tasks during an emergency.]

(4) The licensee shall submit to the Department a written emergency preparedness and disaster response plan for approval on a form provided by Child Care Licensing.

(5) The provider shall ensure that the emergency and disaster plan is followed in the event of an emergency.

(6) The provider shall review the emergency and disaster plan annually, and update it as needed. The provider shall note the date of reviews and updates to the plan on the plan.

(7) The emergency and disaster plan shall be available for immediate review by staff, parents, and the Department during business hours.

(8) The provider shall conduct fire evacuation drills monthly during each month that the program is open. Drills shall include complete exit of all children and staff from the building.

(9) The provider shall document all fire drills, including:

(a) the date and time of the drill;

(b) the number of children participating;

(c) the name of the person supervising the drill;

(d) the total time to complete the evacuation; and

(e) any problems encountered.

(10) The provider shall conduct drills for disasters other than fires at least once every six months that the program is open.

(11) The provider shall document all disaster drills, including:

(a) the type of disaster, such as earthquake, flood, prolonged power outage, tornado;

(b) the date and time of the drill;

(c) the number of children participating;

(d) the name of the person supervising the drill; and

(e) any problems encountered.

(12) The program shall vary the days and times on which fire and other disaster drills are held.

 

KEY: child care facilities, child care, child care centers, out of school time child care programs

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [2015]2016

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 26-39-203(1)(a)

 

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