Current through August 30, 2024
(a) A licensed
child care provider described in
7 AAC 41.200(a)(1) shall meet the ratio
requirements of 7 AAC 57. A provider described in
7 AAC 41.200(a)(2), (3), or (4) shall
meet the ratio requirements of the accrediting, certifying, or approving
agency.
(b) A provider described in
7 AAC 41.200(a)(5) shall ensure that
the number of children does not exceed the maximum of five children, younger
than 13 years of age, and that no more than two children are younger than 30
months of age. Each child younger than 13 years of age receiving care,
regardless of the hours in care, must be counted in the maximum number of
children allowed, including the provider's own children or other children
residing in the provider's home. A child who reaches 13 years of age while
receiving authorized care, must be counted in determining the maximum number of
five children receiving care.
(c) A
provider described in
7 AAC 41.200(a)(5) shall provide
structure and daily activities designed to promote a child's individual
physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development. To satisfactorily
comply with this subsection the provider shall
(1) provide direct care and supervision of
children at all times;
(2) ensure
that each child receives responsible supervision that is appropriate to the
child's age and developmental needs and that is adequate to prevent
injury;
(3) demonstrate respect for
each child in care and the child's family;
(4) support behavior of children with
positive guidance and set clear and consistent limits to promote the children's
ability for self-discipline;
(5)
provide children with a variety of age-appropriate learning and social
experiences;
(6) demonstrate a
positive attitude toward bottle weaning, diapering, toilet learning, and
individual needs of children;
(7)
respond appropriately to a child's needs, including responding to a baby's cry
as promptly and effectively as possible;
(8) prevent exposure of children to high-risk
situations, including exposure to physical hazards and encounters with
individuals or animals posing a possible danger;
(9) use strategies to prevent a child's
aggressive behavior and to de-escalate volatile situations;
(10) act as a positive role model for
children, especially with regard to respecting the feelings and rights of
others;
(11) provide an environment
that respects the gender, culture, ethnicity, family composition, and special
emotional, cognitive, and developmental needs of each child;
(12) have a schedule and daily plan of
activities for each age group; the schedule and plan must provide a balance of
quiet and active activities and group and individual activities and must
include time for meals, snacks, sleep, toileting according to individual needs,
and indoor and outdoor play; for purposes of this paragraph the schedule and
plan need not be written, except that a typical daily schedule and plan must be
presented with the application for approval;
(13) provide opportunities for
(A) individual self-expression and
imaginative play;
(B) at least 20
minutes of vigorous physical activity for every three hours the provider is
open between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and daily supervised outdoor
activity when weather and the individual child's tolerance permit;
(C) each child to foster
independence;
(D) intellectual and
social development through use of a variety of activities and materials such as
games, toys, books, crafts, puzzles, and blocks; and
(E) language development, including
encouraging children to talk and read books; and
(14) limit screen viewing time, including
television, computer, and hand-held devices as follows:
(A) prohibit screen-viewing time for children
under two years of age; and
(B) for
children over two years of age, only allow up to one hour of screen-viewing
time in a 24-hour period, except for special occasions, and ensure that
(i) any screen-viewing time is for physical
or educational use that is specifically designed for the interest and benefit
of the child; and
(ii) children not
be required to participate in screen-viewing activities; alternative activities
shall be offered as an option for children during those times.
(d) In
addition to meeting the requirements in (c) of this section, an approved
provider caring for infants or toddlers as described in 7 AAC 41 .C)25(b) may
not routinely leave a child awake in a crib, swing, or similar device for more
than 15 minutes without direct adult contact. The provider shall
(1) provide opportunities for a child to
develop a caring and nurturing relationship with and attachment to one
caregiver whose care for and responsiveness to the child ensures relief of
distress, experiences of stimulation and comfort, and satisfaction of the need
for a connection with the child's caregiver;
(2) provide frequent verbal communication
during feeding, changing, and cuddle times;
(3) provide physical contact through holding,
rocking, and play, as well as bathing, dressing, and carrying a
child;
(4) allow infants and
toddlers ample supervised opportunity during the day to explore and learn on
their own outside of a play yard or other restraining device; and
(5) ensure that infants are placed on their
backs to sleep, unless otherwise ordered by a physician.
(e) In addition to meeting the requirements
in (c) of this section, an approved provider caring for school-age children as
described in
7 AAC 41.025(b) shall provide
(1) a program that supplements rather than
duplicates the child's school activities, providing a change of pace and
interest between school and the child care program;
(2) freedom appropriate to the child's age
and developmental level, and opportunities for self-reliance and social
responsibility; and
(3)
opportunities for school-age children to participate in the selection and
planning of their own activities.
(f) The approved provider shall treat
children in care equitably with the caregiver's own children.
(g) The approved provider shall encourage
parental involvement and allow parents unlimited access to their children, to
the provider, and to all areas of the child care premises, to observe or
participate,
(h) In addition to
meeting the requirements in (c) of this section, an approved provider caring
for a child identified as having special needs shall
(1) ensure that the child is afforded
opportunities to participate in any scheduled activities, as
possible;
(2) develop a plan of
care under 7 AAC 41.207(c)
for that child, unless the provider has reason to believe that, even with
reasonable accommodation, the provider cannot meet the child's needs and
discharges the child;
(3) implement
the plan of care developed under
7 AAC 41.207(c) for each child with
special needs to enhance the child's health and developmental status;
and
(4) conduct regularly scheduled
reassessments of each child's plan of care to monitor effectiveness.
Authority:AS
47.25.001
