Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024
24.1 A licensee shall ensure sufficient qualified staff members are hired and retained to meet the requirements of these regulations. A licensee shall ensure a copy of the qualifications certificate is kept in the staff member's file.
24.2 Staff members qualified by Delaware First, before the effective date of these regulations shall keep that qualification.
24.3 A licensee shall ensure each staff member without a qualifications certificate submits, within 60 days of hire, true and accurate documentation to DEEDS Early Learning showing how the staff member is qualified for a position. OCCL shall determine what education, training, or experience is acceptable as an equivalent to meeting the stated qualifications. Credits from a regionally accredited college or university may be used as other equivalent training as accepted by OCCL or its designee.
24.3.1 If false qualifications documentation is submitted to OCCL or its designee, the applicant will be notified and will be unable to submit new or updated documentation for one year.
24.3.2 OCCL and its designee will only accept high school diplomas obtained through regionally accredited agencies. The secondary credential assessment, such as the GED® Test and alternatives, will only be accepted if the examination was completed through the American Council on Education or individual state-sanctioned agencies.
24.3.3 A licensee shall ensure high school diplomas or equivalents, college transcripts, or degrees from other countries used to verify education for a position are evaluated by an independent credentialing agency accepted by OCCL or its designee.
24.4 Supervised experience may be used for designated positions and will reduce the required experience by half.
24.4.1 To participate in supervised experience, a staff member shall demonstrate the ability to select and present developmentally-appropriate lessons, activities, and curriculum for individual children as well as for small and whole groups of children.
24.4.2 Demonstration must be observed and documented by an early childhood administrator, early childhood curriculum coordinator, or an early childhood teacher with a degree. Supervised experience for school-age positions may be observed and documented by a school-age administrator.
24.4.3 Supervised experience may only be earned at a licensed center.
24.4.4 The process and forms used to document supervised experience are located on OCCL's website. OCCL's approval is needed before supervised experience begins.
24.5 Early Childhood Administrator
24.5.1 A licensee shall ensure that the early childhood administrator is at least 21 years old and meets the following education and experience qualifications:
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24.5.2 An early childhood administrator without a degree, who formerly qualified as the program director at a center licensed before January 1, 2007, is able to serve as the early childhood administrator. To keep this qualification, this person must remain at that original center or may transfer only to a center licensed before January 1, 2007, that is owned by the same licensee. This center must have a qualified early childhood teacher with at least an associate degree creating, developing, and evaluating curriculum and monitoring its implementation.
24.6 Early Childhood Curriculum Coordinator
24.6.1 Persons qualified as an early childhood curriculum coordinator before the implementation of these regulations will retain that qualification. The qualification is transferrable to any place of employment at a licensed child care center in Delaware.
24.6.2 Persons previously qualified as an early childhood curriculum coordinator may function in the position of an early childhood teacher.
24.7 Early Childhood Administrator - Specialized Training
24.7.1 If the center serves infants or toddlers, a licensee shall ensure the early childhood administrator has successfully completed 15-clock-hours of accepted training in infant or toddler development and curriculum. The clock hours may be from college or university credits.
24.7.2 If the center serves school-age children, a licensee shall ensure the early childhood administrator has successfully completed 15-clock-hours of accepted training in school-age care. The clock hours may be from college or university credits. A center employing a school-age administrator who functions in that role is exempt from this requirement.
24.8 Early Childhood Teacher
24.8.1 A licensee shall ensure an early childhood teacher is at least 18 years old and meets one of the following education and experience qualifications:
|
Early Childhood Teacher Qualifications |
|
Education |
Area of Study or Major |
Regionally Accredited College or University Credits |
Experience1 |
|
Bachelor's degree or associate degree from a regionally accredited college or university |
Early childhood education, child development, elementary education, elementary special education, or child psychology |
Successful completion of at least six credits from a regionally accredited college or university in child development or early childhood education |
Three months of supervised student teaching as part of a college or university program for children ages birth through second grade
-or-
Six months of experience working with children birth through second grade in a group |
|
Any area of study or any major |
Successful completion of at least six credits from a regionally accredited college or university in child development or early childhood education |
Six months of experience working with children birth through second grade in a group |
|
High school diploma or equivalent recognized by DOE |
Any area of study |
Successful completion of at least nine credits from a regionally accredited college or university of which three credits must be in early childhood education, child development, and positive behavior supports
-or-
Valid Child Development Associate Credential (CDA)
-or-
Successful completion of Training for Early Care and Education 1 and 2 (TECE 1 and TECE 2) or equivalent training as recognized by OCCL, such as training that received the Council for Professional Recognition's CDA Gold Standard SM Comprehensive certification
-or-
Montessori Infant and Toddler Full or Associate Credential or Montessori Early Childhood Full or Associate Credential from a MACTE approved training program
-or-
Successful completion of the Delaware Department of Labor's Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program
-or-
Successful completion of a vocational or technical high school's three year program in early childhood education approved by DOE
|
12 months of experience working with children birth through second grade in a group |
|
1 Supervised experience may substitute for half of the required experience. |
24.9 Early Childhood Assistant Teacher
24.9.1 A licensee shall ensure an early childhood assistant teacher is at least 18 years old and meets the following education and experience qualifications:
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24.10 Early Childhood Caregiver
24.10.1 A licensee shall ensure a staff member who formerly qualified as an early childhood caregiver at a specific center licensed before January 1, 2007, may continue to serve in that role.
24.10.2 To keep this qualification, a caregiver remains at that original center or transfers only to a center licensed before January 1, 2007, that is owned by the same licensee.
24.11 Early Childhood Intern
24.11.1 A licensee shall ensure an early childhood intern is at least 16 years old.
24.11.1.1 An early childhood intern may be 15 years old if attending a high school's early childhood education program and enrollment documentation is on file at the center.
24.11.1.2 An early childhood intern may count in the staff/child ratio.
24.11.1.3 An early childhood intern must always be under the direct observation of at least an early childhood assistant teacher or early childhood caregiver except as listed in subsection 24.11.3.
24.11.1.4 An early childhood intern must be at least four years older than any child in the intern's direct care.
24.11.2 A licensee shall ensure an early childhood intern meets one of the following education qualifications:
24.11.2.1 Successful completion of at least 15-clock-hours of quality-assured training in early care and education including OCCL's approved Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals (Persons previously qualified as interns will keep that qualification);
24.11.2.2 Successful completion of at least three college or university credits from a regionally approved college or university in either child development or early childhood education; or
24.11.2.3 Successful completion of the education requirement for a higher position in these regulations.
24.11.3 While maintaining required ratios and group size, a qualified early childhood intern who is at least 18 years old and determined eligible by CHU may be alone with children when:
24.11.3.1 Walking children to or from a bathroom;
24.11.3.2 Walking children to or from receiving first aid treatment;
24.11.3.3 Walking children to or from a bus stop;
24.11.3.4 Walking children from one classroom or area to another within the center;
24.11.3.5 Supervising an ill child while waiting for pick-up by a parent or guardian; and
24.11.3.6 Supervising a group of napping children, ages one and older; and
24.11.3.7 Supervising children ages toddler through school-age, after working at the center for at least 25 hours each week for at least one month.
24.12 Early Childhood Aide
24.12.1 A licensee shall ensure an early childhood aide is at least 16 years of age.
24.12.2 An early childhood aide may be 15 years old if attending a high school's early childhood education program and enrollment documentation is on file at the center.
24.12.3 An early childhood aide must always be under the direct observation of at least an early childhood intern who is at least 18 years old, determined eligible by CHU, and who has worked at the center for at least 25 hours each week for at least one month.
24.12.4 An early childhood aide may not be alone with children.
24.12.5 An early childhood aide must be at least four years older than any child in the early childhood aide's direct care.
24.12.6 An early childhood aide will count in the staff-to-child ratio only during the first 12 months of employment at a single center or affiliated center.
24.12.7 An early childhood aide attending a high school's early childhood education program with enrollment documentation on file at the center may count in the staff-to-child ratio while enrolled in the high school program.
