Current through February, 2024
(a) Each caregiver shall be qualified through
training, experience, and personal qualities for the age group with which the
person works.
(b) Staff growth and
development shall be encouraged. The director shall make information about
workshops, seminars, training sessions or courses available to all staff and
volunteers.
(c) Applicants and
employees shall be of reputable and responsible character and shall not have a
criminal history record, employment history or child abuse/neglect history
which poses a risk to children in care as specified in section
17-892.1-3.
(d) Directors,
teachers, assistant teachers, and aides employed in a licensed facility on
January 25, 1982, shall be deemed to have adequate minimum qualifications for
the type of staff position occupied and to maintain this status when shifting
employment to another licensed facility.
(e) The age requirements for staff shall be
as follows:
(1) All staff in positions other
than child care aide, volunteer, or maintenance personnel shall be at least
eighteen years old; and
(2) A child
care aide shall be at least sixteen years old to be counted in the staff-child
ratio.
(f) The director
of a facility licensed for six or more children shall have the following
qualifications:
(1) A bachelor's degree from
an accredited college or university preferably with courses in early childhood
education, child development, or related fields, and two years of experience
working with children; or
(2)
Combination of two years of college education or child development associate
(CDA) certification and four years of experience in work with children;
and
(3) In either case, at least
one year of experience shall be with children of the appropriate age for the
child care center being directed.
(g) A teacher shall meet one of the following
qualifications:
(1) A degree in child
development or early childhood education from an accredited college or
university, and six months working experience in an early childhood program;
or
(2) Post secondary credential in
child development associate program or organized two-year (sixty credit)
college program and certificate in early childhood education, plus one year
supervised teaching experience in an early childhood program; or
(3) Baccalaureate (bachelor's degree) in
elementary education from an accredited college or university plus six months
working in an early childhood program, plus six credit -semester or equivalent
approved child development or early childhood training courses, (may be
included as part of bachelors of arts or bachelors of science degree);
or
(4) Baccalaureate (bachelor's
degree) in any-field from an accredited college or university plus six months
working in an early childhood program, plus twelve credits--semester or
equivalent approved child development or early childhood training courses, (may
be included as part of bachelor of arts or bachelor of science
degree).
(h) An
assistant teacher shall meet one of the following qualifications:
(1) Post secondary credential in child
development associate program or associate of arts degree and certificate in
early childhood education, and six months experience working in an early
childhood program; or
(2) Two years
(sixty credits) of post secondary education plus six months working in an early
childhood program and nine credits--semester equivalent approved child
development or early childhood training courses.
(i) Waivers for teacher or assistant teacher
, positions may be granted by the department if there are no qualified
applicants available for the position, provided:
(1) The position vacancy has been advertised
in the classified ad section of the largest newspaper in the county;
(2) The prospective employee meets the
requirement for the next lower position;
(3) There is a written plan presented to the
department's division administrator oh the steps to be taken to bring the
employee up to the proper qualifications for the position; and
(4) Approval for a waiver has been received
prior to the hiring of the non-qualified teacher or assistant
teacher.
(j) A child
care aide shall meet one of the following qualifications:
(1) High school vocational child care
training course; or
(2) Orientation
training course in the center.
(k) Volunteers shall:
(1) Participate in an orientation to the
program; or
(2) Be a participant in
a high school program which includes child care training; and
(3) Meet the requirements of regular staff
members to be counted in the staff-child ratio.
(l) Temporary hires shall meet qualifications
of positions for which hired.
(m)
Substitutes for teachers and assistant teachers shall be at least eighteen
years of age and shall have participated in an orientation program of the
facility. The curriculum, lesson plans, and daily activities assigned to the
substitute shall be closely supervised by the center's director.
(n) Substitutes for director shall meet
qualifications for director.
(o)
Substitutes for aides shall meet the qualifications of an aide.
(p) Substitutes may be granted an extension
to serve in the same position for more than ten consecutive days upon
consultation with and approval of the department.
