The center must be designed, constructed and maintained in a
manner that is safe, clean and functional for child care. The following
regulations apply to all areas of the center.
007.01
Activity
Space:
The center must have space for children's activities,
napping, and free play. The activity space must:
1. Have furnishings to accommodate all
activities and age-appropriate needs of all children in care;
2. Be available for all children;
and
3. Have at least 35 square feet
of activity space per child. Bathrooms, kitchen, isolation room, office,
passageways, storage, or space occupied by cribs, cots, or built-in cabinets
must not be considered when computing activity space.
007.02
Plumbing, Water Supply,
and Sewer Requirements:
3-007.02A
Plumbing: The licensee must ensure that:
1. No plumbing fixture or other device that
provides a connection between
a drinking water supply and a drainage, soil, waste, or other
sewer pipe so as to make possible the backflow of sewage or waste water into
the potable water supply system. Water that has been used for cooling or for
any other purpose must not be returned to the system; and
2. All plumbing conforms to the local
plumbing code. Where no plumbing code is in effect, plumbing must conform to
national standards as provided in Neb. Rev. Stat.
§
18-1915.
3-007.02B
Water
Supply: The licensee must ensure the center has and maintains an
accessible, adequate, safe, and potable supply of water for drinking, food
preparation, and hand washing.
1. If water is
obtained from a source other than a public water supply system, the water must
not contain contaminants that exceed the maximum contaminant levels set for
nitrate, or total coliform for public water supply systems in 179 NAC
2-002, and 179 NAC 3 or the lead
action level set in 179 NAC 12. The licensee must report to the Department the
results of all tests that show the water contains contaminants that exceed a
maximum contaminant or action level.
a. The
water supply must be tested annually and the tests results must be available
for review upon request.
b. If the
water supply does not meet nitrate, total coliform bacteria and lead standards,
the licensee must, until the contaminants are lowered to acceptable levels:
(1) Obtain water from a source approved by
the Department; or
(2) Purchase
water from a commercial source.
2. Drinking water must be provided by
sanitary drinking fountains or individual or disposable cups.
a. Drinking fountains must have mouth guards
with water issuing under sufficient pressure.
b. Sanitary dispensing and disposal units
must be provided for paper cups.
3. The licensee must ensure that:
a. Running water under pressure is
provided;
b. Each hot water storage
tank is provided with a pressure and temperature relief valve;
c. Adequate water heating facilities are
provided so that a sufficient amount of hot water for general cleaning as well
as washing and sanitizing utensils is available at proper
temperatures;
d. Water supply to
all hand washing and bathing locations is maintained between a minimum of 100
degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit; and
e. Soap is available for hand
washing.
3-007.02C
Sewer
Requirements: When a municipal sewage system is not available, the
licensee must:
1. Collect, treat, and dispose
of sewage and all liquid waste with a sewage system that conforms to local
ordinances; or
2. Where local
ordinances do not exist, sewage disposal systems must comply with the
regulations of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
007.03
Fenced Outdoor Play Area:
When care is provided to children between the ages of six
weeks and school-age, the licensee must ensure that a fenced outdoor play area
is available. The area must:
1.
Directly adjoin the center or have a Department-approved plan as described in
3-007.03B;
2. Accommodate at least
25 percent of the center's licensed capacity at one time;
3. When in use, have at least 50 square feet
per child of age-appropriate play space;
4. Have grounds sloped or drained to prevent
stagnant water collection;
5. Be
kept clean and safe and contain no accident hazards, debris, or stagnant
water;
6. Contain no barnyard
animals and/or fowl; and
7. Be free
of animal waste.
3-007.03A The
fence and all toys and equipment within the fenced area must be free of rust
and free of sharp and hazardous edges.
3-007.03B When the outdoor play area does not
directly join the indoor facility, a Department-approved plan that addresses
the following must be on file with the Department:
1. Distance to the play area;
2. Safety and supervision
procedures;
3. Type of
transportation, if any, needed to get to the outdoor play area;
4. Numbers and ages of children going to the
play area; and
5. Frequency of
outdoor play available to children in care.
3-007.03C
Outdoor Play
Equipment: The licensee must ensure that:
1. Stationary outdoor equipment such as
climbing apparatus, swings, or slides are located away from traffic areas in
the outdoor play area;
2.
Stationary outdoor equipment is securely anchored, unless designed to be
portable; and
3. Swing seats must
be made of a pliable material. Seats must not be made of hard plastic, wood, or
metal.
3-007.03D
Playground Surfaces: The area under climbing
equipment, swings, slides, and other equipment from which children might fall
must be of resilient material such as sand, dirt, grass, rubber matting, rubber
mulch, wood chips, or small-to-medium size gravel.
007.04
Toilets and
Sinks:
The center must have sufficient toilets and sinks available
for children's use. A minimum of one operable toilet and one operable sink must
be available per 15 children two years of age or older. Toilet rooms must be
fully enclosed. A sink must be readily available to each toilet and diaper
area. Sanitary dispensing and disposal units must be provided for paper towels
and must be installed at heights convenient for the children's use. Toilets and
sinks must be:
1. Conveniently
located;
2. Clean, operable, and in
good repair;
3. Designed to
accommodate children with special needs, when applicable; and
4. Of suitable height for children or have a
safe stepstool.
3-007.04A If a door
to the toilet room opens directly from a food service area, the door must be
self-closing and tight-fitting.
3-007.04B The licensee must ensure that no
adult or child resumes work or play after using the bathroom without first
washing his/her hands.
007.05
Fire Safety:
The licensee must maintain fire safety approval at all
times.
007.06
Sanitation:
The licensee must maintain sanitation approval at all
times.
