New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
He - Department of Health and Human Services
Subtitle He-C - Commissioner, Department of Health and Human Services
Chapter He-C 4000 - CHILD CARE LICENSING RULES
Part He-C 4002 - NH CHILD CARE PROGRAM LICENSING RULES
Section He-C 4002.19 - Programming

Universal Citation: NH Admin Rules He-C 4002.19

Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024

(a) Whenever programs are preparing a planned transition of a child to a new classroom or group, program staff shall:

(1) Communicate with the child's parents by notifying them of the intent to transition their child;

(2) Collaborate and share information between each classroom or group; and

(3) Assist the child with the transition in a manner consistent with the child's ability to understand.

(b) Programs shall have available for review by the department and parents a written schedule or plan which details the daily activities offered to children.

(c) Program staff shall:

(1) On a daily basis provide children of all ages with opportunities for individual and group activities for each child including time for meals, snacks, sleep or rest, and indoor and outdoor activities;

(2) Provide prompt attention to the individual physical needs of each child, such as diapering, toileting, feeding, sleeping, washing, and first aid;

(3) Regularly interact with children at their level, maintain eye contact, and, whenever appropriate, sit on the floor with them;

(4) Protect younger or less mobile children from accident or injury which could be caused by older or more physically active children; and

(5) Provide each child with developmentally appropriate opportunities and experiences that support cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development, creative expression, communication, and literacy.

(d) Child care staff shall not allow children to provide care to other children, such as feeding infants, picking up infants or toddlers, changing diapers, assisting with toileting, or supervising children.

(e) Programs shall provide opportunity for at least 60 minutes daily of gross motor activity for children age 18 months and older, except preschools operating 5 or fewer hours per day shall provide at least 20 minutes of gross motor activity daily.

(f) In the absence of extreme weather conditions, child care staff may, and are encouraged to, bring children outside, taking into consideration the child's health and requests from a child's parent, provided the children shall be appropriately dressed and can move about safely in the outside play area, and staff shall monitor the children regularly for comfort in both hot and cold weather.

(g) Child care staff shall not allow a child to go outside when the child has a health concern as documented on his or her allergy care plan or as documented by the child's health care practitioner limiting time outdoors.

(h) Child care staff shall adhere to instructions from the child's parent related to protection from sun exposure, and apply sunscreen per manufacturer's instructions.

(i) Other activity choices shall be available to children during use of television, video, or electronic devices.

(j) All media shall be age and developmentally appropriate.

(k) When in use, electronic devices shall be located in view of child care staff for monitoring purposes.

(l) Any internet accessible electronic device used by the children shall be equipped with monitoring or filtering software or controls that limit children's access to inappropriate web sites, e-mail, computer or mobile applications, or social media.

(m) Child care staff shall not allow a child to view television or videos, or use electronic devices when the child's parent has made such a request.

(n) Center-based programs shall not combine children younger than 24 months in a mixed age group which includes children older than 47 months, except:

(1) For time limited, specific activities, including but not limited to meals, snacks, nap or rest time, and special occasions such as birthday or holiday celebrations or visitor presentations;

(2) When there are 17 or fewer children present in the program, including a maximum of 12 preschool children, and 4 or fewer of the 17 children are younger than 3 years of age; or

(3) With a department approved plan for multi-age classrooms.

(o) Child care staff shall not leave infants or toddlers unattended in seating, carrying or other devices placed on countertops, tables, or other elevated surfaces.

(p) Child care staff shall:

(1) Not confine awake infants and toddlers in restrictive equipment such as infant seats, seated infant carriers, car seats, swings, high chairs, stationary activity centers, strollers, cribs, or playpens for more than 15 minutes in any 2-hour period;

(2) Allow infants and toddlers to remain in a high chair for more than 15 minutes when they are actively engaged in eating during snack or meals, in strollers for walks, or for non-ambulatory infants only, in cribs or playpens when outside; and

(3) Provide stimulating activities such as age-appropriate toys or books to infants or toddlers while they are in equipment specified in (1) above.

(q) Programs that are authorized by license or permit to care for children as young as 6 weeks of age may care for a child younger than 6 weeks of age for a maximum of 12 hours per week per child with prior approval from their local fire officer and notification to the department.

(r) In a family or family group child care home licensed to care for children 6 weeks of age, the restriction specified in (q) above shall not apply to the family child care provider's own biological or adopted infant younger than 6 weeks of age or an infant younger than 6 weeks of age who resides in the provider's home.

#4871, eff 7-24-90; ss by #5203, eff 8-16-91; ss by #6558, INTERIM, eff 8-16-97, EXPIRED: 12-14-97

New. #6719, eff 3-25-98; ss by #7294, eff 5-26-00; ss by #9160, INTERIM, eff 5-26-08, EXPIRES: 11-22-08; ss by #9310, eff 11-23-08 (from He-C 4002.21)

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