Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The center shall
complete and maintain on file for each enrolled child a Children's Records
Checklist, signed by the director, sponsor, or sponsor representative and designated
by the Office of Licensing, indicating that the center has obtained documentation
of:
1. The child's name, address, birth date, and
date of enrollment;
2. The name(s), home
and work address(es), home and work telephone number(s) and signature(s) of the
parent(s);
3. The name(s), address(es),
and telephone number(s) of any person(s) authorized by the parent(s) to visit the
child at the center and/or take the child from the center, as specified in
3A:52-6.5(a)1;
4. The name, address, and
telephone number of the child's health care provider;
5. Signed authorization from the parent(s) for
emergency medical treatment;
6. The
parent's signature attesting to the receipt of the Information to Parents document,
as specified in 3A:52-3.6(b); and
7.
Health information for each child, as follows:
i.
For early childhood programs, a record of the child's health examination and
immunizations, as specified in 3A:52-7.3(a); or
ii. For school-age child care programs, a record
of the parent's statement concerning the child's health, as specified in
3A:52-7.3(b).
(b)
The center shall allow the parent(s) of enrolled children to visit the center at any
time during the center's hours of operation to observe its operation and program
activities without requiring the parent(s) to secure prior approval.
(c) The center shall provide the parents of
prospective enrollees the opportunity to visit the center to observe its operation
and program activities, but may require that such visits are arranged in advance and
at the convenience of the center director.
(d) Staff member(s) shall inform the parent(s) of
enrolled children in advance of any field trip(s), outing(s), or special event(s)
involving the transportation of children away from the center. The center shall
inform parents whether a school bus, other approved school vehicle, or private
passenger vehicle will be used, and whether the driver will be a staff member, a
parent, or another person. The center shall provide each parent with the name and
telephone number of any bus company providing service. Before taking a child on such
a field trip, outing, or special event, the center shall either:
1. Secure individual written consent slips signed
by a parent for his or her child(ren) for each proposed field trip, outing or
special event;
2. Post a notice of a
proposed individual field trip, outing or special event in a place of prominence
within the center, on which the parent shall be asked to sign consent for his or her
child to attend; or
3. Issue to every
parent a written schedule of all field trips, outings or special events to be taken
during any given time frame (that is, weekly, monthly, yearly). A parent shall be
asked to sign this schedule indicating his or her consent for any or all field
trips, outings or special events listed.
(e) The center may utilize a blanket permission
slip for taking children on walks only if:
1.
Walks are within the center's neighborhood;
2. The center makes arrangements for the handling
of visits or telephone calls from parents either by:
i. Having someone remain at the center;
or
ii. Utilizing a telephone answering
machine and posting a notice on the entrance door of the center to inform parents of
the children's location;
3.
The route of the walk involves no safety hazards; and
4. The walk involves no entrance into a facility
unless the facility has been indicated on the blanket permission slip.
(f) The center shall maintain on file a
record of signed blanket permission slips for walks and signed individual permission
slips for field trips, outings or special events.
(g) The center should promote the involvement of
representatives of the community to enhance the staff members' and the children's
knowledge of community services, programs and resources.
(h) For early childhood programs, the following
shall apply:
1. The center shall adopt at least
one of the following options to ensure the participation of the parents of enrolled
children in the activities and operations of the center.
i. A governing board responsible for approving,
reviewing, and monitoring the center's policies, budget, staff recruitment and
selection, physical environment, and program activities;
ii. An advisory committee that offers advice and
counsel to the center on its policies, staff recruitment and selection, physical
environment, and program activities;
iii. An annual meeting to which all parents and
staff members are invited for the purpose of sharing goals, recommendations and
concerns. The center shall maintain on file a record of this meeting; or
iv. An annual open house to which parents are
invited for the purpose of observing the program. The center shall maintain on file
a record of the open house.
2. Centers choosing the options specified in
either (h)1i or ii above shall maintain on file a listing of current members of the
board or committee and documentation indicating that the board or committee is
functioning. The board or committee shall:
i. Offer
at least one-third of its membership positions to parents of enrolled
children;
ii. Include representatives
from the civic, business, educational, or child care communities; and
iii. Meet at least quarterly during the center's
operating year.
3. The center
shall provide for the direct involvement of parents of enrolled children in the
center's operation and activities by:
i. Providing
an opportunity for parents to volunteer to help in the center's program;
and
ii. Holding individual parent/staff
conferences semi-annually and upon request of the parent or staff member(s) to
discuss the child's needs and progress.
4. The center shall provide for the parents of
each newly enrolled child an opportunity to attend an enrollment conference, at
which the center shall:
i. Inform parents about
the center's days and hours of operation;
ii. Discuss the individual child's habits, dietary
and sleep needs, activities, behavior and development, if applicable;
iii. Discuss the center's policy on releasing
children, toilet training children when applicable, and administering medication and
health care procedures;
iv. Discuss and
distribute the center's policy on the management of communicable disease, as
specified in 3A:52-7.11;
v. Discuss and
distribute the Information to Parents document, as specified in 3A:52-3.6(a);
and
vi. Discuss and distribute the
center's policy on the expulsion of children from enrollment at the center, as
specified in (j) below.
(i) For school-age child care programs, the
following shall apply:
1. Upon the child's
enrollment, the center shall:
i. Inform parents
about the center's days and hours of operation;
ii. Ask parents to inform the center about the
individual child's habits, dietary needs, activities, behavior and development, if
applicable;
iii. Inform parents about
the center's policies on releasing children and administering medication and health
care procedures;
iv. Give parents a copy
of the center's policy on the management of communicable disease, as specified in
3A:52-7.11;
v. Give parents a copy of
the Information to Parents document, as specified in 3A:52-3.6(a);
vi. Give parents a copy of the center's policy on
the expulsion of children from enrollment at the center, as specified in (j) below;
and
vii. Inform parents about the
center's policy for serving meals and snacks when the center is operating on days
when the child's school is not in session, if applicable.
(j) The center shall develop and follow
a written policy on the expulsion of children from enrollment at the center.
1. The expulsion policy shall include:
i. The circumstances under which a child may be
expelled;
ii. The method that the center
will use to notify parents of concerns that could lead to expulsion, such as written
notification or a parent conference;
iii. Sufficient time limits before expulsion to
enable parents to make alternative child care arrangements or to take the necessary
corrective action to allow the child to remain at the center, except as specified in
(j)1iv below; and
iv. Circumstances that
may warrant immediate expulsion of a child from the center, such as potentially
dangerous behavior by a child or parent.
2. The center shall not expel a child based solely
on the child's parent making a complaint to the Office of Licensing regarding a
center's alleged violations of the licensing rules or questioning a center directly
regarding policies and procedures.
3.
The center shall distribute a copy of the expulsion policy to the parent of each
enrolled child and secure and maintain on file a record of each parent's signature
attesting to receipt of the policy.
4.
If the center determines to expel a child, the center shall maintain on file a
record of the circumstances, parental notification, and corrective action
taken.
(k) The center shall
develop and follow a written policy on the use of social media including, but not
limited to:
1. The use of social networking sites
and other websites;
2. The use of
e-mail, text messages, and other electronic means of communication with staff and
parents;
3. The types of social media
that the center uses;
4. The methods and
devices the staff use to communicate with the parent;
5. The guidelines for appropriate conduct by staff
members; and
6. The guidelines for
parents including, but not limited to, prohibiting the posting of photographs or
videos of any child other than their own.
(l) The center shall distribute a copy of the
social media policy to the parent of each enrolled child and to each staff member
and secure and maintain on file a record of each parent's signature and each staff
member's signature attesting to the receipt of the policy.
(m) In the event of temporary or permanent closure
of the center, the center shall provide advance notice to parents of enrolled
children in sufficient time to enable parents to make alternative child care
arrangements.