New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 8 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter 26 - FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION
Part 6 - COMMUNITY HOME LICENSING STANDARDS
Section 8.26.6.15 - HEALTH AND SAFETY CHECKLIST
Universal Citation: 8 NM Admin Code 8.26.6.15
Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 6, March 26, 2024
A. Heating, cooling, and ventilation:
(1) Heating, air-conditioning, piping,
boilers, and ventilation equipment shall be installed and maintained in safe
working condition to meet all requirements of current state mechanical,
electrical, and construction codes.
(2) Heating and cooling equipment shall be
adequate to maintain a comfortable interior temperature in all living and
sleeping quarters, and provides a means for adjusting the temperature by staff
for clients as needed.
(3) All
living and sleeping quarters shall be adequately ventilated. There shall be an
effective means of providing fresh air to client's sleeping quarters, including
at least one window.
B. Electrical wiring and lighting:
(1) Electrical wiring shall be shall be
installed and maintained in safe working condition to meet all requirements of
current state mechanical, electrical, and construction codes.
(2) Extension cords shall be U/L approved and
shall not be used for general wiring purposes.
(3) Living, working and sleeping quarters
shall have adequate lighting; areas that pose potential tripping or falling
hazards shall be adequately lit, this may include but is not limited to
stairwells, parking lots, storerooms, entrances and exits.
(4) A community home shall provide emergency
lighting, such as but not limited to flashlights, backup generators or battery
operated lamps upon disruption of electrical service.
C. Water:
(1) A community home shall have an adequate
supply of safe and sanitary water for drinking, cooking and bathing
purposes.
(2) Water supply piping
and associated equipment shall be installed and maintained in safe working
condition to meet all requirements of current state safety regulations and
construction codes.
D. Sewage, waste and sanitation:
(1) Living and sleeping quarters shall be
kept clean and free of accumulation of dirt, waste, and infestations of insects
and rodents.
(2) Toilet and bathing
facilities shall be provided and maintained in a sanitary manner.
(3) Household waste shall be disposed by way
of designated garbage or waste receptacles.
E. Space, furnishing and sleeping arrangement:
(1) A community home shall
have separate bedrooms for any adult age 19 years or older; any exceptions
shall be requested by the community to PSD.
(2) There shall be a separate bed provided
for each child.
(a) Each bed has a clean,
comfortable mattress which is waterproof or has a waterproof
covering.
(b) Each bed is provided
with a clean, comfortable pillow and pillow case.
(c) Each bed is provided with two clean
sheets and bedding that is appropriate for weather and climate.
(3) Cribs must be of sturdy
construction with bars closely spaced so that a child's head cannot be caught
between the bars. Drop side cribs are prohibited.
(a) Cribs must have clean, individual crib
size bedding.
(b) Crib mattress
must be completely and securely covered with waterproof material.
(4) A child over the age of five
years shall not share a bedroom with another non-related child of the opposite
gender.
(5) There shall be
sufficient closet space or furniture storage space to permit the storage of
children's clothes, linens and bedding.
(6) All furnishings shall be clean and
maintained in a safe and sanitary condition.
F. Kitchen and food storage:
(1) A community home shall have a kitchen
with sufficient storage space. Food shall be stored separately from cleaning
supplies and other household chemicals.
(2) The kitchen shall be equipped with a
refrigerator sufficient to maintain cold food storage safely.
(3) The kitchen and food preparation
equipment and storage shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.
G. Doors, locks and fire safety:
(1) Community homes shall have
at least two designated exits that meet fire code standards.
(2) Designated exits shall be clear of
obstructions at all times.
(3)
There shall be no interior door hardware which makes it possible for a child to
be locked inside. All privacy locks shall be provided with emergency unlocking
mechanisms.
(4) Community homes
shall have smoke detectors appropriate for the square footage.
(5) Community homes shall have carbon
monoxide detectors in living or sleeping areas where carbon monoxide poisoning
is a possibility.
(6) Community
homes shall develop a fire evacuation plan with staff to safely remove children
in case of fire. All staff and children should be oriented to the community
home's fire evacuation plan.
H. Yard and play space:
(1) Community homes shall have access to safe
indoor and outdoor designated play areas.
(2) In areas which have a high density of
traffic or other hazards to children, the yard or play space shall be
adequately fenced for the children's protection.
(3) All outdoor play space and toys, swings
and other outdoor equipment shall be maintained in good working condition and
be free of projecting sharp edges, splinters or other hazards to
children.
I. Personal items:
(1) Each child shall be
provided an individual comb, toothbrush, night clothes, and under garments
which shall not be interchanged between children.
(2) Linens and bedding shall be stored and
maintained in a manner assuring that they will be clean when ready for use. All
linens and bedding shall be laundered before use by another child.
J. First aid, medical and behavioral health care and dental care:
(1) Each community home shall make available
a first aid kit and first aid manuals readily accessible to staff.
(2) The community home ensures that children
receive timely, competent medical care when they are ill and that they continue
to receive necessary follow-up medical care as needed.
(3) The community home shall ensure that
children have access to and receive behavioral health assessments, services and
treatment that address their habilitation and treatment needs.
(4) The community home arranges to secure any
necessary dental care and that each child three years of age or older has an
annual dental examination.
K. Medication:
(1) Prescription medicines shall be
administered only as prescribed by a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, or
physician's assistant. Medications prescribed for one child are not to be given
to any other child.
(2) All
medications shall be stored separately from food, cleaning agents or other
household chemicals, and shall be stored in a manner in which they are not
easily accessed by children.
(3)
All leftover or expired medication shall be disposed of according to state
pharmaceutical regulations.
L. Animals:
(1) All animals, including farm animals or
pets, shall be in good health with documentation of current vaccinations as
appropriate and relevant to the type of animal.
(2) Farm animals shall be properly housed and
secured as a health and safety precaution.
M. Motor vehicles:
(1) If the community home operates a motor
vehicle then the community home shall have motor vehicle insurance as required
by law.
(2) Any person who operates
such motor vehicles used to transport children shall have a valid driver's
license.
(3) All motor vehicles
used for the purpose of transporting children shall have safety restraints as
required by law and shall have properly installed car seats for age appropriate
children.
N. Other safety issues:
(1) For age
appropriate children, a community homes shall have safety gates and locking
mechanisms for cabinets that contain medications, cleaning agents or
chemicals.
(2) All weapons owned or
acquired by a community home shall be stored and locked with ammunition stored
separately as per the PSD approved weapons safety agreement. The community home
shall sign a PSD weapons safety agreement; a signed copy will be provided to
the community home and the original will be kept on file with PSD.
(3) All pool areas, including hot tubs, shall
be adequately secured in order to prevent the access of young children when not
accompanied by an adult. Spas or hot tubs shall be securely covered to prevent
the access of young children when not in use. Outdoor ponds shall not be within
the immediate play area of children.
(4) Smoking shall be prohibited in the house
and in any vehicle used for transporting children.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Mexico may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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