New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 8 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter 9 - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Part 4 - CHILD CARE LICENSING; CHILD CARE CENTERS, OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS, FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES, AND OTHER EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Section 8.9.4.29 - BUILDING, GROUNDS AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR CENTERS

Universal Citation: 8 NM Admin Code 8.9.4.29

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024

A. HOUSEKEEPING:

(1) A center will keep the premises, including furniture, fixtures, floors, drinking fountains, toys and equipment clean, safe, and in good repair. The center and premises will be free of debris and potential hazards.

(2) Materials dangerous to children must be secured in a manner making them inaccessible to children and away from food storage or preparation areas.

(3) All garbage and refuse receptacles in kitchens and in outdoor areas will be durable, constructed of materials that will not absorb liquids and have tight fitting lids.

B. PEST CONTROL:

(1) All licensed child care centers must use a New Mexico licensed applicator whenever applying pesticides on the center's buildings or grounds.

(2) The licensed applicator may not apply pesticides when children are on the premises.

(3) Parents, guardians, and staff must be notified at least two days prior to spraying or applying pesticides.

(4) All food storage, preparation, and serving areas must be covered and protected from spraying or application of pesticides, herbicides, and other natural repellants and kept out of reach of children.

C. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS:

(1) A center will maintain comfortable temperatures (68 degrees through 82 degrees Fahrenheit) in all rooms used by children. A center may use portable fans if the fans are secured and inaccessible to children and do not present any tripping, safety or fire hazards. In the event air temperature in a center exceeds the 82 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months because of evaporative cooler temperature limitations, it will be verified that cooling equipment is functioning, is being maintained, and that supplemental aides have been employed, such as, but not limited to: ceiling fans, portable fans, or portable evaporative coolers.

(2) A center must maintain all heating and cooling equipment so that it is in good working order.

(3) A center will not use un-vented heaters, open flame heaters or portable heaters. A center will install barriers or take other steps to ensure heating units are inaccessible to children. Heating units include hot water pipes, hot water baseboard heaters hotter than 110 degrees Fahrenheit, infrared heaters, ceramic heaters, fireplaces, fireplace inserts and wood stoves.

(4) A center will provide fresh air and control odors by either mechanical or natural ventilation. If a center uses a window for ventilation, it will have a screen. If a door is used for fresh air ventilation, it must have a screen door.

(5) Water coming from a faucet will be below 110 degrees Fahrenheit. A center will install a tempering valve ahead of all domestic water-heater piping.

D. WATER AND WASTE: All food preparation areas, sinks, washrooms, laundries, bathrooms and any self-contained area for infants and toddlers in diapers will have hot and cold running water pressure.

E. LIGHTING, LIGHTING FIXTURES AND ELECTRICAL:

(1) All areas will have sufficient glare-free lighting with shatterproof or shielded bulbs.

(2) A center will have emergency lighting that turns on automatically when electrical service is disrupted.

(3) Use of electrical cords and outlets:

(a) A center will use U/L approved equipment only and will properly maintain this equipment.

(b) All electrical outlets within reach of children will be safety outlets or will have protective covers.

F. EXITS AND WINDOWS:

(1) When an activity area does not have a door directly to the outside, at least one window in each activity area must be able to be opened for emergency egress with a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square feet. The minimum net clear opening for height dimension must be 24 inches. The minimum net clear opening width dimension must be 20 inches, and the finished sill height must not be more than 44 inches above the floor.

(2) There must be at least two exits remote from each other in each activity area of the center.

(a) All exits must be marked, including fire exits, by signs having letters at least six inches high whose principal strokes are at least three-fourths of an inch wide.

(b) When illuminated exit signs are installed they must be maintained in operable condition.

(c) All activity spaces for children under the age of two and a half years shall be on the "level of exit discharge" or ground floor.

(3) Exit ways must be kept free from obstructions at all times.

(4) Activity areas for children must have windows or skylight area of at least one-twentieth of the floor area. A skylight means an opening in a roof or ceiling, framed, and fitted with glass for admitting natural light. A skylight is also a tubular skylight, solar tube, or light tunnel. Tubular skylights are devices which uses a rooftop dome to transfer light indoors through reflective tubing running from the roof to the ceiling. Natural lighting received from an adjacent room will not meet the natural lighting requirements.

G. TOILET AND BATHING FACILITIES:

(1) A center shall have one sink in any room for infants, toddlers, and combination thereof. Centers licensed after November 30, 2012 shall have one sink and one toilet in any room that has children ages 24 - 35 months, which shall be used exclusively by the children in this room. All sinks referred to in this paragraph shall have permanent plumbing, hot and cold running water, and shall not be used for food preparation or bottle cleaning. A basin with multiple compartments with a shared faucet will be considered one sink.

(2) All toilet rooms will have toilet paper, soap and disposable towels at a height accessible to children. A center will not use a common towel or wash cloth.

(3) All closets and bathroom locks must have an outside release. A center will enclose all bathrooms. Bathrooms must be accessible and functional.

(4) Toilets and lavatories must be provided in the following ratios. These ratios also apply to programs that share lavatories with unlicensed facilities.

(a) one toilet and one lavatory for one to 12 children;

(b) two toilets and two lavatories for 13 through 25 children;

(d) when a center's capacity exceeds 30 children a separate toilet room must be provided for staff.

H. SAFETY COMPLIANCE:

(1) A center will conduct emergency preparedness practice drills at least quarterly beginning January of each calendar year.

(2) A center will conduct at least one fire drill each month.

(3) A center will:

(a) hold the drills at different times of the day;

(b) use the fire alarm or detector system;

(d) a center will keep a record of the fire drills and emergency preparedness practice drills with the date, time, number of adults and children participating, and any problems encountered during the fire drill on file for at least 12 months;

(e) a center shall request an annual fire inspection from the fire authority having jurisdiction over the center; if the policy of the fire authority having jurisdiction does not provide for an annual inspection of the center, the center must document the date the request was made and to whom; a copy of the latest inspection must be posted in the center;

(f) a center will post an evacuation plan in each room used by children;

(g) a center will keep a telephone in an easily accessible place for calling for help in an emergency and will post emergency phone numbers for fire, police, ambulance and the poison control center next to the phone; a center will not use a pay phone to fulfill this requirement; if cordless phones or cellular telephones and devices are used, emergency numbers shall be posted on the phone itself; facilities shall post the center's telephone number and address in a conspicuous location next to the emergency phone numbers; a center shall have at least one corded phone or cell phone for use in the case of a power outage;

(h) a center must be equipped with an approved, manually operated alarm system or other continuously sounding alarm approved in writing by the fire authority having jurisdiction;

(i) a center must be equipped with smoke detectors approved in writing by the fire authority having jurisdiction as to number, type, and placement;

(j) a center must be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors to cover all licensed areas of the center if the child care program uses any sources of coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, natural gas, or any other product that can produce carbon monoxide indoors. Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions.

(k) a center must have a minimum of two 210ABC fire extinguishers, one located in the kitchen or food preparation area, and one centrally located in the center; and

(l) fire extinguishers, alarm systems, automatic detection equipment, and other firefighting must be properly maintained and inspected on a least yearly basis; fire extinguishers must be tagged noting the date of inspection; see Paragraph (2) of Subsection E of 8.9.4.29 NMAC for emergency lighting requirements.

I. SMOKING, FIREARMS, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, ILLEGAL DRUGS AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: A center will prohibit smoking, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers in all areas, including vehicles, and will not allow any alcoholic beverages, firearms, lethal or non-lethal weapons or non-prescription controlled substances (drugs) on the premises or in vehicles. Possessing or knowingly permitting illegal drugs, paraphernalia, or non-prescription controlled substances to be possessed or sold on the premises at any time regardless of whether children are present is prohibited.

J. PETS:

(1) A center will inform parents or guardians in writing before pets are allowed in the center.

(2) A center will not allow pets in the kitchen, food serving, food storage areas, bathrooms, or infant room.

(3) A center will inoculate any pets as prescribed by a veterinarian and keep a record of proof of inoculation prior to the pet's presence in the center.

(4) A center will not allow on the premises pets or other animals that are undomesticated, dangerous, contagious or vicious in nature.

(5) Areas of confinement, such as cages and pens, and outdoor areas are cleaned of excrement daily. Animals shall be properly housed, fed and maintained in a safe, clean sanitary and humane condition at all times.

(6) A staff member must be physically present during the handling of all pets or other animals.

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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