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 8.9.4.45 - HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR OUT OF SCHOOL TIME CARE

Universal Citation: 8 NM Admin Code 8.9.4.45

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

A. HYGIENE: Children and staff members will wash their hands with soap and warm running water as needed. Water basins shall not be used as an alternative to running water. Staff and children will wash their hands whenever hands are contaminated with body fluids and always:

(1) after using a toilet;

(2) before and after caring for a sick child;

(3) before any food service activity, including setting the table;

(4) before and after eating;

(5) after handling pets or animals or items used by animals such as water and food bowls; and

(6) after handling trash.

B. FIRST AID REQUIREMENTS:

(1) A program will have all educators certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with a pediatric component. Online first aid and CPR training will not be approved, unless there is a hands-on component included. In-person requirements may be waived in case of an emergency. Staff shall obtain the first aid /CPR certification within three months of being hired. All staff shall maintain current first aid /CPR certification. Prior to licensure, at a minimum, the site director shall have first aid/CPR certification.

(2) A program will keep a first-aid kit and a first-aid manual together in the program in a location inaccessible to children and easily accessible to adults. The first aid kit will contain, as a minimum, band aids, gauze pads, adhesive tape, scissors, soap, non-porous gloves, and a thermometer.

(3) A program will treat blood spills cautiously and promptly decontaminate the area. Staff members will wear non-porous, single-use gloves when handling a blood spill, bloody diarrhea, bloody nose, or any other blood. A program will clean contaminated surfaces first with hot soapy water then with a disinfecting solution which is effective against HIV and hepatitis B.

C. MEDICATION:

(1) A program will keep all medications in a locked and identified container inaccessible to children and will refrigerate medications when necessary. If the refrigerator is inaccessible to children, medications do not need to be in a locked container in the refrigerator.

(2) Programs will give medication only with written permission from parents or guardian, to be administered according to written directions from the prescribing physician. In the case of non-prescription medication, written instructions must be provided by the parent or guardian.

(3) A designated staff member will be responsible for giving medication to children. The designated staff member will ensure non-prescription and prescription medications have a label with the child's name and the date the medication was brought to the program. A program will keep non-prescription and prescription medication in the original container with written instructions, including the name of medication, the dosage, and the hours and dates the child should receive the medicine.

(4) The designated staff member will keep a written record of the dosage, date, and time a child is given medication with the signature of the staff who administered the medication. This information will be provided to the parent or guardian who will initial/date acknowledgment of the information received on the day the medication is given.

(5) When the medication is no longer needed, it shall be returned to the parents or guardians or destroyed. The program shall not administer expired medication.

D. ILLNESSES:

(1) Children or staff members absent due to any notifiable disease will not return to the program without a signed statement from a physician.

(2) A program will separate and constantly observe a child who becomes sick at the program and promptly notify a parent or guardian of the child's illness.

(3) A program will send a child home when:
(a) the child's oral temperature is 101 degrees Fahrenheit or greater or armpit temperature is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater and the child shows signs of illness or behavior changes; or

(b) an educator observes signs of contagious disease or severe illness.

(4) The program will have a cot or mat available for sick children and it will be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly after use.

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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