Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) What are the
requirements for staff/child ratios and maximum group size for a licensed child
care center?
(1) The center shall ensure that
required child care staff members/child ratios and maximum group size
limitations are maintained at all times in accordance with appendix A to this
rule. The center shall post appendix A to this rule in a noticeable area in the
center.
(2) Child care staff
members shall not be counted in the staff/child ratio when engaged in duties or
activities that interfere with supervision of children.
(3) There shall be at least one other
employee or child care staff member at the center if there are seven or more
children in the building.
(4)
Children shall be organized and assigned to a permanent group in consultation
with parents and in accordance with the maximum group size detailed in appendix
A to this rule.
(5) A child with
special needs shall be included in the group that best meets the child's
development needs.
(6)
The center shall not exceed the license capacity at any time.
(a) Children on routine trips to and from
home, do not count in the center's capacity.
(b) Children on routine trips, other than to
and from home, and on field trips do count in the center's capacity.
(7) Group size
limitations shall not be interpreted to apply during nap time, evening sleep
time, meal time, snack time, outdoor play, field trips, routine trips or
special occasions.
(B) What are the requirements when multiple
age groups are combined?
(1) If two or more
age groups are combined, the staff/child ratio shall be maintained for the age
of the youngest child in the group. This includes when children are visiting
the next older age group for transitioning purposes.
(2) If no more than one child two and
one-half years of age or older is permanently assigned to a group in which all
the other children are in the next older group, the staff/child ratio and
maximum group size shall be determined by the older children.
(3) All age groups may be combined when there
are twelve or fewer children in the center.
(C) What are the requirements when multiple
groups are combined in a shared undivided space?
Two or more groups of children may be combined in the shared
space if all of the following are met:
(1) All of the children are two and a half or
older.
(2) The total number does
not exceed the occupancy limit for the space or thirty-five square feet per
child (whichever is less).
(3)
Ratio is maintained pursuant to this rule at all times.
(D) What are the requirements for
transitioning children into the next age group?
(1)
The center
shall have available in the classrooms, a copy of a signed
transition agreement between the parent and the center.
(2)
Preschool
children may transition to the school-age group at the conclusion of the school
year before kindergarten and be counted as school-agers for
ratio.
(E) Can
school-age only programs double ratio to
allow access to the program?
(1) If the
program serves only school-age children, a group of school-age children may be
left with only one child care staff member while the other child care staff
member leaves the room to allow access to the program.
(2) Both child care staff members shall have
a working communication device to contact each other while one child care staff
member is out of the room.
(3) The
child care staff member shall return to the group after allowing access to the
program.
(F) What are
the requirements for child care centers to keep an attendance record?
(1) The program shall have written
documentation of the following for each child:
(a) The name and birth date of the
child.
(b) The assigned group for
the child.
(c) The child's weekly
schedule.
(d) The time (hours and
minutes) of the child's arrival and departure to the program, including
transportation by the program. Ohio's automated child care system cannot be used to
meet this written documentation requirement.
(e) The original written documentation shall be kept for a
period of one year. Attendance documentation shall remain at the center at all
times.
(2) Each group
shall have a method for tracking the children in the group. This tracking
method shall include the child's name and date of birth and shall remain with
the group at all times throughout the day including outdoor play, emergency
evacuations and when groups are combined. The tracking shall be updated
throughout the day as children enter or leave the group.
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