Ohio Administrative Code
Title 5101:2 - Division of Social Services
Chapter 5101:2-14 - Certified In-home Aides
Section 5101:2-14-10 - Sleeping, napping and overnight requirements for an in-home aide
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 5101:2-14-10
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) What are the sleep and nap requirements for a certified in-home aide (IHA)?
(1)
Sleep time and nap time are to be in accordance with
the developmental needs of the child.
(2)
Infants under
twelve months old are to be placed on their backs to sleep unless the parent
provides written authorization on the JFS 01235 "Sleep Position Waiver
Statement for Child Care" signed by the child's physician. The JFS 01235 is to
be maintained on file for review and is valid for one year. Infants who are
able to roll from back to front and front to back are to be placed initially on
their back for sleeping but allowed to remain in a position they
prefer.
(3)
Sleep or nap areas are to be lighted to allow for
visual supervision of all children at all times.
(4)
Any child who
does not fall asleep during a designated nap time is to have the opportunity to
engage in quiet activities.
(5)
An evacuation
route is not to be blocked by sleeping or napping/resting children. Each child
is to have a free and direct means of escape and the IHA is to have a clear
path to each child.
(6)
Rest time is to be treated in the same manner as nap
time.
(B) What are the sleeping arrangements in the child's home?
(1)
Children living in the home are to sleep in their own beds
or cribs.
(2)
The IHA's children being cared for in the home are to
be assigned their own bed, crib, couch, cot, playpen or mat.
(3)
No child is to be
permitted to rest, nap or sleep on the floor without a mat, pad or
cot.
(4)
A mat is a pad that is at least one inch thick and at
least as wide and long as the child using the mat.
(5)
A cot is to stand
at least three inches and not more than eighteen inches off the floor. The cot
is to be firm enough to support the child, but is to be resilient under
pressure. Each cot is to be at least thirty-six inches in length and at least
as long as the child using the mat is tall.
(6)
An air mattress
designed for overnight sleeping may be used. All manufacturer's warnings are to
be followed. Air mattresses designed for use as flotation devices are not to be
used for sleeping or napping.
(C) What are the crib and playpen requirements for the child's home?
(1)
Unless the infant
meets the requirements of paragraph (E) of this rule, each infant being cared
for in the home is to have a separate crib or playpen that meets the following
requirements:
(a)
Any crib manufactured before June 28, 2011 is to have a
certificate of compliance (COC) on file. The IHA may have to contact the
manufacturer of the crib to receive a COC if they do not request one from the
retailer when they purchase the crib.
(b)
Cribs with a
documented manufacture date after June 28, 2011 have to meet the new federal
standards to be sold, so they do not require a COC. The date of manufacture is
to be attached to the crib.
(c)
Cribs and
playpens are to be used according to manufacturer's
instructions.
(d)
Each crib and playpen are to be of sturdy construction
and have:
(i)
Closely spaced bars with corner posts that do not exceed one
sixteenth of an inch above the top of the end panel.
(ii)
Spaces between
the bars of the crib or playpen and between the bars and end panels of the crib
or playpen are not to exceed two and three-eighths inches.
(iii)
Playpen mesh
openings are to be less than one quarter inch.
(e)
Cribs and
playpens are to be used with the mattress supports in their lowest positions
and the sides in the highest positions.
(f)
Each crib is to
have a firm mattress that is at least one and one half inches
thick.
(g)
Each playpen is to have a firm mattress or pad that
does not exceed one inch in thickness.
(h)
The space between
the mattress and the side or end panels of the crib or playpen are not to
exceed one and one-half inches.
(i)
Each mattress is
to be securely covered with a waterproof material which can be thoroughly
sanitized and is not dangerous to children. The waterproof cover is to be free
of rips or tears.
(D) What safety measures for cribs are to be followed by an IHA?
(1)
Cribs are not to
be stacked.
(2)
Bumper pads are not to be used.
(3)
Items are not to
be placed or hung over the side that obstructs the IHA's view of the
infant.
(4)
Infants are not to be placed in cribs with bibs or any
other items which could pose a strangulation or suffocation
risk.
(5)
No blankets are to be in the crib or playpen for
infants under twelve months old. A one-piece sleeper or wearable blanket is
permitted. Only children who are not yet able to roll-over are permitted to be
swaddled using a wearable swaddling blanket.
(6)
Infants are to be
placed in their cribs or playpens for sleeping, and are not to be allowed to
sleep in bassinets, swings, car seats or other equipment. If a medical
condition exists where a child needs to sleep in equipment other than a crib or
playpen, written permission is to be obtained from a physician and is to be
maintained on file.
(7)
Cribs or playpens assigned to a child are not to be
used for storage of toys and other materials.
(E) When are children to stop using cribs or playpens?
(1)
When the child is able to climb out of the crib or
playpen.
(2)
When the child reaches the height of thirty-five
inches.
(3)
An infant twelve months or older may use a cot, pad or
mat with written permission from the parent.
(4)
If the use of a
crib or playpen is considered hazardous for a child, regardless of age, the
infant may use a cot or mat with written permission from the
parent.
(F) What are the requirements for evening and overnight care?
(1)
Evening and overnight care is any time between the hours of
seven p.m. and six a.m.
(2)
The IHA is to remain awake until all children are
asleep. When children sleep in the evening or overnight, the IHA is to have a
monitoring device that ensures sight or hearing at all times.
(3)
Children are to
only sleep during evening and overnight care in areas that have been approved
for sleeping.
(4)
Children under the age of five are to sleep on the same
floor as the IHA.
(5)
Bedtime routines are to be developed and followed in
consultation with the parents of the children.
(6)
All indoor areas
of the home are to have adequate lighting, including bathrooms, hallways and
sleeping rooms to ensure that children can be seen by the IHA.
(7)
The IHA is to
have written permission from the parent prior to allowing the child to
bathe.
(8)
Ensure each child has clean, comfortable sleeping
clothes, and a clean, individual washcloth, towel and toothbrush, as
appropriate for the child.
(9)
Assist children
during washing and changing clothes according to children's developmental
needs.
(10)
All children are to bathe separately unless the parent
has provided written consent that the children can be bathed together.
Replaces: Part of 5101:2-14-04
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