Current through September 24, 2024
(1) The license
monitoring process shall include an evaluation of the child care agency for a
quality rating improvement system scorecard in accordance with the provisions
set forth in this chapter.
(2) A
child care agency shall receive an annual quality rating improvement system
score that sets forth the agency's overall score based upon applicable criteria
contained within each component area.
(3) The component areas, as determined by the
Department, measure certain key indicators of performance set forth in T.C.A.
§
71-3-502(j),
as indicated below:
(a) Health and Safety;
and
(b) Teacher/Child
Interactions.
(4)
Monitoring Visits.
(a) For the purpose of
generating an annual quality rating improvement system score, monitoring visits
shall consist of four (4) quarterly visits each year, except for programs that
are closed during the summer. These agencies will have three (3) quarterly
visits and one (1) quarterly visit prior to or just after the three (3) month
closure.
(b) Each visit will be
conducted at a different time of the day to get a look at the entire program
throughout the year.
(c) During
each quarterly monitoring visit, twenty-five percent (25%) of the Health and
Safety section categories and one hundred percent (100%) of Teacher/Child
Interactions will be scored.
(5) In addition to critical health and safety
items, during each quarterly monitoring visit, one of four (4) categories from
the Health and Safety section will be scored with a total value of 60 points.
The four (4) categories are listed below:
(a)
Supervision Practices/Facilities/Equipment;
(b) Record Keeping;
(c) Healthy Weight and Disease Prevention;
and
(d) Organizational
Structure.
(6)
Assignment of Scores.
(a) The score for each
component area of the Health and Safety section indicates the agency's
compliance with departmental licensing regulations.
(b) Each element indicator on the classroom
observation tool is scored based on "required evidence." Therefore, in order to
achieve a score of "met" on an item, all of the required evidence must be
either visually observed or documented during the teacher interview when the
classroom observation tool is administered during each quarterly
visit.
(c) The total combined score
possible for the Teacher/Child Interactions and Health and Safety sections is
100.
(d) Upon completion of the
quarterly visit, prior to departure, the Licensing Consultant (LC) will review
the scoresheet with the agency director or primary educator and discuss areas
of high performance and strategies for areas that may have been deficient. If
time or schedule does not allow for the director and/or educator to meet on
this day the LC will schedule a time either in person, video chat, or through a
telephone conversation within five (5) business days to review.
(7) The agency's official quality
rating improvement system scorecard and license shall be posted together in a
conspicuous area at the child care agency, as may be directed by the
Department.
(8) Violations.
(a) Agencies found to be in violation of
licensing requirements during a live monitoring visit will have points deducted
from the item from where the violation was found.
(b) Agencies found to be in violation of
critical health and safety items and/or teacher/child interactions items
between monitoring visits will have points deducted from the item where the
violation was found on the next monitoring visit.
Authority: T.C.A. §§
4-5-201,
et seq.; 4-5-202; and 71-3-502(a)(2) and (j).
