(1) PROGRAM PLANNING AND SCHEDULING.
(a) A provider shall plan activities so that
each child may be or do all of the following:
1. Be successful and feel good about himself
or herself.
2. Use and develop
language.
3. Use large and small
muscles.
4. Use materials and take
part in activities that encourage creativity.
5. Learn new ideas and skills.
6. Participate in imaginative play.
7. Be exposed to a variety of
cultures.
8. Develop literacy
skills.
Note: The Wisconsin Model Early Learning
Standards are voluntary standards that were designed to help centers develop
programs and curriculum to help ensure that children are exposed to activities
and opportunities that will prepare them for success in school and into the
future. The Standards are primarily intended as guidance on developmentally
appropriate expectations and are not intended to be used as a checklist to
gauge a child's progress. The Standards are based on scientific research.
Copies of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards are available on the
Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners website at
http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/
or through the Child Care Information Center at 1-800-362-7353. Wisconsin has
an information and referral service for persons with questions or concerns
about a child's development called First Step that is available to the public
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When a call is placed to First Step at
1-800-642-7837, the caller will learn about early intervention services as well
as other related services in the area. When a provider or a parent has concerns
about a child's growth or development a referral to a Birth-to-Three agency or
the local public school should be considered to determine if the child is
eligible for special services. With parental consent and consultation, it is
recommended that centers who care for children who have an Individualized
Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
coordinate programming activities with the local school district or Birth to
Three agency.
(b) A provider shall plan daily activities
according to the age and developmental level of each child in care and shall
include a flexible balance of all of the following:
1. Daily indoor and outdoor activities when a
child is in care for more than 3 hours except that outdoor activities are not
required during inclement weather or when not advisable for health
reasons.
2. Active and quiet
play.
3. Protection from excess
fatigue and over stimulation.
4.
Individual and group activities.
(c) Television, including videotapes and
DVDs, may be used only to supplement the daily plan for children. No child may
be required to watch television.
(2) CHILD GUIDANCE.
(a) Each family child care center shall
provide positive guidance and redirection for the children and shall set
clearly specified limits for the children. A provider shall help each child
develop self-control, self-esteem and respect for the rights of
others.
(b)
1. In this paragraph, "time-out period" means
a break from the group that a provider offers a child to provide the child an
opportunity to calm and regain composure while being supported by the
provider.
2. A center may use a
time-out period to handle a child's unacceptable behavior only if all of the
following conditions are met:
a. The child is
3 years of age or older.
b. The
provider offers the child the time-out period in a non-humiliating
manner.
c. The time-out period does
not exceed 3 minutes.
d. The child
is not isolated.
e. The child is
not removed from the room.
3. The procedures for time-out periods shall
be included in the center's written child guidance policy.
(c) Actions that may be psychologically,
emotionally or physically painful, discomforting, dangerous or potentially
injurious are prohibited. Examples of prohibited actions include all of the
following:
1. Spanking, hitting, pinching,
shaking, slapping, twisting, throwing, or inflicting any other form of corporal
punishment on the child.
2. Verbal
abuse, threats or derogatory remarks about the child or the child's
family.
3. Physical restraint,
binding or tying the child to restrict the child's movement or enclosing the
child in a confined space such as a closet, locked room, box or similar
cubicle.
4. Withholding or forcing
meals, snacks or naps.
5. Actions
that are cruel, aversive, humiliating or frightening to the child.
(d) A child may not be punished
for lapses in toilet training.
Note: See s.
DCF 250.04 (8) for information on reporting suspected
child abuse and s.
DCF 250.04 (3)
(i) for rules requiring that prohibited
actions to a child be reported to the department within 24 hours after the
occurrence.
(3)
EQUIPMENT AND FURNISHINGS.
(a) Safe indoor
and outdoor play equipment shall be provided and shall be all of the following:
1. Scaled to the size and developmental level
of the children.
2. Of sturdy
construction with no sharp, rough, loose, or pointed edges, in good operating
condition, and anchored when necessary.
3. Placed so as to avoid danger of accident
or collision and to permit freedom of action.
4. Maintained in a clean and sanitary
condition.
5. Used in accordance
with all manufacturer's instructions and any manufacturer's recommendations
that may affect the safety of children in care.
(b) Various types of play equipment shall be
provided to allow for large and small muscle activity, dramatic play, creative
expression and intellectual stimulation.
(c) Indoor play equipment shall be provided
to allow each child a choice of at least 3 activities involving equipment when
all children are involved in using equipment.
(d) Outdoor play equipment shall be provided
to allow each child at least one activity when all children are using equipment
at the same time.
(e) Trampolines
and inflatable bounce surfaces on the premises shall not be in areas accessible
to children and may not be used by the children in care.
(f) Furnishings shall be clean, durable, and
safe with no sharp, rough, loose, or pointed edges.
(g) The furnishings shall include all of the
following:
1. Table space and seating for each
child.
2. Storage space for
equipment, bedding, and children's clothing and personal belongings.
Note: Lists suggesting kinds and numbers of
equipment for centers are available from the Child Care Information Center by
calling 1-800-362-7353.
(4) REST PERIODS.
(a) Children under 5 years of age in care for
more than 4 consecutive hours shall have a nap or rest period.
(b) A provider shall permit children who do
not sleep after 30 minutes and children who wake up early to get up and shall
help them to have a quiet time through the use of equipment or activities which
do not disturb other children.
(c)
Each child one year of age or older who has a nap or rest period shall be
provided with a sleeping surface that is clean, safe, washable, and placed at
least 2 feet from the next sleeping child. The sleeping surface may be any of
the following:
1. A bed.
2. A cot.
3. A padded mat.
4. A sleeping bag.
5. A crib or playpen.
(cm) Each child under one year of age who
naps or sleeps shall be provided with a clean, safe, washable crib or playpen
that meets the applicable safety standards in 16 CFR Part 1219 or 1220 and
shall be placed at least 2 feet from the nearest sleeping child. Cribs or
playpens may be placed end-to-end if a solid partition separates the crib or
playpen, and an aisle not less than 2 feet in width is maintained between
sleeping surfaces.
(d) Each child
one year of age or older who is not using a sleeping bag shall be provided with
an individually identified sheet and blanket that may be used only by that
child until it is washed. Sleeping bags and bedding shall be stored in a
sanitary manner and washed at least after every 5 uses or as soon as possible
if wet or soiled.
(e) Infants shall
sleep alone in cribs or playpens. Two related children may share a double bed.
No more than one child may occupy a single size bed, cot, mat or sleeping
bag.
(6) HEALTH.
(a)
Contact with others who are
ill.
1. No child or other person
with a reportable communicable disease specified in ch. DHS 145 may be admitted
to, or be permitted to remain in, a center during the period when the disease
is communicable.
1m. A licensee,
provider, household member, employee, volunteer, visitor, parent, or a child in
care may be admitted or readmitted to the family child care center if the
person provides a written statement from a physician that the condition is no
longer contagious or if the person has been absent for a period of time equal
to the longest usual incubation period for the disease under ch. DHS 145.
Note: The Wisconsin Department of Health
Services, Division of Public Health, has developed materials that identify
those communicable diseases that are required to be reported to the local
public health officer. These materials also provide additional guidance on the
symptoms of each disease and information on how long an infected child shall be
excluded from the center. Copies of the communicable disease chart are
available on the Department of Health Services website,
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p4/p44397.pdf.
2.
a. A licensee, provider, household member,
employee, volunteer, visitor or parent whose behavior with respect to any
child, adult, animal or property, on or off the center's premises, raises
reasonable concern for the safety of the children, may not be in contact with
the children in care.
b. The
department may require a licensee, provider, household member or other adult in
contact with the children whose behavior gives reasonable concern for the
safety of children to submit to an examination by a licensed mental health
professional as a condition of licensure or employment.
Note: See also s.
DCF 250.11 (2)
(e) which requires a written statement from a
physician or licensed mental health professional when there is reason to
believe that the physical and mental health of a person may endanger children
in care.
3. No
person with a health history of typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery or other
diarrheal disease may work in a center until it is determined by appropriate
medical tests that the person is not a carrier of the disease.
4.
a. Upon
each child's arrival at the center, a staff person shall observe the child for
symptoms of illness or injury.
b.
Any child who appears to be ill shall be moved to a separate room or
area.
c. A child one year of age or
older who appears to be ill shall be provided with a bed, crib, or cot and a
sheet and blanket or sleeping bag.
d. A child under one year of age who appears
to be ill shall be placed in a crib or playpen with a tight-fitting mattress
and mattress covering.
(b)
Medical log book.
1. The licensee shall maintain a medical log
book that has a stitched binding with pages that are lined and
numbered.
2. Pages may not be
removed from the medical log book under subd. 1. and lines may not be skipped.
Each entry in the log book shall be in ink, dated, and signed or initialed by
the person making the entry.
3. A
provider shall record all of the following in the medical log under subd. 1.:
a. Any evidence of unusual bruises,
contusions, lacerations, or burns seen on a child, regardless of whether
received in or out of the care of the center.
b. Any injuries received by a child while in
the care of the center on the date the injury occurred. The record shall
include the child's name, the date and time of the injury, and a brief
description of the facts surrounding the injury.
c. Any medication dispensed to a child, on
the date the medication is dispensed. The record shall include the name of the
child, type of medication given, dosage, time, date, and the initials or
signature of the person administering the medication.
d. Any incident or accident that occurs when
the child is in the care of the center that results in professional medical
evaluation.
Note: See s.
DCF 250.04 (8) for requirements related to reporting
suspected child abuse or neglect.
(f)
Medications.
1. A provider may give prescription or
non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, teething gels or cough
syrup to a child only under the following conditions:
a. A completed written authorization on a
form provided by the department, dated and signed by the parent is on file.
Authorizations that exceed the period of time specified on the label are
prohibited.
Note: The department's form, Authorization to
Administer Medication - Child Care Centers, is used to obtain the parent's
authorization to provide medications. Information on how to obtain the form is
available on the department's website, http://dcf.wisconsin.gov, or from any
regional licensing office in Appendix A.
b. The medication is in the original
container and labeled with the child's name and with dosage and administration
directions.
c. A written record,
including the name of the child, type of medication given, dosage, time, date
and the initials or signature of the person administering the medication shall
be made in the medical log on the same day that the medication is
administered.
3.
Medications shall be stored so that they are not accessible to
children.
4. Medications requiring
refrigeration shall be kept in the refrigerator in a separate, covered
container clearly labeled "medications."
5. No medication intended for use by a child
in the care of the center may be kept at the center without a current
medication administration authorization from the parent.
6. Medication for a child in care shall be
administered by the center as directed on the label and as authorized by the
parent.
(g)
1. Except as provided in subd. 2., a child's
hands shall be washed with soap and warm running water before meals or snacks,
after handling pets or other animals, and after toileting or diapering. A
child's hands and face shall be washed when soiled. For children under one year
of age, hands may be washed with soap and a wet fabric or a paper washcloth
that is used once and discarded.
2.
If running water is not immediately available when outdoors or on field trips,
soap and water-based wet wipes may be used. When running water becomes
available, hands shall be washed immediately with soap and running
water.
3. Disinfecting hand
sanitizers may not replace the use of soap and water for washing
hands.
4. Bodily secretions from a
child shall be wiped with a disposable tissue.
5. All providers shall use universal
precautions when exposed to blood or bodily fluids or discharges containing
blood.
6. All persons working with
children in care shall wash their hands with soap and warm running water before
handling food, before and after assisting with toileting or diapering, after
handling pets or animals, and after being exposed to blood or bodily fluids
containing blood or other types of bodily secretions. If gloves are used, hands
shall be washed after removal of gloves.
7. Single use disposable gloves shall be worn
if there is contact with bodily fluids or tissue discharges that contain blood.
Gloves shall be discarded in plastic bags.
(h)
Health precautions.
1. Surfaces exposed to bodily secretions,
including toys, equipment, and furnishings, shall be washed with soap and water
and disinfected. The disinfectant solution used shall be one that is registered
with the U.S. environmental protection agency as a disinfectant and has
instructions for use as a disinfectant on the label. The solution shall be
prepared and applied as indicated on the label.
2. Soap, towels or an air dryer, toilet
paper, and a waste paper container shall be provided in the washroom and
accessible to children.
3. Towels
and washcloths shall be individual to each person and used only once. Cups,
eating utensils, or toothbrushes may not be shared.
4. Wet or soiled clothing shall be changed
promptly from an available supply of clean clothing.
4m. Children shall be clothed in seasonally
appropriate clothing when outdoors.
5. Section
DCF 250.09(4) applies when a child 2 years of age or
older needs attention for diapering or toileting.
6. As appropriate, children shall be
protected from sunburn and insect bites with protective clothing, sunscreen, or
insect repellent. Sunscreen and insect repellent may only be applied upon the
written authorization of the parent. The authorization shall include the
ingredient strength and be reviewed and updated periodically. If sunscreen or
insect repellent is provided by the parent, the sunscreen or repellent shall be
labeled with the child's name. Recording the application of sunscreen or insect
repellent is not necessary.
(k)
Injuries.
1. Written permission from the parent to call
the child's physician or refer the child for medical care in case of injury
shall be on file at the center. A provider shall contact a parent of the
injured child as soon as possible after an emergency has occurred or, if the
injury is minor, when the child is picked up.
Note: See
DCF 250.04 (3)
(a) regarding reporting injuries that require
medical attention to the Department within 24 hours after the
occurrence.
Note: The department's form, Child Care
Enrollment, includes authorization for the center to obtain emergency medical
care for a child. Information on how to obtain forms is available on the
department's website, http://dcf.wisconsin.gov, or from any
regional licensing office in Appendix A.
2. Superficial wounds shall be cleaned with
soap and water only and protected with a bandaid or bandage.
3. Suspected poisoning shall be treated only
after consultation with a poison control center.
4. The licensee shall designate a planned
source of emergency medical care, such as a hospital emergency room, clinic or
other constantly staffed facility and shall advise parents about that
designation.
(7) PETS AND ANIMALS.
(a) Animals shall be maintained in good
health and appropriately immunized against rabies. Rabies vaccinations shall be
documented with a current certificate from a veterinarian.
(b) Animals that pose any risk to the
children shall be restricted from the indoor and outdoor areas used by
children.
(c) Licensees shall
ensure that parents are aware of the presence of pets and animals in the
center. If pets and animals are allowed to roam in areas of the center occupied
by children, written acknowledgement from the parents shall be obtained. If
pets are added after a child is enrolled, parents shall be notified in writing
prior to the pets' addition to the center.
(d) Reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, poisonous
animals, psittacine birds, exotic and wild animals may not be accessible to
children.
Note: Psittacine birds are hooked bill birds of
the parrot family that have 2 toes forward and 2 toes backward, including
macaws, grays, cockatoos and lovebirds.
(e) All contact between pets or animals and
children shall be under the sight and sound supervision of a provider who is
close enough to remove the child immediately if the pet or animal shows signs
of distress or aggression, the child shows signs of distress, or the child is
treating the animal inappropriately.
(f) Pets are prohibited in any food
preparation or serving area when food is being prepared or served unless the
pet is confined in a cage or kennel. Litter boxes are prohibited in any food
preparation, storage or serving areas. Litter boxes and animal feeding dishes,
excluding water dishes, may not be placed in areas accessible to
children.
(g) Indoor and outdoor
areas accessible to children shall be free of pet and animal
excrement.
(i) Licensees shall
ensure that the center is in compliance with all applicable local ordinances
regarding the number, types and health status of pets and animals.
