Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Children and Families
DCF 201-252 - Early Care and Education
Chapter DCF 250 - Family Child Care Centers
Section DCF 250.10 - Additional requirements for night care
Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง DCF 250.10
Current through August 26, 2024
(1) APPLICABILITY. Family child care centers that operate during any period of time between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. shall comply with the requirements of this section.
(2) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) When the same premises are used for the
operation of both day care and night care, the number of children during any
overlapping of the day care and night care periods may not exceed the maximum
licensed capacity of the center.
(b) Minimum staff-to-child ratios and group
sizes under Table DCF 250.055 shall be maintained during night care.
(c) The parent or center shall provide each
child in care after 10:00 p.m. with an individually labeled sleeping garment
and a toothbrush.
(3) PROGRAM.
(a) Child care staff shall ascertain
from a child's parent a child's typical family activities during the period the
child is at the center for night care and strive to replicate those activities
with the child.
(b) A center
offering night care shall provide a self-contained room away from sleeping
children where an awake child may engage in activities.
(c) An evening and morning schedule of
program activities shall be planned for the hours that children in night care
are awake.
(d) School-age children
shall have an opportunity to read or do school work.
(4) PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
(a) A provider shall develop, submit to the
department, and implement a plan to evacuate sleeping children in an emergency.
Review of the plan shall be part of the orientation under s.
DCF 250.05(3).
(b) Centers operating during hours of
darkness shall have emergency lighting, such as an operable flashlight, readily
available to a provider.
(c)
Providers shall be awake, available, within call and able to respond to the
needs of the children whenever children are in care.
(5) FEEDING.
(a) Breakfast shall be served to all children
in care for the night, unless the parent specifies otherwise.
(b) A nighttime snack shall be available to
all children in care.
(c) A child
present at the time the evening meal is served shall be served the evening
meal.
(6) SLEEP.
(a) Children who attend the center for the
evening hours but not the whole night shall have an opportunity to sleep, as
needed.
(b) Sleep routines for
individual children shall be based on information provided by the
parents.
(c) A bed, crib or cot
with sheets and blankets individual to each child shall be provided for
children spending the night.
(d)
The center shall maintain a supply of extra sleeping garments and bedding for
emergencies and accidents.
(e)
Children under 2 years of age in night care shall sleep in cribs.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin 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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