Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Children and Families
DCF 201-252 - Early Care and Education
Chapter DCF 251 - Group Child Care Centers And Child Care Programs Established Or Contracted For By School Boards
Section DCF 251.10 - Additional requirements for night care

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง DCF 251.10

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) APPLICABILITY. Group child care centers that operate during any period of time between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. shall comply with the additional requirements of this section.

(2) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.

(a) A center offering night care may serve no more than 20 children at any one time between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless the building is equipped with emergency lighting supplied by a stand-by power source.

(b) When the same premises is 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.

(c) Minimum staff-to-child ratios and group sizes as specified in s. DCF 251.055(2) shall be maintained during night care.

(d) All child care workers on duty shall remain awake, available, within call and able to respond to the needs of the children during night care.

(e) The parent or center shall provide each child in night care with an individually labeled sleeping garment and a toothbrush.

(3) PROGRAM.

(a) Child care staff shall work with a child's parent to coordinate how the child spends his or her time during night care at the center with the family's schedule.

(b) A center offering night care shall provide a self-contained room away from sleeping children where an awake child can 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) Child care workers shall be given training in techniques of evacuating sleeping children in an emergency during orientation to the job.

(b) Centers operating during hours of darkness shall provide emergency lighting, such as an operable flashlight, for each self-contained room used by children.

(c) Fire evacuation drills shall be practiced during night care hours at least 2 times per year.

(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 or a sleeping bag, individual to each child, shall be provided in night care.

(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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