Small World

Consultants: An education consultant shall be available to the operator and program staff for advice and support regarding the educational content and practice of the program. A person needs to apply for approval to be an education consultant. Program staff shall not serve as education consultants for programs in which they provide direct care or direct program supervision in a non-consultative role; or in a program with the same operator as a program in which they provide direct care or direct program supervision in a non-consultative role. Specific duties of the education consultant shall include, but not be limited to making, at a minimum, annual site visits to the facility, reviewing daily plans, curriculum documents, and educational policies for the developmental and age appropriate practices, observing program staff interactions, use of materials and equipment, implementation of plans and approaches to classroom management; and providing feedback on documentation review and classroom observations to the director and head teacher. A health consultant shall be available to the operator and program staff for advice regarding the health of the children and the health program. Specific duties of the health consultant shall include, but not be limited to making, at a minimum, quarterly site visits to facilities that serve children three years of age and older; or for group child care homes, facilities that operate no more than three hours per day, or facilities that enroll only school age children, semi-annual site visits. Facilities that are closed during the summer months may omit the summer quarterly visit. Site visits shall be made by the health consultant during customary business hours when the children are present at the facility. Specific duties include, but are not limited to reviewing health and immunization records of children and program staff, reviewing the contents, storage and plan for maintenance of first aid kits, observing the indoor and outdoor environments for health and safety, observing children’s general health and development, observing diaper changing and toileting areas and diaper changing, toileting and hand washing procedures, reviewing the policies, procedures and required documentation for the administration of medications, including petitions for special medication authorizations needed for programs that administer medication, assisting in the review of individual care plans for children with special health care needs or children with disabilities, as needed; and quarterly review of all injury, illness, incident and accident reports. A social service consultant shall be available to the operator and program staff for advice regarding the emotional needs, program staff support and the social service program. A registered dietitian consultant shall be available to the operator and program staff for advice regarding nutrition and food service for those programs that prepare or plan meals. A written plan for consultation services shall be developed, signed annually by the consultant and implemented. Consultative service shall include, but not be limited to an annual review of written policies, plans and procedures that relate to the services provided by the consultant, availability by telecommunication for advice regarding problems, availability, in person, of the consultant to the program, consulting with administration and program staff about specific problems, acting as a resource person to program staff and the parent(s) to include coordinating services and assisting families and program staff in identifying necessary resources, and seeking and supporting the collaboration of multiple consultants serving the program. The activities and observations required by each consultant shall be documented in a consultation log that is kept on file at the facility for two years.

Rule 19a-79-4a(i)(1-2)(H), (F).

Walls/ceilings/floors/rugs-clean, good repair: Walls, ceilings, floors and rugs shall be maintained in a state of good repair and be washable or easily cleanable. Rugs, if used, shall not present a tripping or slipping hazard.

Rule 19a-79-7a(e)(5).

Lighting: All spaces occupied by people, equipment within buildings, approaches to buildings and parking lots shall have a minimum of one foot candle or equivalent of lighting per square foot. Child care centers and group child care homes shall have at least fifty foot candles or equivalent of light per square foot in rooms used by children for reading, painting and other close work. There shall be at least thirty foot candles of light or equivalent in other work or play areas. Programs that serve exclusively school age children may utilize program space with less lighting provided the lighting is bright enough to accommodate the activities with comfort. During napping and resting, lighting shall be maintained at a level that will enable children to be visible. All areas accessible to children shall have light fixtures that are shielded or shatter proof.

Rule 19a-79-7a(e)(7-9).

Equipment-clean and safe, good repair, non-toxic-sturdy, free from protruding nails, rust: All equipment shall be of such design and material as to be readily cleaned and safe for children. Equipment shall not be colored or covered by any poisonous material. Equipment shall be sturdy, safely constructed and free from protruding nails, rust, toxic material and other hazards.

Rule 19a-79-7a(g)(1).

Outdoor space: There shall be access to a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet per child of outdoor space for the number of children using the space at any one time. The outdoor area shall be fenced or protected for safety. Outdoor play equipment shall have a shock absorbing surface, under and around, that shall effectively cushion the fall of a child, except where the child is sitting or standing at ground level. The shock absorbing surface shall be maintained at a depth of at least eight inches, be free of water and not allowed to become compacted. Acceptable shock absorbing surfaces may include mulch, sand, and wood chips. Synthetic material that is less than eight inches in depth, including but not limited to, rubber mats or tiles may be acceptable surfaces provided the operator maintains documentation on the licensed premises that the synthetic material is manufactured for this purpose, installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and sufficient to cushion the fall of a child. Concrete, asphalt, grass and dirt shall not be considered a shock absorbing surface. The playground shall be free of glass, debris, holes and other hazards. Nuts, bolts and screws shall be tight; and those that protrude shall be covered or protected. Outside equipment shall be anchored for stability when recommended by the manufacturer. Anchors shall be buried below ground level. The operator shall provide documentation to the Office, upon request, by a certified playground safety inspector that newly constructed playgrounds and all newly installed playground equipment that are set in position and anchored in such a way to last indefinitely are designed and installed in accordance with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials Standards. Drinking water shall be available and accessible to children. Outdoor equipment shall be arranged in such a way as to avoid accidents. All play equipment, fences, and structures shall not pose a hazard.

Rule 19a-79-7a(h)(1-9).

Outdoor Protected/Fenced: The outdoor play area shall be protected from traffic, bodies of water, gullies and other hazards by barriers in a manner safe for children. Fences used to protect children from hazards shall be at least four feet in height. When there is a swimming pool or any other body of water at the facility or near enough to the facility to attract or be accessible to children at any time of the year, there shall be a sturdy fence or barrier, four feet high or higher, which totally and effectively bars access to the water by children. All entries and exits through such fence or barrier shall have self-closing, self-latching devices or locks. When an outside wall of the child care center or group child care home that serves as one side of the fence or barrier to the body of water has a doorway, such doorway shall remain locked. Decorative ponds, fishponds, fountains or similar bodies of water that do not have a fence or barrier as required in this subdivision, shall be completely covered with a childproofing grate or other barrier to prevent access to children. Locks shall be openable with a key, combination, fingerprint, magnet or other unlocking mechanism that prevents an unauthorized person from obtaining access. A rooftop used as a play area shall be enclosed with a wall, fence or permanent physical barrier not less than six feet high and the bottom edge shall be no more than three and one half inches from the base or floor. The wall, fence or permanent physical barrier shall be designed to prevent children from climbing it.

Rule 19a-79-7a(h)(7)-(A-C).

Water Hazards: Public swimming pools, wading and public swimming areas, if provided, shall comply with the provisions of sections 19-13-B33b and 19a-36-B61 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. No wading pools shall be used. Hot tubs, spas and saunas shall be locked and inaccessible to children. Locks shall be openable with a key, combination, fingerprint, magnet or other unlocking mechanism that prevents an unauthorized person from obtaining access.

Rule 19a-79-7a(i).

Educational requirements: The written plan shall include the use of a variety of indoor and outdoor environments based on the children’s interest, individual needs and the learning to be addressed; a flexible schedule that allows time for children to make choices, continue projects over time, and transition from one activity to another; learning experiences that are relevant to the children’s lives and cultural context; a balance of child-initiated and teacher-initiated experiences; exploration and discovery; the use of a variety of materials that support active engagement and promote skills across areas of learning and development; rest, sleep or quiet activities; nutritious meals and snacks; toileting and clean up; individual and small group activities; and moderate and vigorous physical activity for children three years of age and older unless a child has a disability or is experiencing a developmental delay, which prevents such child from engaging in such physical activity. Such activity shall take place outdoors. No child care center or group child care home shall provide access to mobile cellular telephones, laptops and desktop computers or equipment that is capable of playing a video game or digital video disk to children under two years of age. Each child care center and group child care home shall restrict access to mobile cellular telephones, laptop and desktop computers or equipment that is capable of playing a video game or digital video disk by children two years of age and older except for educational or physical activity purposes. This subsection shall not apply to a child in the care of such child care center or group child care home that has a disability or is experiencing a developmental delay, and requires the use of such devices as a result of such disability or delay.

Rule 19a-79-8a-(a)(1-11)-(b).

Daily Attendance Records: Children/Staff: The operator shall implement and annually review specific written policies, plans and procedures that include daily attendance records for both children and staff showing the specific times of arrival and departure. The operator shall notify the parent(s), staff and the Office of Early Childhood within five (5) days of changes in these policies, plans and procedures.

Rule 19a-79-3a(d)(1).

Logs/Visits Documented: A written plan for consultation services shall be developed, signed annually by the consultant and implemented. Consultative services shall include documenting the activities and observations in a consultation log that is kept on file at the facility for two years.

Rule 19a-79-4a(h)(2)(G).

Operable CO Detector on Each Level: Child care centers and group child care homes that utilize combustible fuel shall be equipped with at least one (1) operable carbon monoxide (CO) detector on each occupied level of the facility.

Rule 19a-79-7a(e)(18).

Equipment Clean/Good Repair/Safe/Non-toxic: All equipment shall be of such design and material as to be readily cleaned and safe for children. Equipment shall not be colored or covered by any poisonous material. Equipment shall be sturdy, safely constructed and free from protruding nails, rust, toxic material and other hazards.

Rule 19a-79-7a(g).

Oral/Topical/Inhalant/Injectable Medications: Authorized Prescriber/Parent Permission/MAR: Except for nonprescription topical medications, no medication shall be administered to a child without the written order of an authorized prescriber and the written permission of the child’s parent(s) which shall be on file at the facility. Individual written medication administration records for each child shall be written in ink, reviewed prior to administering each dose of medication and kept on file at the facility for at least two (2) years after the child is no longer attending the program.

Rule 19a-79-9a(b)(3) and/or 19a-79-9a(b)(4).