Sec.19a-79-4a. Staffing

(a) A file shall be kept on the licensed premises for each employee of the child day care center or group day care home which shall include:

(1) a medical statement signed by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant, completed within twelve (12) months before the date of employment for new staff, and every twenty-four (24) months for current staff and at any other time requested by the commissioner, such statement to document the presence of any known medical or emotional illness or disorder that would currently pose a risk to children in care or would currently interfere with effective functioning as an employee of a child day care center or group day care home;

(2) upon employment, a written report of a negative tuberculin test completed within twelve (12) months prior to the date of employment or for a known prior reactor, no evidence of active tuberculosis on a chest x-ray;

(3) documentation of professional development for each program staff person who cares for the children, including new employee orientation and annual training for current staff on the child day care center or group day care home policies, plans and procedures; and

(4) disciplinary actions.

(b) For each prospective employee, the file shall include:

(1) a completed state and a completed federal fingerprint card shall be submitted to the department for a State Police Bureau of Identification and a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Records check;

(2) a completed form approved by the department shall be submitted to the department for a check of the state child abuse registry; and

(3) the operator shall provide to the department any information obtained concerning substantiated child abuse or neglect records or criminal convictions, upon request of the department.

(c) The operator shall maintain a staff adequate for the number, ages and developmental needs of the children to be accommodated.

(1) A designated head teacher shall be on site for sixty percent (60%) of the time the child day care center or group day care home is in operation on a weekly basis.

(2) There shall be at least two (2) staff eighteen (18) years of age or older on the premises when one (1) or more children are in attendance. The staff shall be available to care for the children.

(3) All staff in the child day care center and group day care home shall have the personal qualities necessary to:

(A) care for and work with children,

(B) relate to adults, and

(C) relate to the parent(s).

(4) Proper staff child ratios shall be maintained at all times.

(A) There shall be at least one (1) program staff person for every ten (10) children, or fraction thereof in attendance.

(B) When there is a mixed age group, the lower required ratio for the age of the youngest child shall prevail.

(C) When children are participating in swimming or wading as part of the program, whether at the facility or on a field trip, the following staff child ratios, at a minimum, shall be maintained at all times with the children:

(i) all non-swimmers shall be clearly identified as non-swimmers in a way that is visually and easily recognized by lifeguards and staff;

(ii) for infants twelve (12) months of age and younger, there shall be at least one (1) program staff person with every child who is in direct physical contact with the child;

(iii) for toddlers under three (3) years of age, there shall be at least one (1) program staff member with every two (2) children;

(iv) for preschool children (three (3) years to five (5) years of age) there shall be at least one (1) program staff member with every four (4) children; and

(v) for school-age children there shall be at least one (1) program staff member with every six (6) children.

(D) The operator shall be responsible for assuring the supervision of the children at all times while the children are at the facility, indoors or outdoors, or on field trips. At no time shall a child be left unsupervised.

(5) Group size shall be maintained at all times.

(A) The group size shall not exceed twenty children.

(B) When there is a mixed age group, the smaller required group size shall prevail.

(6) During nap time, when all of the children in the group are sleeping, the overall staff child ratios shall be maintained on the licensed premises. At no time shall a group of children be left unsupervised.

(d) Programs shall have the following staff:

(1) The child day care center or group day care home shall maintain documentation on site that there is a designated director. Any director hired or newly designated on or after January 1, 2010 shall have within one (1) year of being hired or designated at least three (3) credits in the administration of early childhood education programs or educational administration from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Governors of Higher Education or from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Any person designated as director at a specific facility prior to January 1, 2010 shall not be required to meet such educational requirements for director for the duration of their employment as director at that facility.

(2) A designated head teacher shall submit to the department written verification of being twenty (20) years of age or older, having the personal qualifications needed to supervise people, and having either:

(A) in a child day care center,

(i) a high school diploma or equivalency certificate, and

(ii) at least one thousand and eighty (1080) hours of documented supervised experience over a nine (9) month span of time, including working with children in a program with these standards or comparable standards in this or another state, which program serves children of the same ages and developmental stages who are served at the child day care center, and one of the following: a current center-based Child Development Associate Credential issued from the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, or twelve (12) credits in early childhood education or child development from an accredited institution of higher education with program approval from the Board of Governors of Higher Education or

(iii) approval by the department as a head teacher prior to January 1, 1994;

(B) in a group day care home,

(i) a high school diploma or equivalency certificate, and

(ii) at least one thousand and eighty (1080) documented hours of experience over a nine (9) month span of time working with unrelated children of the same ages and developmental stages to be served in this group day care home; or

(C) in a child day care center or group day care home,

(i) a four (4) year college degree in early childhood education or child development from an accredited institution of higher education with program approval from the Board of Governors of Higher Education, and

(ii) at least three hundred sixty (360) hours of documented supervised experience in working with unrelated children of the same age(s) to be served in this child day care center or group day care home with these standards or comparable standards in this or another state and at least one (1) semester of student teaching with children of the same age(s) and developmental stages that are served in the child day care center or group day care home.

(3) A second program staff person who works under supervision of the head teacher shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older and have at least one of the following:

(A) a high school diploma, or

(B) an equivalency certificate, or

(C) at least five hundred and forty (540) hours documented experience in working with unrelated children of the same age(s) to be served in this child day care center or group day care home.

(4) Other program staff shall be able to work under supervision and shall be at least sixteen (16) years of age.

(5) Additional program staff shall be sufficient to provide care of children during all hours of operation in keeping with group size and ratio.

(6) When children are participating in swimming or wading as part of the program, whether at the facility or on a field trip, there shall be a qualified program staff member present and directly supervising the children who shall be at least twenty (20) years of age and who is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in accordance with section 19a-79 of the Connecticut General Statutes. The operator shall verify that there is a person directly supervising the children who holds a current lifeguard certification accepted by the department.

(e)

(1) At all times the child day care center is in operation there shall be present at least one (1) staff member who has current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in accordance with section 19a-79 of the Connecticut General Statutes, appropriate for all of the children served at the child day care center.

(2) In addition, at all times the child day care center or group day care home is in operation, there shall be present at least one (1) staff member who has successfully completed within the past three (3) years a department approved first aid course that meets the following requirements:

(A) It shall be at least six (6) hours in length.

(B) Instruction shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:

(i) the recognition and emergency management of bleeding, burns, poisoning, anaphylaxis, respiratory distress including choking, musculo-skeletal injury, seizures, wounds including insect bites, head injuries, shock, loss of consciousness, dental emergencies, child abuse and sexual abuse;

(ii) communicable disease prevention, recognition and management, which includes: a discussion of transmission through the intestinal tract, the respiratory system and direct contact; hygiene, including hand washing, cleaning and disinfection; diapering techniques; signs and symptoms of illness, including fever, rash and vomiting; temperature taking; education in specific communicable disease, including, but not necessarily limited to, diarrheal diseases, bacterial meningitis, chicken pox, hepatitis, strep throat, head lice, scabies and vaccine-preventable diseases; and

(iii) accident prevention and safety including, but not necessarily limited to: safety for the indoor environment and outdoor play area, first aid supplies, child restraint systems and seat belt safety in accordance with section 14-100a of the Connecticut General Statutes and section 14-100a-1 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(C) Instruction shall be provided by a person who meets at least one of the following requirements:

(i) a first aid instructor currently certified by the American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, Medic First Aid International, Inc., National Safety Council or an American Heart Association Heartsaver Instructor or BLS Instructor,

(ii) a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or registered nurse licensed in this or another state or

(iii) an emergency medical technician or paramedic.

(D) The course outline and all other written materials used in the course shall be submitted to the department and shall not be used without approval by the department.

(f) The child day care center or group day care home shall keep on file written verification of compliance with subsection (e) of this section for each staff member who the child day care center or group day care home designates to meet the requirements of such subsection. Such verification shall be maintained for three (3) years after the date that staff member completed first aid training for group day care homes and child day care centers, or CPR training as required for child day care centers only. Verification shall include:

(1) written verification or certification in CPR from an organization specified in accordance with section 19a-79(a)(5) of the Connecticut General Statutes that is signed and dated by a representative of the specified organization; and

(2) written verification of first aid training by a representative of the organization, physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, emergency medical technician or paramedic who conducted the training.

(g) Professional development for program staff shall be required for one (1) per cent of the total annual hours worked. Such education may include, but is not limited to, early childhood education and child development, licensing and regulations, health issues, nutrition, first aid, social services, child abuse laws and programming for children with disabilities or special health care needs.

(1) The operator of the child day care center or group day care home shall develop, implement and maintain a written plan for professional development in child care.

(2) The operator shall have documentation of a professional development plan for each program staff member which shall be maintained on site at the facility and made available for review.

(h) A written plan for consultation services shall be developed, signed annually by the consultant and implemented.

(1) These services shall include:

(A) an early childhood educational consultant available to the operator and staff for advice and support regarding the educational content of the program; anyone approved as an early childhood consultant prior to January 1, 2009, will continue to be an approved early childhood educational consultant, except for good cause shown. Program staff shall not serve as early childhood educational consultants for programs in which they provide direct care or direct program supervision in a non-consultative role;

(B) a health consultant available to the operator and staff for advice regarding the health of the children and the health program;

(C) a dentist or dental hygienist consultant available to the operator and staff for advice regarding the dental health of children or a dental health education program;

(D) a social service consultant available to the operator and staff for advice regarding the emotional needs, staff support and the social service program; and

(E) a registered dietitian consultant available to the operator and staff for advice regarding nutrition and food service for those programs that serve meals.

(2) Consultative service shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:

(A) annual review of written policies, plans and procedures;

(B) annual review of education programs;

(C) availability by telecommunication for advice regarding problems;

(D) availability, in person, of the consultant to the program;

(E) consulting with administration and staff about specific problems;

(F) acting as a resource person to staff and the parent(s);

(G) documenting the activities and observations required in this subsection in a consultation log that is kept on file at the facility for two (2) years; and

(H) specific duties of the health consultant shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) making, at a minimum, quarterly site visits to facilities that serve children three (3) years of age and older; or for group day care homes, facilities that operate no more than three (3) 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;

(ii) reviewing health and immunization records of children and staff;

(iii) reviewing the contents, storage and plan for maintenance of first aid kits;

(iv) observing the indoor and outdoor environments for health and safety;

(v) observing children's general health and development;

(vi) observing diaper changing and toileting areas and diaper changing, toileting and hand washing procedures;

(vii) reviewing the policies, procedures and required documentation for the administration of medications, including petitions for special medication authorizations needed for programs that administer medication; and

(viii) assisting in the review of individual care plans for children with special health care needs or children with disabilities, as needed.

(3) The commissioner, with good cause shown, may deny or revoke a consultant's approval status as a consultant to licensed child day care centers and group day care homes.

(Effective July 27, 1993; Amended August 8, 1995; Amended March 4, 1999; Amended December 23, 2002; Amended November 6, 2008)