5101:2-12-21 Appendix A - Choking Hazards

(A)Staff shall be responsible for the well being and safety of each child in the group to which they are assigned and meeting each child's basic needs.

(1)The administrator and each employee of a child care center shall protect or remove children from a person or situation that is determined to be unsafe or inappropriate.

(2)The administrator and each employee of a child care center are required under section 2151.421 of the Revised Code to immediately report their suspicions of child abuse or neglect to their local children's protective services agency.

(3)All children must be served food that is not a choking hazard, that is developmentally appropriate in size, amount and texture. Information onA list of foods that are examples of choking hazards for young children is provided in appendix A of this rule. Food provided to children in care must conform to the safety measures listed in the appendixmay be found at: http://www.aap.org, http://www.nal.usda.gov/childcare/Resources/choking.html or http://nrc.uchsc.edu/CFOC/HTMLVersion/Chapter_4.html.

(4)Staff must acknowledge and respond appropriately to children who are crying or who show distress.

(5)Staff must assist with the needs of children such as toileting, hand washing and basic hygiene including, but not limited to,tying shoe laces, wiping noses and washing faces.

(6)Diapers must be checked regularly for wetness and feces. Centers must secure a statement in writing from the child's parents or guardians, stating the frequency in which they want their child's diaper checked. Diapers must be changed when found to be wet or soiled.

(7)Clothing must be changed immediately when wet or soiled with urine, vomit or fecal matter. Wet clothing from other sources such as, water play, drinks or painting, shall be changed at the end of the activity.

(8)Children shall not be exposed to inappropriate language, conversations, or behavior by center employees or any type of media.

(9)Children must be permitted the opportunity and encouraged to learn to feed themselves as their developmental levels allow.

(10)No person shall step over barriers such as, but not limited to, gates, shelving units or furniture, while holding a child.

(B)Staff shall implement practices that are supportive of individual developmental needs when caring for children with special needs.

(1)Centers who care for children with special needs or who require treatment for health conditions shall coordinate with the child's service providers with parental/guardian consent. The center shall document its efforts if the center is unable to obtain parental/guardian consent. The center shall make appropriate adjustments as needed for these children.

(2)Information obtained from service providers, service coordinators and other professionals involved in the child's care shall be documented in the child's written record. This information shall be shared with any child care staff member responsible for caring for the child.

(3)(2)A child with developmental delays may receive care in a group of children which best meets the child's individual needs in consultation with the parent/guardian.