Appendix A - Staff/Child Ratios, Age Grouping and Maximum Group Size
(A)What are the
requirements for staff/child ratios and maximum group size for a licensed child
care center?
(1)The center
shall ensure that required child care staff members/child ratios and maximum
group size limitations are maintained at all times in accordance with appendix
A to this rule. The center shall post appendix A to this rule in a noticeable
area in the center.
(2)Child care
staff members shall not be counted in the staff/child ratio when engaged in
duties or activities that interfere with supervision of children.
(3)There shall be
at least one other employee or child care staff member at the center if there
are seven or more children in the building.
(4)Children shall
be organized and assigned to a permanent group in consultation with parents and
in accordance with the maximum group size detailed in appendix A to this rule.
(a)(5) A child with special needs shall be included
in the group that best meets the child's development needs.
(b)Specific child care staff members shall
be assigned and responsible for the care and supervision of the children in
their group on a daily basis.
(5)(6) The center shall not exceed the license
capacity at any time.
(a)Children on
routine trips to and from home, do not count in the center's capacity.
(b)Children on
routine trips, other than to and from home, and on field trips do count in the
center's capacity.
(6)(7) Group size limitations shall not be
interpreted to apply during nap time, evening sleep time, meal time, snack
time, outdoor play, field trips, routine trips or special occasions.
(7)The children shall be organized in
groups to give continuity of care and supervision to the children on a day by
day basis.
(B)What are the
requirements when multiple age groups are combined?
(1)If two or more
age groups are combined, the staff/child ratio shall be maintained for the age
of the youngest child in the group. This includes when children are visiting
the next older age group for transitioning purposes.
(2)If no more than
one child two and one-half years of age or older is permanently assigned to a
group in which all the other children are in the next older group, the
staff/child ratio and maximum group size shall be determined by the older
children.
(3)All age groups
may be combined when there are twelve or fewer children in the center.
(C)What are the
requirements when multiple groups are combined in a shared undivided space?
Two or more groups of children may be combined in the shared
space if all of the following are met:
(1)All of the
children are two and a half or older.
(2)The total
number does not exceed the occupancy limit for the space or thirty-five square
feet per child (whichever is less).
(3)Ratio is
maintained pursuant to this rule at all times.
(D)What are the
requirements for transitioning children into the next age group?
The center shall have available in
the classrooms, a copy of the transition agreement between the parent and the
center.
(1)The center shall have available
in the classrooms, a copy of thea signed transition agreement between the parent and
the center.
(2)Preschool children may transition to the
school-age group at the conclusion of the school year before kindergarten and
be counted as school-agers for ratio.
(E)Can school-age
only programs be double ratio to allow access to
the program?
(1)If the program
serves only school-age children, a group of school-age children may be left
with only one child care staff member while the other child care staff member
leaves the room to allow access to the program.
(2)Both child care
staff members shall have a working communication device to contact each other
while one child care staff member is out of the room.
(3)The child care
staff member shall return to the group after allowing access to the program.
(F)What are the
requirements for child care centers to keep an attendance record?
(1)The program
shall have written documentation of the following for each child:
(a)The name and
birth date of the child.
(b)The assigned
group for the child.
(c)The child's
weekly schedule.
(d)The time (hours
and minutes) of the child's arrival and departure to the program, including
transportation by the program. The Ohio electronic child
care (Ohio ECC) provider website (Pweb)Ohio's
automated child care system cannot be used to meet this written
documentation requirement.
(e)The original written documentation shall be kept for a
period of one year. Attendance documentation shall remain at the center at all
times.
(2)Each group
shall have a method for tracking the children in the group. This tracking
method shall include the child's name and date of birth and shall remain with
the group at all times throughout the day including outdoor play, emergency
evacuations and when groups are combined. The tracking shall be updated
throughout the day as children enter or leave the group.
Effective: 10/29/2021
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 7/28/2021 and 10/29/2026
Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY
Date: 10/05/2021
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5104.016
Rule Amplifies: 5104.033
Prior Effective Dates: 03/01/1981, 06/01/1984, 09/01/1986,
01/02/1992 (Emer.), 04/01/1992, 04/01/2003, 01/01/2007, 08/14/2008, 09/29/2011,
12/31/2016, 10/29/2017, 03/13/2020 (Emer.)