(A)What are the sleep and nap requirements
for a certified in-home aide (IHA)?
(1)Sleep time and nap time are to be in
accordance with the developmental needs of the child.
(2)Infants under twelve months old are to
be placed on their backs to sleep unless the parent provides written
authorization on the JFS 01235 "Sleep Position Waiver Statement for Child
Care" signed by the child's physician. The JFS 01235 is to be maintained
on file for review and is valid for one year. Infants who are able to roll from
back to front and front to back are to be placed initially on their back for
sleeping but allowed to remain in a position they prefer.
(3)Sleep or nap areas are to be lighted to
allow for visual supervision of all children at all times.
(4)Any child who does not fall asleep
during a designated nap time is to have the opportunity to engage in quiet
activities.
(5)An evacuation route is not to be blocked
by sleeping or napping/resting children. Each child is to have a free and
direct means of escape and the IHA is to have a clear path to each child.
(6)Rest time is to be treated in the same
manner as nap time.
(B)What are the sleeping arrangements in
the child's home?
(1)Children living in the home are to sleep
in their own beds or cribs.
(2)The IHA's children being cared for in
the home are to be assigned their own bed, crib, couch, cot, playpen or mat.
(3)No child is to be permitted to rest, nap
or sleep on the floor without a mat, pad or cot.
(4)A mat is a pad that is at least one inch
thick and at least as wide and long as the child using the mat.
(5)A cot is to stand at least three inches
and not more than eighteen inches off the floor. The cot is to be firm enough
to support the child, but is to be resilient under pressure. Each cot is to be
at least thirty-six inches in length and at least as long as the child using
the mat is tall.
(6)An air mattress designed for overnight
sleeping may be used. All manufacturer's warnings are to be followed. Air
mattresses designed for use as flotation devices are not to be used for
sleeping or napping.
(C)What are the crib and playpen requirements
for the child's home?
(1)Unless the infant meets the requirements
of paragraph (E) of this rule, each infant being cared for in the home is to
have a separate crib or playpen that meets the following requirements:
(a)Any crib manufactured before June 28,
2011 is to have a certificate of compliance (COC) on file. The IHA may have to
contact the manufacturer of the crib to receive a COC if they do not request
one from the retailer when they purchase the crib.
(b)Cribs with a documented manufacture date
after June 28, 2011 have to meet the new federal standards to be sold, so they
do not require a COC. The date of manufacture is to be attached to the crib.
(c)Cribs and playpens are to be used
according to manufacturer's instructions.
(d)Each crib and playpen are to be of
sturdy construction and have:
(i)Closely spaced bars with corner posts
that do not exceed one sixteenth of an inch above the top of the end panel.
(ii)Spaces between the bars of the crib or
playpen and between the bars and end panels of the crib or playpen are not to
exceed two and three-eighths inches.
(iii)Playpen mesh openings are to be less
than one quarter inch.
(e)Cribs and playpens are to be used with
the mattress supports in their lowest positions and the sides in the highest
positions.
(f)Each crib is to have a firm mattress
that is at least one and one half inches thick.
(g)Each playpen is to have a firm mattress
or pad that does not exceed one inch in thickness.
(h)The space between the mattress and the
side or end panels of the crib or playpen are not to exceed one and one-half
inches.
(i)Each mattress is to be securely covered
with a waterproof material which can be thoroughly sanitized and is not
dangerous to children. The waterproof cover is to be free of rips or tears.
(D)What safety measures for cribs are to be
followed by an IHA?
(1)Cribs are not to be stacked.
(2)Bumper pads are not to be used.
(3)Items are not to be placed or hung over
the side that obstructs the IHA's view of the infant.
(4)Infants are not to be placed in cribs
with bibs or any other items which could pose a strangulation or suffocation
risk.
(5)No blankets are to be in the crib or
playpen for infants under twelve months old. A one-piece sleeper or wearable
blanket is permitted. Only children who are not yet able to roll-over are
permitted to be swaddled using a wearable swaddling blanket.
(6)Infants are to be placed in their cribs
or playpens for sleeping, and are not to be allowed to sleep in bassinets,
swings, car seats or other equipment. If a medical condition exists where a
child needs to sleep in equipment other than a crib or playpen, written
permission is to be obtained from a physician and is to be maintained on file.
(7)Cribs or playpens assigned to a child
are not to be used for storage of toys and other materials.
(E)When are children to stop using cribs or
playpens?
(1)When the child is able to climb out of
the crib or playpen.
(2)When the child reaches the height of
thirty-five inches.
(3)An infant twelve months or older may use
a cot, pad or mat with written permission from the parent.
(4)If the use of a crib or playpen is
considered hazardous for a child, regardless of age, the infant may use a cot
or mat with written permission from the parent.
(F)What are the requirements for evening
and overnight care?
(1)Evening and overnight care is any time
between the hours of seven p.m. and six a.m.
(2)The IHA is to remain awake until all
children are asleep. When children sleep in the evening or overnight, the IHA
is to have a monitoring device that ensures sight or hearing at all times.
(3)Children are to only sleep during
evening and overnight care in areas that have been approved for sleeping.
(4)Children under the age of five are to
sleep on the same floor as the IHA.
(5)Bedtime routines are to be developed and
followed in consultation with the parents of the children.
(6)All indoor areas of the home are to have
adequate lighting, including bathrooms, hallways and sleeping rooms to ensure
that children can be seen by the IHA.
(7)The IHA is to have written permission
from the parent prior to allowing the child to bathe.
(8)Ensure each child has clean, comfortable
sleeping clothes, and a clean, individual washcloth, towel and toothbrush, as
appropriate for the child.
(9)Assist children during washing and
changing clothes according to children's developmental needs.
(10) All children are to bathe separately
unless the parent has provided written consent that the children can be bathed
together.
Replaces: Part of 5101:2-14-04
Effective: 11/12/2023
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/12/2028
Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY
Date: 11/02/2023
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5104.019
Rule Amplifies: 5104.019
Prior Effective Dates: 04/01/1982, 05/20/1983, 09/01/1986,
02/15/1988, 05/01/1989, 10/15/1996, 10/01/1997 (Emer.), 12/30/1997, 04/01/2003,
08/14/2008, 12/01/2009, 07/01/2011, 01/01/2014, 12/31/2016, 10/29/2017