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) Even if only one child care staff member is needed to be in
the building to meet ratio, thereThere
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. A child care staff member who meets the requirements of
paragraph (B)(2) of rule 5101:2-12-08 of the Administrative Code shall not be
used as the additional adult on the premises.
(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) 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) 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) 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. Children, other than
school-age children, shall not be moved from one group to another to maintain
staff/child ratios.
(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 document on the
attendance records the specific days and times the child is with each group.
(2) The center shall have available in the
classrooms, a copy of the transition agreement between the parent and the
center.
(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.
(E)(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)
cannot be used to meet this written documentation requirement.
(e) The 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.
(1) A record of daily attendance for each
group shall be kept by the child care staff member responsible for that group.
Attendance records shall remain with the group at all times throughout the day
including outdoor play, emergency evacuations and when groups are combined. The
attendance shall be updated throughout the day as children enter or leave the
group.
(2) The attendance record shall contain all
of the following information:
(a) The names and birth dates of each child
in the group.
(b) The names of the child care staff
members responsible for the group.
(c) The child's weekly schedule.
(d) The time (hours and minutes) of the
child's arrival and departure to the group.
(3) A child attending the center on a
drop-in basis shall be listed on the attendance sheet of the group to which he
or she is assigned on the day the child is in attendance.
(4) The written records of attendance shall
be kept for a period of one year. A copy of attendance records shall remain at
the center at all times.
Effective: 10/29/2017
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 12/31/2021
Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY
Date: 10/12/2017
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5104.016
Rule Amplifies: 5104.033
Prior Effective Dates: 3/1/81, 6/1/84, 9/1/86, 1/2/92 (Emer.),
4/1/92, 4/1/03, 1/1/07, 8/14/08, 9/29/11, 12/31/16