Skip Navigation LinksHome > Agencies > Agency Standards  
 
Skip Navigation Links
Introduction
Go To Database
Agencies
Definitions
Agencies - Agency Information and Links
Agency Standards - Caring for our Children: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Public Health Association (APHA) and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care (NRC)
 
StandardSubStandardDescription
Education and Early Childhood EducationCurriculumSTANDARD 2.001 Written Daily Activity Plan and Statement of Principles - Facilities shall establish and implement a written, planned program of daily activities based on the child's individual development at each stage of early childhood. The objective of the program of daily activities shall be to foster incremental developmental progress. Centers shall develop a written statement of principles that sets out the basic elements from which the daily program is to be built. An annual review of the written statement of principles guiding program development shall engage all staff. The elements to be included are those specified in the current edition of Caring for Our Children, the National Health and Safety Performance Standards.
Education and Early Childhood EducationCurriculumSTANDARD 2.021 Child care centers shall have written program plans addressing the health and/or nutrition, and safety aspects of each formally structured activity documented in the written curriculum.
Education and Early Childhood EducationIndoor SpaceSTANDARD 2.016 Selection of Equipment for 3- to 5-year-olds - The facility shall select, for both indoor and outdoor play, developmentally appropriate equipment, for safety, for its ability to provide large and small motor experiences, and for its adaptability to serve many different ideas, functions, and forms of creative expression.
Education and Early Childhood EducationIndoor SpaceSTANDARD 2.012 Space and Activity to Support Learning of Infants and Toddlers - The facility shall provide a safe and clean space, both indoors and outdoors, and colorful material and equipment arranged to support learning. The facility shall provide opportunities for the child to act upon the environment by experiencing age-appropriate obstacles, frustrations, and risks in order to learn to manage inner feelings and resources, as well as the occurrences and demands of the outer world. The facility shall provide opportunities for play that: · Lessen the child's anxiety and help the child adapt to reality and resolve conflicts; Enable the child to explore the real world; Help the child practice resolving conflicts; Use symbols (words, numbers, and letters); Manipulate objects; Exercise physical skills;Encourage language development;Foster self-expression; Strengthen the child's identity as a member of a family and a cultural community.
Education and Early Childhood EducationIndoor SpaceSTANDARD 5.112 Space Required per Child - In general, the designated area for children's activities shall contain a minimum of 35 square feet of usable floor space per child (or compensating for typical furnishings and equipment being present, 50 square feet measured on the inside, wall-to-wall dimensions) (40). In addition, the following shall apply when the indicated, specific types of children are in care: a) For children with special needs who are 2 to 12 years of age, the minimum usable floor space in a classroom or playroom shall be 40 square feet; b) When play and sleep areas for infants, toddlers, or preschool-age children are in the same room, a minimum of 35 square feet of usable floor space per child shall be provided except during periods when the children are using their rest equipment. During sleep periods, the space shall be sufficient to provide spacing between children using rest equipment, according to STANDARD 5.142 through STANDARD 5.144. These spaces are exclusive of food preparation areas of the kitchen, bathrooms, toilets, areas for the care of ill children, offices, staff rooms, corridors, hallways, stairways, closets, lockers, laundry, furnace rooms, cabinets, and storage shelving spaces.
Education and Early Childhood EducationIndoor SpaceSTANDARD 5.163 Size and Requirements of Indoor Play Area - If a facility has less than 75 square feet of accessible outdoor space per child or provides active play space indoors for other reasons, a large indoor activity room that meets the requirement for 75 square feet per child may be used if it meets the following requirements:a) It provides for types of activities equivalent to those performed in an outdoor play space; b) The area is ventilated with fresh, temperate air at a minimum of 5 cubic feet per minute per occupant when open windows are not possible; c) The surfaces and finishes are shock-absorbing, as required for outdoor installations in STANDARD 5.183; d) The play equipment meets the requirements for outdoor installation as stated in STANDARD 5.170 through STANDARD 5.175, STANDARD 5.181 through STANDARD 5.189.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.002 Program of Activities Including Special Interventions - Facilities shall have a Program of Activities to include special interventions for children with any special restriction(s) of activities.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.003 Content of Facility Activities - The facility's activities shall include: a) Both structured and unstructured times; b) Both teacher-directed and child-initiated experiences; c) Family involvement activities.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.004 Helping Families Cope with Separation - The staff of the facility shall help the child and parents cope with the experience of separation and loss. For the child, this shall be accomplished by: a) Encouraging parents to spend time in the facility with the child; b) Enabling the child to bring to child care tangible reminders of home/family (such as a favorite toy or a picture of self and parent); c) Helping the child to play out themes of separation and reunion; d) Frequently exchanging information between the child's parents and caregivers, including activities and routine care information; e) Reassuring the child about the parent's return; f) Ensuring that the caregiver(s) are consistent both within the parts of a day and across days. For the parents, this shall be accomplished by: a) Validating their feelings as a universal human experience; b) Providing parents with information about the positive effects for children of high quality facilities with strong parent participation; c) Encouraging parents to discuss their feelings; d) Providing parents with evidence, such as photographs, that their child is being cared for and is enjoying the activities of the facility.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.006 Communication in Native Language - At least one member of the staff shall be able to communicate in the native language of the parents and children, or the facility shall work with parents to arrange for a translator to communicate with parents and children.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.007 Diversity in Enrollment and Curriculum - Facilities shall work to increase understanding of cultural, ethnic,and other differences by enrolling children who reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community and by providing cultural curricula that engages children and teaches multicultural learning activities.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.008 Verbal Interaction - The child care facility shall assure that each child has at least one speaking adult person who engages the child in verbal exchanges linked to daily events and experiences. To encourage the development of language, the caregiver shall demonstrate skillful verbal communication and interaction with the child. · For infants, these interactions shall include responses to, and encouragement of, soft infant sounds, as well as naming of objects by the caregiver. · For toddlers, the interactions shall include naming of objects and actions and supporting, but not forcing, the child to do the same. For Preschool and school-age children, interactions shall include respectful listening and responses to what the child has to say, amplifying and clarifying the child's intent.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.010 Personal Caregiver Relationships for Infants and Toddlers - Opportunities shall be provided for each child to develop a personal and affectionate relationship with, and attachment to, that child's parents and one or a small number of caregivers whose care for and responsiveness to the child ensure relief of distress, experiences of comfort and stimulation, and satisfaction of the need for a personal relationship. The facility shall limit the number of caregivers who interact with any. One infant to no more than three caregivers in a given day and no more than The caregivers shall: a) Hold and comfort children who are upset; b) Engage in social interchanges such as smiling, talking, touching, singing, and eating; c) Be play partners as well as protectors; d) Attune to children's feelings and reflect them back.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.011 Interactions with Infants and Toddlers - Caregivers shall talk, listen to, and otherwise interact with young infants as they feed, change, and cuddle them.
Education and Early Childhood EducationLearning EnvironmentSTANDARD 2.012 Space and Activity to Support Learning of Infants and Toddlers - The facility shall provide a safe and clean space, both indoors and outdoors, and colorful material and equipment arranged to support learning. The facility shall provide opportunities for the child to act upon the environment by experiencing age-appropriate obstacles, frustrations, and risks in order to learn to manage inner feelings and resources, as well as the occurrences and demands of the outer world. The facility shall provide opportunities for play that: Lessen the child's anxiety and help the child adapt to reality and resolve conflicts; Enable the child to explore the real world;Help the child practice resolving conflicts; Use symbols (words, numbers, and letters); Manipulate objects; Exercise physical skills; Encourage language development; Foster self-expression;Strengthen the child's identity as a member of a family and a cultural community.
12345678910...
Copyright © OMNI Institute