Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 591 - RULES OF BRIGHT FROM THE START GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CARE AND LEARNING › Chapter 591-1 › Subject 591-1-1 - CHILD CARE LEARNING CENTERS › Rule 591-1-1-.25 - Physical Plant

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) Ceilings. Ceilings shall be at least
				seven (7) feet in height.
(2)
				Changing Areas. For evening and night-time care, separate changing areas shall
				be provided for children of the opposite sex eight (8) years of age and
				older.
(3) Cleanliness. The Center
				and surrounding premises shall be kept clean, free of debris and in good
				repair. Hygienic measures such as, but not limited to, screened windows and
				proper waste disposal procedures shall be utilized to minimize the presence of
				rodents, flies, roaches and other vermin at the Center.
(4) Climate Control. A Center shall be
				maintained at a temperature range of sixty-five (65) degrees Fahrenheit to
				eighty-five (85) degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the season and ventilated
				either by mechanical or natural means to provide fresh air and control
				unpleasant odors. Facilities which do not have a functioning central heating
				and air conditioning system shall make fifty percent (50%) of all required
				windows operable for ventilation. Any openings used for ventilation shall be
				screened.
(5) Construction and
				Renovation. A person planning the construction of a new Center or planning any
				structural changes to an existing Center shall obtain approval from the
				Department, local zoning authorities, fire safety agencies and local building
				authorities. Construction and maintenance work shall take place only in areas
				that are not accessible to the children.
(6) Cubbies - Individual Storage Space. Each
				child's personal items shall be kept in individually labeled cubbies, lockers
				or racks separated from articles used by other children. The spaces shall be
				accessible to the children to whom they are assigned.
(7) Doors and Locks. Doors to rooms not
				approved for child care, other than the kitchen doors, shall be latched or
				locked so children cannot wander into those areas. Except in School-age
				Centers, interior Center door locks shall permit Personnel to open the locked
				room from outside of the room in an emergency.
(8) Electrical Outlets. Except in School-age
				Centers, all unused electrical outlets within reach of children shall have
				protective caps specifically designed to prohibit children from placing
				anything in the receptacle. Electrical outlets in use which the children can
				reach shall be made inaccessible to the children.
(9) Exclusion from Premises. The Center shall
				not allow any person to remain on the Center premises if the person does not
				have a legitimate reason for being on the premises.
(10) Fire Safety. A Center must be in
				compliance with applicable laws and regulations issued by the state fire
				marshal, the proper local fire marshal or state inspector, including a
				certificate of occupancy if required prior to receiving any children for
				care.
(11) Flooring. Floor
				coverings shall be tight, smooth, free of odors and washable or
				cleanable.
(12) Heating and Cooling
				Equipment. Heating and cooling equipment shall be protected to prevent children
				from touching it. Fans, space heaters, etc. shall be positioned or installed so
				as to be inaccessible to the children.
(13) Indoor Storage Areas. Potentially
				hazardous equipment, materials and supplies shall be stored in a locked area
				inaccessible to children. Examples of items to be stored include non-food
				related products under pressure in aerosol dispensing cans, flammable and
				corrosive materials, cleaning supplies, poisons, insecticides, office supplies
				and industrial-sized or commercial buckets with a capacity of three gallons or
				more or any other similar device with rigid sides which would not tip over if a
				toddler fell into the container head first.
(14) Lighting. A Center shall be lighted with
				a minimum of twenty-five (25) foot candles of illumination except during
				scheduled nap or rest periods. Areas used for napping shall be lit dimly. A
				Center shall provide outside lighting at entrances and exits used by children
				when the Center provides evening or night-time care.
(15) Outside Storage Area. Any outside
				storage or equipment area shall be locked, separated from the children by a
				barrier or enclosure, and shall not be accessible to the children.
(16) Parking. Sufficient parking areas shall
				be provided to permit safe discharge and pick up of children.
(17) Plants and Shrubs. The Center premises
				shall be free of plants and shrubs which are poisonous or hazardous.
(18) Telephone. An operable telephone shall
				be readily available in the Center and the following emergency telephone
				numbers must be posted in a conspicuous place next to the telephone: physician
				or hospital; county health department; regional poison control Center; all
				emergency numbers or numbers of local ambulance service, fire and police
				departments.
(19) Unapproved Areas.
				The following areas shall not be used as activity areas for the children:
				basement area in excess of twenty-five linear feet from a window; rooms with
				floor levels lower than three (3) feet or more below ground level on all sides;
				and any area unapproved for use by authorities having jurisdiction.
(20) Water and Sewage. All water sources, if
				other than an approved city or county system, shall be approved by the proper
				authority having jurisdiction. All sewage disposal systems, if other than an
				approved city or county system, shall be approved by the local county health
				department and specify the number of persons the system is approved to
				serve.
(21) Windows. All floor
				level windows or full-length glass doors shall be constructed of safety glass
				with decals applied at the eye level of the children or such windows or doors
				shall have protective devices covering the glass designed to prevent the
				children from getting cut by the glass should it break for any reason. Except
				in School-age Centers, child care rooms shall have outside windows which
				receive natural sunlight and equal not less than five percent (5%) of the floor
				area in each room, unless central heating and air conditioning are
				provided.
O.C.G.A. §
											20-1A-1 et
				 seq.