Indiana Administrative Code › Title 470 - DIVISION OF FAMILY RESOURCES › Article 3 - CHILD WELFARE SERVICES › Rule 4.4 - Child Care Facilities; Exempted Day Nurseries › Section 4.4-7 - Buildings, grounds, equipment, furnishings, materials and supplies

Current through July 10, 2024
Authority: IC 12-13-5-3
Affected: IC 12-17.2
Sec. 7.
(a) Cots.
				Each child not requiring a crib and young enough to nap shall be provided an
				individual cot. Cots shall be easily sanitized, and the sleeping surfaces off
				the floor. All cots shall be sanitized daily after each use. Weekly sanitation
				of a cot is acceptable only if the cot is used by the same child each day. Cots
				shall be spaced at least two (2) feet apart on all sides except where they
				touch the wall.
Coverings used to maintain comfort and warmth shall be clean
				  and individually marked. Individual storage shall be provided for coverings,
				  children's personal items and clothing.
Cots shall be in good repair and stored in a manner as to
				  prevent injury to children.
(b) Space and Furnishings for Infants and
				Toddlers. Supplies and personal belongings of each child shall be individually
				stored and easily accessible. Diaper bags brought from home shall not be stored
				in the room.
Tiered cribs are prohibited. Mesh cribs, playpens, and
				  bassinets of any type shall be prohibited for sleeping. All surfaces shall be
				  cleanable.
Crib mattresses shall be securely covered with a waterproof
				  material not dangerous to children. There shall be at least three (3) feet
				  between cribs.
(c) Outdoor
				Play Area. The play area shall be well drained and free from hazards which
				might be dangerous to the life or health of the children.
(d) First Aid and Medications. Poisons and
				medications or other harmful chemicals shall be kept under lock, away from
				children. First aid supplies, hazardous articles, materials, and equipment such
				as cleaning fluids, polishes, bleaches, detergents, matches, and tools shall be
				stored in a place inaccessible to children.
Medication requiring refrigeration shall be stored in a
				  lidded plastic container clearly labeled "medication." Medication not requiring
				  refrigeration shall not be stored in the kitchen.
(e) Safety. Equipment, materials and
				furnishings, whether for indoor or outdoor use, shall be sturdy, nontoxic, easy
				to clean, and kept clean and in good, safe condition, free of sharp points or
				jagged edges, splinters, protruding nails or wires, loose parts, rusty parts,
				materials containing poisonous substances, or paint which contains lead or
				other poisonous materials, and free from hazards to the life or health of
				children.
All areas, surfaces and items including toys, cribs, jumpers
				  and playpens with which children will come in contact shall be free of any
				  residual pesticides and paint containing lead or other harmful materials or
				  finishes, and shall be clean and easily sanitized on a regular basis.
The floor coverings shall be safe and easily cleanable. If
				  carpeting is used, it shall be firmly secured, vacuumed daily when children are
				  not present and shampooed as frequently as necessary to keep it clean.
Fans shall be kept clean and used in such a way as to prevent
				  injury to children.
(f)
				Design and Construction. The facility shall be structurally sound, in good
				repair, and safe for children. The premises shall be maintained in a clean,
				neat and sanitary condition. Rooms shall not be swept or dusted while occupied
				by children except for cleaning up after food service or art projects.
				Kitchens, infant rooms, and toddler rooms shall not be used as throughways to
				other rooms or areas.
(g) Lavatory
				and Toilet Facilities. The facility shall provide inside toilet rooms equipped
				with flush toilets and securely fastened, sealed to the wall, supported wash
				basins with hot and cold running water. Toilet rooms shall be enclosed,
				adequately ventilated and located in close proximity to inside and outdoor play
				areas.
The facility shall provide a minimum of one wash basin and
				  one flush toilet for each fifteen (15) children for which the facility is
				  licensed. Toilet rooms with multiple toilets, shall not be used by school-age
				  children of opposite sex, and toilets for school-age children shall be
				  separated by partitions.
If child-size toilets and wash basins are not available, easy
				  to clean steps or platforms shall be provided for small children. Nursery seats
				  or toilet chairs shall be provided for children learning toilet habits. Toilet
				  facilities shall be furnished for the staff and other adults separate from
				  those furnished for the children.
All non-portable handwashing facilities shall be provided
				  with hot and cold running water. Automatic hot water control valves that will
				  not permit the hot water temperature at the point of use to exceed 120°
				  F. shall be used. The temperature of the water for handwashing shall be at
				  least 100° F. Alternative portable sinks are suitable if proper
				  sanitary procedures are followed as specified by the SBH.
Toilets, toilet chairs, nursery seats, changing tables and
				  lavatories shall be clean and sanitized.
When natural light is insufficient, it shall be supplemented
				  by artificial light and properly diffused and distributed.
All windows which open, doors not equipped with panic
				  hardware or equivalent, ventilators, and other outside openings shall be
				  protected against insects by securely fastened 16-mesh screening, as the season
				  requires.
Areas used by the children shall be heated when the
				  temperature falls below 68° F., so that a temperature of 68° F.
				  to 72° F. may be maintained within two feet of the
				  floor.
Transferred from the
				  Indiana State Department of Health ( 410 IAC 22-1-7 ) to the Division of Family
				  and Children ( 470 IAC 3-4.4-7 ) by P.L. 9-1991, SECTION 129, effective July 1,
				  1992.