North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 10A - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › Chapter 09 - CHILD CARE RULES › Section .1700 - FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME REQUIREMENTS › Section 09 .1718 - REQUIREMENTS FOR DAILY OPERATIONS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a)
				The family child care home operator (operator or operators) shall provide the
				following on a daily basis for all children in care:
(1) Developmentally appropriate equipment and
				materials for a variety of outdoor activities that allow for vigorous play,
				large and small muscle development, and social, emotional, and intellectual
				development. For purposes of this Rule "vigorous" means done with force and
				energy. Each child shall have the opportunity for a minimum of one hour of
				outdoor play each day that weather conditions permit. The operator shall
				provide space and time for vigorous indoor activities when children cannot play
				outdoors;
(2) Individual sleep
				requirements for infants aged 12 months or younger shall be provided for as
				specified in
				10A NCAC
				09 .1724(a)(2). A supply of
				clean linens must be on hand so that linens can be changed whenever they become
				soiled or wet. Linens shall be changed weekly or whenever they become soiled or
				wet. An individual sleeping space such as a bed, crib, play pen, cot, mat, or
				sleeping bag with individual linens shall be provided for each pre-school age
				child in care for four hours or more, or for all children if overnight care is
				provided, to rest;
(3) A safe sleep
				environment by ensuring that when a child is sleeping or napping, bedding or
				other objects shall not be placed in a manner that covers the child's
				face;
(4) A separate area that can
				be supervised pursuant to
				10A NCAC
				09.1720(a) for children who
				become ill to the extent that they can no longer participate in group
				activities. Parents shall be notified if their child becomes too sick to remain
				in care;
(5) The opportunity each
				day for each child under the age of 12 months for supervised play while awake
				and alert while positioned on his or her stomach;
(6) Developmentally appropriate activities as
				planned on a written schedule and activity plan. The schedule and activity plan
				may be combined as one document. Materials or equipment shall be available
				indoors and outdoors to support the activities listed on the written schedule
				and activity plan;
(7) A written
				schedule that shall:
(A) Show blocks of time
				assigned to types of activities and include periods of time for both active
				play and quiet play or rest;
(B)
				Show times and activities that are developmentally appropriate for the ages of
				children in care;
(C) Reflect daily
				opportunities for both free choice and guided activities;
(D) Include a minimum of one hour of outdoor
				play throughout the day, if weather conditions permit;
(E) Include a daily gross motor activity that
				may occur indoors or outdoors; and
(F) For children under two years old,
				interspersed among the daily events shall be individualized caregiving routines
				such as eating, napping, and toileting;
(8) A written activity plan that shall:
(A) Include activities intended to stimulate
				the following developmental domains, in accordance with North Carolina
				Foundations for Early Learning and Development, available on the Division's
				website at https://www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov//pdf_forms/nc_foundations.pdf:
(i) emotional and social
				development;
(ii) health and
				physical development;
(iii)
				approaches to play and learning;
(iv) language development and communication;
				and
(iv) cognitive
				development.
(B)
				Identify activities that allow children to choose to participate with the whole
				group, part of the group, or independent of the group;
(C) Reflect that children have at least four
				different activities daily, at least one of which is outdoors, if weather
				conditions permit, as specified in
				G.S.
				110-91(12) as follows:
(i) art and other creative play;
(ii) children's books;
(iii) blocks and block building;
(iv) manipulatives; and
(v) family living and dramatic
				play.
(D) Provide
				materials and opportunities at least weekly, indoors or outdoors, for the
				following:
(i) music and rhythm;
(ii) science and nature; and
(iii) sand and water play.
(9) A clean and open
				area that allows freedom of movement shall be available, both indoors and
				outdoors; and
(10) Operators who
				provide care to school-age children shall provide a balance of activities
				appropriate to the age, needs and interests of the school-age
				children.