New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 18 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES › Chapter II - Regulations of the Department of Social Services › Subchapter C - Social Services › Article 2 - Family and Children's Services › Part 418 - Day Care Centers › Subpart 418-2 - Small Day Care Centers › Section 418-2.7 - Program requirements

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a)
			   The program must establish and implement a daily schedule of program activities
			   that offers reasonable regularity in routines, including snack and meal
			   periods, nap and rest periods, indoor activities, outdoor play time and a
			   variety of large muscle activities throughout the day. There must be physical
			   activity, appropriate to the ages of the children in care, every day.
(b) When care is provided to infants less
			   than six months of age, the daily schedule must include short supervised
			   periods of time during which the awake infant is placed on his or her stomach,
			   back or side allowing them to move freely and interact socially, thus
			   developing motor skills and social skills.
(c) The daily schedule must include a routine
			   of good personal hygiene practices, and when night care is provided, this
			   includes changing into night clothes, brushing teeth, and washing before bed in
			   the manner to be agreed between the parent and the program.
(d) Children must receive instruction,
			   consistent with their age, needs and circumstances, in techniques and
			   procedures that will enable them to protect themselves from abuse and
			   maltreatment.
(e) Each small day
			   care center must provide a sufficient quantity and variety of materials and
			   play equipment appropriate to the ages of the children and their developmental
			   levels and interests, including children with developmental delays or
			   disabilities, which promote the children's cognitive, educational, social,
			   cultural, physical, emotional, language and recreational development.
(f) As age and development permit, children
			   must be allowed freedom of movement and must be provided with an environment
			   designed to develop such skills as crawling, standing, walking and
			   running.
(g) Children must be
			   provided an opportunity to choose between quiet activities and active
			   play.
(h) Daily supervised outdoor
			   play is required for all children in care, except during inclement or extreme
			   weather or unless otherwise ordered by a health care provider. Parents may
			   request and programs may permit children to remain indoors during outdoor play
			   time so long as such children will be supervised by a caregiver.
(i) Except while sleeping, awaking or going
			   to sleep, an infant must not be left in a crib, playpen or other confined space
			   for more than 30 minutes at any one time. Other than at meals or snack time, a
			   child must not be left in a high chair for longer than 15 minutes.
(j) Children may not sleep or nap in car
			   seats, baby swings, strollers, infant seats or bouncy seats. Should a child
			   fall asleep in one of these devices, he or she must be moved to a crib/cot or
			   other approved sleeping surface.
(k) For day and evening care, appropriate
			   rest and quiet periods, that are responsive to individual and group needs, must
			   be provided so that children can sit quietly or lie down to rest.
(l) Other than for school age children,
			   sleeping and napping arrangements must be made in writing between the parent
			   and the program. Such arrangements shall include: the area of the program where
			   the child will nap; whether the child will nap on a cot, mat, bed or a crib;
			   and how the napping child will be supervised, consistent with the requirements
			   of section
			   418-2.8 
			   of this Subpart.
(m) Sleeping
			   arrangements for infants through 12 months of age require that the infant be
			   placed flat on his or her back to sleep, unless medical information from the
			   child's health care provider is presented to the program by the parent that
			   shows that arrangement is inappropriate for that child.
(n) Cribs, bassinets and other sleeping areas
			   for infants through 12 months of age must include an appropriately sized fitted
			   sheet, and must not have bumper pads, toys, stuffed animals, blankets, pillows,
			   wedges or infant positioners. Wedges or infant positioners will be permitted
			   with medical documentation from the child's health care provider.
(o) The resting/napping places must:
(1) be located in approved day care
			   space;
(2) be located in safe areas
			   of the program;
(3) be located in a
			   draft-free area;
(4) be where
			   children will not be stepped on;
(5) be in a location where safe egress is not
			   blocked; and
(6) allow caregivers
			   to move freely and safely within the napping area in order to check on or meet
			   the needs of children.