North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 75 - Department of Human Services › Article 75-03 - Community Services › Chapter 75-03-09 - Group Child Care Early Childhood Services › Section 75-03-09-18 - Minimum sanitation and safety requirements

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. The provider shall ensure that the group
				child care bathroom sinks, toilets, tables, chairs, and floors are cleaned
				daily.
2. The provider shall ensure
				that the group child care building, grounds, and equipment are located,
				cleaned, and maintained to protect the health and safety of children. Routine
				maintenance and cleaning procedures must be established to protect the health
				of the children and the staff members.
3. Staff members and children shall wash
				their hands, according to recommendations by the federal centers for disease
				control and prevention, before preparing or serving meals, after diapering,
				after using toilet facilities, and after any other procedure that may involve
				contact with bodily fluids. Hand soap and sanitary hand-drying equipment,
				individually designated cloth towels, or paper towels must be available at each
				sink.
4. The provider shall ensure
				that indoor and outdoor equipment, toys, and supplies are safe, strong,
				nontoxic, and in good repair. The provider shall ensure that all toys and
				equipment are kept clean and in sanitary condition. Books and other toys that
				are not readily cleanable must be sanitized as much as possible without
				damaging the integrity or educational value of the item.
5. The provider shall ensure that the group
				child care ground areas are free from accumulations of refuse, standing water,
				unprotected wells, debris, flammable material, and other health and safety
				hazards.
6. The provider shall
				ensure that garbage stored outside is kept away from areas used by children and
				is kept in containers with lids. Open burning is not permitted. The provider
				shall keep indoor garbage in covered containers. The provider may allow paper
				waste to be kept in open waste containers.
7. The provider shall ensure that exterior
				play areas in close proximity to busy streets and other unsafe areas are
				contained or fenced, or have natural barriers, to restrict children from those
				unsafe areas. Outdoor play areas must be inspected daily for hazards and
				necessary maintenance.
8. The
				provider shall ensure that potential hazards, such as noncovered electrical
				outlets, guns, household cleaning chemicals, uninsulated wires, medicines, and
				poisonous plants are not accessible to children. The provider shall keep guns
				and ammunition in locked storage, each separate from the other, or shall use
				trigger locks. The provider shall ensure other weapons and dangerous sporting
				equipment, such as bows and arrows, are not accessible to children.
9. The provider shall ensure that indoor
				floors and steps are not slippery and do not have splinters. The provider shall
				ensure that accumulations of water, ice, snow, or debris are removed from steps
				and walkways as quickly as possible.
10. The provider shall ensure that elevated
				areas, including stairs and porches, have railings and safety gates where
				necessary to prevent falls.
11. The
				provider shall take steps to keep the group child care free of insects and
				rodents. Chemicals for insect and rodent control may not be applied in areas
				accessible to children when children are present in the group child care.
				Insect repellant may be applied outdoors on children with parental
				permission.
12. The provider shall
				ensure that exit doorways and pathways are not blocked.
13. The provider shall ensure that light
				bulbs in areas used by children are properly shielded or
				shatterproof.
14. The provider
				shall ensure that combustible materials are kept away from light bulbs and
				other heat sources.
15. The
				provider shall ensure adequate heating, ventilation, humidity, and lighting for
				the comfort and protection of the health of the children. All heating devices
				must be approved by local fire authorities. During the heating season when the
				group child care is occupied by children, the room temperature must not be less
				than sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit [18 degrees Celsius] and not more than
				seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit [24 degrees Celsius].
16. A provider shall ensure that all group
				child care buildings erected before January 1, 1970, which contain painted
				surfaces in a peeling, flaking, chipped, or chewed condition in any area where
				children may be present, have painted surfaces repainted or shall submit
				evidence that the paints or finishes do not contain hazardous levels of
				lead-bearing substances. For the purposes of this chapter, "hazardous levels of
				lead-bearing substances" means any paint, varnish, lacquer, putty, plaster, or
				similar coating of structural material which contains lead or its compounds in
				excess of seven-tenths of one milligram per square centimeter, or in excess of
				five-tenths of one percent in the dried film or coating, when measured by a
				lead-detecting instrument approved by the department of environmental
				quality.
17. The provider shall
				ensure that personal items, including combs, pacifiers, and toothbrushes, are
				individually identified and stored in a sanitary manner.
18. Pets and animals.
a. The provider shall ensure that only small
				pets that are contained in an aquarium or other approved enclosed container,
				cats, and dogs are present in areas occupied by children. Wire cages are not
				approved containers. Other indoor pets and animals must be restricted by a
				solid barrier and must not be accessible to children. The department may
				restrict any pet or animal from the premises that may pose a risk to children
				or may approve additional pets that do not pose a health or safety risk to
				children.
b. The provider shall
				ensure that animals are maintained in good health and are appropriately
				immunized. Pet immunizations must be documented with a current certificate from
				a veterinarian.
c. The provider
				shall ensure parents are aware of the presence of pets and animals in the group
				child care.
d. The provider shall
				notify parents immediately if a child is bitten or scratched and skin is
				broken.
e. A staff member
				responsible for caring for or teaching children shall supervise closely all
				contact between pets or animals and children. The staff member shall
				immediately remove the pet if the pet or animal shows signs of distress or the
				child shows signs of treating the pet or animal inappropriately.
f. The provider shall ensure that pets, pet
				feeding dishes, cages, and litter boxes are not present in any food
				preparation, food storage, or serving areas. The provider shall ensure that pet
				and animal feeding dishes and litter boxes are not placed in areas accessible
				to children.
g. The provider shall
				ensure that indoor and outdoor areas accessible to children must be free of
				animal excrement.
h. The provider
				shall ensure that the group child care is in compliance with all applicable
				state and local ordinances regarding the number, type, and health status of
				pets or animals.