Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 214 - DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES › Chapter 40 - Licensing › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 7 - Group Family Child Care Home Regulations for Licensure (214-RICR-40-00-7) › Section 214-RICR-40-00-7.3 - LICENSING STANDARDS

Current through June 14, 2024
7.3.1
NUMBER
				 OF CHILDREN IN CARE AND THEIR SUPERVISION
A. A group family child care home provider
				 shall care for no more than twelve (12) children at any time.
B. There shall be an approved assistant in
				 the home, assisting the provider with the care of the children, at all times
				 when child care is being provided.
C. There shall be no more than eight (8)
				 children under the age of eighteen (18) months in child care at any time. When
				 there are more than four (4) children under the age of eighteen (18) months of
				 age in child care, the provider shall have two (2) approved assistants in the
				 home who are directly involved with the care of the children.
D. The following staff/child ratios shall be
				 maintained at all times in a group family child care home:
1. Children ages 0 - 18 months - 1 staff for
				 4 children
2. Children ages 18
				 months and older - 1 staff for 6 children
E. Maximum number of children for child care
				 when there are children living in the home
1.
				 Children under six (6) years of age who live in the home shall be counted in
				 determining the maximum number for licensure.
2. More than two (2) children between six (6)
				 and twelve (12) years of age who live in the home and are present for four (4)
				 consecutive hours or more during the period that child care is provided shall
				 be counted in determining the maximum number for licensure. Exceptions may be
				 made for snow days, sick days, holidays and one (1) week school
				 vacations.
3. To determine the
				 adult/child ratio, children of assistants who are in care in the home shall be
				 counted in the appropriate age groups.
F. Provider Time Out of the Home
1. Provider may be out of the home 20% of the
				 total work week, (20% of 40 hours equals 8 hours per week), not to exceed
				 fifteen (15) hours, leaving the children under the direct supervision of
				 approved assistants.
2. Provider
				 may be out of the home due to health related appointments or classes/training
				 related to child care which cannot be scheduled when child care is not being
				 provided. The provider shall have the appropriate number of assistants to meet
				 the required adult/child ratios as stated in §§7.3.1(A) through (D) of this Part above.
3. When a provider will be out of the home,
				 the parents/guardians of the children in care shall be notified and provided
				 with the names of the approved assistants who will be caring for the
				 children.
G. Provider
				 shall be responsible for the supervision of assistants and shall ensure that
				 assistants are directly involved with the care of the children. Written work
				 schedules shall be maintained for provider and assistants.
H. Provider shall have a plan for handling
				 emergencies and shall have at least two (2) individuals, who have been approved
				 as emergency assistants, readily available to be called upon for child care
				 assistance in the event of an emergency. At least one emergency assistant
				 should be no more than ten (10) minutes away from the child care home.
1. If a provider utilizes another provider as
				 an emergency assistant, the adult/child ratios as stated in §§7.3.1(A) through
				 (D) of this Part above shall be
				 maintained.
2. An emergency is
				 defined as being an unplanned absence from the home because of illness or
				 accident. It is meant to be of short duration, generally lasting no more than a
				 few hours, but shall not extend beyond three (3) consecutive working
				 days.
3. Provider shall notify the
				 Department of any change in emergency assistants.
4. Provider shall inform the
				 parents/guardians of the children in care of the names of the emergency
				 assistants.
I. Provider
				 shall work no more than fifteen (15) hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period,
				 including child care and any other employment. Provider shall be awake during
				 the hours child care is being provided.
J. Children shall be under the direct
				 supervision of the provider and/or assistant(s) at all times. The provider
				 and/or assistant(s) shall supervise all aspects of the program, including
				 toileting, resting or sleeping, eating and outdoor play.
1. Children shall not be under the care or
				 supervision of family members who have not been approved as assistants or
				 emergency assistants.
2. Children
				 shall not be under the care or supervision of a visitor nor shall they be left
				 alone with a visitor.