Texas Administrative Code › Title 26 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › Part 1 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION › Chapter 746 - MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR CHILD-CARE CENTERS › Subchapter B - ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION › Division 4 - OPERATIONAL POLICIES › Section 746.501 - What written operational policies must I have?

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) You must develop
					 written operational policies and procedures that at a minimum address each of
					 the following:
(1) Hours, days, and months of
					 operation;
(2) Procedures for the
					 release of children;
(3) Illness
					 and exclusion criteria;
(4)
					 Procedures for dispensing medication or a statement that medication is not
					 dispensed;
(5) Procedures for
					 handling medical emergencies;
(6)
					 Procedures for parental notifications;
(7) Discipline and guidance that is
					 consistent with Subchapter L of this chapter (relating to Discipline and
					 Guidance). A copy of Subchapter L may be used for your discipline and guidance
					 policy;
(8) Suspension and
					 expulsion of children;
(9) Safe
					 sleep policy for infants from birth through 12 months old that is consistent
					 with the rules in Subchapter H of this chapter (relating to Basic Requirements
					 for Infants) that relate to sleep requirements and restrictions, including
					 sleep positioning, and crib requirements and restrictions, including
					 mattresses, bedding, blankets, toys, and restrictive devices;
(10) Meals and food service
					 practices;
(11) Immunization
					 requirements for children, including tuberculosis screening and testing if
					 required by your regional Texas Department of State Health Services or local
					 health authority;
(12) Hearing and
					 vision screening requirements;
(13)
					 Enrollment procedures, including how and when parents will be notified of
					 policy changes;
(14)
					 Transportation, if applicable;
(15)
					 Water activities, if applicable;
(16) Field trips, if applicable;
(17) Animals, if applicable;
(18) Promotion of indoor and outdoor physical
					 activity that is consistent with Subchapter F of this chapter (relating to
					 Developmental Activities and Activity Plan); your policies must include:
(A) The benefits of physical activity and
					 outdoor play;
(B) The duration of
					 physical activity at your operation, both indoor and outdoor;
(C) The type of physical activity (structured
					 and unstructured) that children may engage in at your operation;
(D) Each setting in which your physical
					 activity program will take place;
(E) The recommended clothing and footwear
					 that will allow a child to participate freely and safely in physical
					 activities;
(F) The criteria you
					 will use to determine when extreme weather conditions pose a significant health
					 risk that prohibits or limits outdoor play; and
(G) A plan to ensure physical activity occurs
					 on days when extreme weather conditions prohibit or limit outdoor
					 play.
(19) Procedures for
					 providing and applying, as needed, insect repellent and sunscreen, including
					 what types will be used, if applicable;
(20) Procedures for parents to review and
					 discuss with the child-care center director any questions or concerns about the
					 policies and procedures of the child-care center;
(21) Procedures for parents to participate in
					 the child-care center's operation and activities;
(22) Procedures for parents to review a copy
					 of the child-care center's most recent Licensing inspection report and how the
					 parent may access the minimum standards online;
(23) Instructions on how a parent may contact
					 the local Licensing office, access the Texas Abuse and Neglect Hotline, and
					 access the HHSC website;
(24) Your
					 emergency preparedness plan;
(25)
					 Your provisions to provide a comfortable place with an adult sized seat in your
					 center or within a classroom that enables a mother to breastfeed her child. In
					 addition, your policies must inform parents that they have the right to
					 breastfeed or provide breast milk for their child while in care;
(26) Preventing and responding to abuse and
					 neglect of children, including:
(A) Required
					 annual training for employees;
(B)
					 Methods for increasing employee and parent awareness of issues regarding child
					 abuse and neglect, including warning signs that a child may be a victim of
					 abuse or neglect and factors indicating a child is at risk for abuse or
					 neglect;
(C) Methods for increasing
					 employee and parent awareness of prevention techniques for child abuse and
					 neglect;
(D) Strategies for
					 coordination between the center and appropriate community organizations;
					 and
(E) Actions that the parent of
					 a child who is a victim of abuse or neglect should take to obtain assistance
					 and intervention, including procedures for reporting child abuse or
					 neglect;
(27) Procedures
					 for conducting health checks, if applicable;
(28) Information on vaccine-preventable
					 diseases for employees, unless your center is in the home of the permit holder.
					 The policy must address the requirements outlined in §
												746.3611 of this chapter (relating
					 to What must a policy for protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases
					 include?);
(29) If your operation
					 maintains and administers unassigned epinephrine auto-injectors to use when a
					 child in care has an emergency anaphylaxis reaction, policies for maintenance,
					 administration, and disposal of unassigned epinephrine auto-injectors that
					 comply with the unassigned epinephrine auto-injector requirements set by the
					 Texas Department of State Health Services, as specified in 25 TAC Chapter 40,
					 Subchapter C (relating to Epinephrine Auto-Injector Policies in Youth
					 Facilities) and in Texas Health and Safety Code §
												773.0145; and
(30) Procedures for supporting
					 inclusive services to children with special care needs. The policy must address
					 the requirements outlined in §
												746.2202 of this chapter (relating
					 to What are my responsibilities when planning activities for a child in care
					 with special care needs?).