South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 114 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES › Article 5 - LICENSING › Subarticle 1 - DAY CARE FACILITIES › REGULATIONS FOR THE LICENSING OF GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES › Section 114-511 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A. Terms used in
				  South Carolina Regulations, Chapter 114, Article 5, Part A, shall be all
				  definitions cited in Section 20-7-2700 et seq., Code of Laws of South Carolina
				  in addition to the definitions that follow:
(1) Applicant: A person 21 years of age or
				  older, who has completed, signed and submitted a Department of Social Services
				  application form and other requirements to the Department in order to obtain a
				  group child care license.
(2)
				  Blood-Borne Pathogens: Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human
				  blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not
				  limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus
				  (HIV).
(3) Central Registry of
				  Child Abuse and Neglect: An automated, computerized listing, maintained by the
				  Department of Social Services containing the names(s), address(es), birth
				  date(s), identifying characteristics and other information about individual(s)
				  who have been listed on the registry due to the determination of perpetrating
				  abuse or neglect upon a child.
(4)
				  Child: An individual, from birth through 15 years of age (chronologically),
				  receiving care in a child care facility; or up to 18 years of age if the child
				  qualifies as special needs.
(5)
				  Complaint: Statement(s) reporting unsatisfactory conditions in a child care
				  facility.
(6) Complete Application:
				  An application is complete on the date of receipt of the last document required
				  by the Department in order to issue a license.
(7) Department: Refers to the Department of
				  Social Services.
(8) Emergency
				  Person: An individual 18 years of age or older, not regularly employed by the
				  group child care home who is immediately available to serve as staff in
				  emergency situations. This person shall meet all requirements of an employed
				  teacher/caregiver, with the exception of training.
(9) Group Child Care Home: A residence
				  occupied by the operator in which he/she regularly provide child care for at
				  least seven but not more than twelve children, unattended by a parent or a
				  legal guardian including those children living in the home and children
				  received for child care who are related to the resident teacher/caregiver.
				  However, an occupied residence in which child care is provided only for a child
				  or children related to the resident teacher/caregiver or only for the child or
				  children of one unrelated family or only for a combination of these children is
				  not a group child care home.
(10)
				  Infant: A child under 12 months of age.
(11) License: A written notice issued by the
				  Department to a private facility approving the commencement of operations of a
				  group child care home.
(12)
				  Lifeguard: A person having the qualifications of and possessing a current
				  American Red Cross, YMCA, or equivalent Lifeguard Certificate, current First
				  Aid Certificate and current CPR (which includes adult, child, and infant)
				  Certificate.
(13) Operator: The
				  person held legally responsible for the group child care home
				  operation.
(14) Parent: The
				  biological or adoptive mother or father, the legal guardian of the child or the
				  individual agency with custody of the child.
(15) Preschool Child: A child 3 or 4 years of
				  age or older but not yet eligible for public kindergarten.
(16) Provisional License: A license issued by
				  the Department to an operator when the operator is temporarily unable to comply
				  with all the requirements for a license.
(17) Regular License: A license issued by the
				  Department for two years to a operator showing that the licensee is in
				  compliance with the regulations of the Department at the time of issuance and
				  authorizing the licensee to operate in accordance with the regulations of the
				  Department.
(18) Renewal: To grant
				  an extension of a regular registration.
(19) Revocation: To void the regular license
				  of a child care facility.
(20)
				  School-Aged Child: A child at least old enough to enroll in public
				  kindergarten.
(21) Sex Offender
				  Registry: A statewide computerized listing of names and other identifying
				  information on convicted sex offenders maintained and updated by the State Law
				  Enforcement Division (SLED) and authorized by Section
				  23-3-400 et.
				  Seq., Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended.
(22) Staff: Full-time and part-time
				  management, administrative, teaching/caregiving, program, maintenance, food
				  service and service personnel; emergency and substitute personnel; supervised
				  students; supervised student teachers and supervised volunteers.
(23) Supervision: Care provided to an
				  individual child or a group of children. Adequate supervision requires staff
				  awareness of and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child,
				  knowledge of activity requirements and children's needs and accountability for
				  their care. Adequate supervision also requires the operator, and/or staff being
				  near and having ready access to children in order to intervene when needed.
				  Supervision requires adequate staff to meet staff:child ratios, being in the
				  room at all times or on the playground at all times when children are
				  present.
(24) Teacher/Caregiver:
				  Any persons whose duties include direct care, supervision and guidance of
				  children in a child care facility.
(25) Toddler: A child 12 months of age or
				  older, but younger than 24 months of age.
(26) Training: Participation by child care
				  home staff, in workshops, conferences, educational or provider associations,
				  formal schooling, in-service training, or planned learning opportunities
				  provided by qualified individuals. Training shall be age appropriate for the
				  child population served by the group child care home and in such subject areas
				  related to: child care, child growth and development and/or early childhood
				  education, nutrition, infection control/communicable disease management and
				  causes, health and safety, signs and treatment of child abuse and/or neglect
				  and shall include alternatives to corporal punishment. Training for operators
				  may also be in areas related to supervision of child care staff or program
				  administration.
(27) Two-year olds:
				  A child 24 months of age or older but younger than three years of
				  age.
(28) Volunteer: An individual
				  parent, grandparent, other professional or skilled individual artist or crafts
				  person at least 16 years of age infrequently assisting with the daily
				  activities for children in a child care center who provides services without
				  compensation and who is supervised by staff at all times when providing direct
				  care to children. An individual meeting this definition is not required to
				  undergo a fingerprint background check or health screening and is not counted
				  in staff:child ratios.