5.2 Ratios, Group Size, and Qualifications for CCDF Providers

Lead Agencies must have child care standards for providers receiving CCDF funds, appropriate to the type of child care setting involved, that address appropriate staff:child ratios, group size limits for specific age populations, and the required qualifications for providers. Lead Agencies should map their categories of care to the CCDF categories. Exemptions for relative providers will be addressed in subsection 5.8. 5.2.1 Age classifications Describe how the Lead Agency defines the following age classifications (e.g., Infant: 0 – 18 months). a. Infant. Describe: Birth - 18 Months b. Toddler. Describe: 18 Months ￿ 36 Months c. Preschool. Describe: 2.5 - 5 d. School-Age. Describe: Kindergarten and above 5.2.2 Ratio and group size limits Provide the ratio and group size limits for settings and age groups below. a. Licensed CCDF center-based care: i. Infant. Ratio: 1:5 Group size: 10 ii. Toddler. Ratio: 1:8 Group size: 16 iii. Preschool. Ratio: 2.5 - 3 (1:12) 4 years (1:15), 5 years (1:18) Group size: 2.5 - 3 is 24, 4 years is 30, 5 years is 36 iv. School-Age. Ratio: 1:18 Group size: 36 v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable). Ratio: The staff/child ratio shall meet the requirements for the youngest child in the group. Group size: The group size is limited to twice the number of children allowed with one staff member. b. If different, provide the ratios and group size requirements for the license-exempt center- based providers who receive CCDF funds under the following age groups: i. [x] Not applicable. There are no differences in ratios and group size requirements. ii. Infant: iii. Toddler: iv. Preschool: v. School-Age: vi. Mixed-Age Groups: c. Licensed CCDF family child care home providers: i. Infant (if applicable) Ratio: One Caregiver: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up (no more than 3 under 2 years) B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 1 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 2-up (no more than 3 between 2 & 3 years) E. 10 children ages 3-up Two Caregivers: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) E. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) F. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) Three Caregivers: A. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) B. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) C. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) D. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) E. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the licensed child care family home. ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: One Caregiver: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up (no more than 3 under 2 years) B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 1 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 2-up (no more than 3 between 2 & 3 years) E. 10 children ages 3-up Two Caregivers: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) E. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) F. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) Three Caregivers: A. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) B. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) C. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) D. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) E. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the licensed child care family home. iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: One Caregiver: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up (no more than 3 under 2 years) B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 1 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 2-up (no more than 3 between 2 & 3 years) E. 10 children ages 3-up Two Caregivers: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) E. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) F. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) Three Caregivers: A. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) B. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) C. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) D. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) E. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the licensed child care family home. iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: One Caregiver: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up (no more than 3 under 2 years) B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 1 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 2-up (no more than 3 between 2 & 3 years) E. 10 children ages 3-up Two Caregivers: A. 3-6 children ages 0-up B. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) C. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) D. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) E. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) F. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years) Three Caregivers: A. 7 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) B. 8 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) C. 9 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) D. 10-14 children ages 0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years) E. 15-16 children ages 0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years) Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the license child care family home. v. Mixed-Age Groups Ratio: The staff/child ratio shall meet the requirement for the youngest child in the group. Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the license child care family home. d. Are any of the responses above different for license-exempt family child care homes? [ ] No. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the ratio and group size requirements for license- exempt providers vary by age of children served. [x] Not applicable. The Lead Agency does not have license-exempt family child care homes. e. Licensed in-home care (care in the child’s own home): i. Infant (if applicable) Ratio: 1:5 Group size: 5 ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: 1:5 Group size: 5 iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: 1:5 Group size: 5 iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: 1:5 Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the license child care family home. v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable) Ratio: 1:5 Group size: The group size is the same as the licensed capacity of the license child care family home. f. Are any of the responses above different for license-exempt in-home care? [ ] No. [x] Yes. If yes, describe how the ratio and group size requirements for license- exempt in-home care vary by age of children served. Arkansas does not allow license- exempted providers. 5.2.3 Teacher/caregiver qualifications for licensed, regulated, or registered care Provide the teacher/caregiver qualifications for each category of care. a. Licensed center-based care i. Describe the teacher qualifications for licensed CCDF center-based care (e.g., degrees, credentials, etc.), including any variations based on the ages of children in care: Staff members in a child care center shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. All staff members who work directly with children shall have a high school diploma or GED. All staff members who work directly with children shall obtain fifteen (15) hours of training each year in continuing Early Childhood Education. All staff members caring for children shall be able to perform necessary job functions ii. Describe the director qualification for licensed CCDF center-based care, including any variations based on the ages of children in care or the number of staff employed: Directors shall be twenty-one (21) years of age or older, and provide documentation of one of the following educational levels (Directors previously approved prior to the implementation of these requirements may continue in their position and do not have to meet these educational levels): bachelor's degree or higher degree in Early Childhood, Child Development or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university. (Determination of "related field" shall be made by the division) bachelor’s degree in a non-related field from a regionally accredited college or university plus one of the following: - Four years of experience in early childhood education -current Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) - Birth - Pre-K Credential. b. Licensed family child care Describe the provider qualifications for licensed family child care homes, including any variations based on the ages of children in care: The primary caregiver shall be twenty-one (21) years of age or older. Secondary caregivers shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. All caregivers shall have a high school diploma or GED. All caregivers who work directly with children shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours a year of training. c. Licensed, regulated, or registered in-home care (care in the child’s own home by a non- relative) Describe the provider qualifications for licensed, regulated, or registered in-home care providers (care in the child’s own home) including any variations based on the ages of children in care: A Registered Home primary caregiver shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. Secondary caregivers shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. All caregivers shall have a high school diploma or GED. All caregivers who work directly with children shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours a year of training. 5.2.4 Teacher/caregiver qualifications for license-exempt providers Provide the teacher/provider qualification requirements (for instance, age, high school diploma, specific training, etc.) for the license-exempt providers under the following categories of care: a. License-exempt center-based child care. The State of Arkansas does not allow for any license-exempt providers. b. License-exempt home-based child care. The State of Arkansas does not allow for any license-exempt providers. c. License-exempt in-home care (care in the child’s own home). The State of Arkansas does not allow for any license-exempt providers.