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: 0-24 months b. Toddler. Describe: 0-24 months c. Preschool. Describe: Over 24 months but not yet attending Kindergarten d. School-Age. Describe: Enrolled in Kindergarten or higher 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: 1adult:4 children Group size: The State Fire Marshal and inspection ultimately determines the total building capacity however through the evaluation of below information, the Lead Agency issues a Certificate of License with the total allowable number of children that can be served. The annual licensing report shows the maximum capacity by age group for the child care center. Iowa Administrative Rules outline a multitude of sections that determine the maximum allowable capacity for a licensed child care facility, effectively defining group size. 441.109.8(2) outline staff to child ratios including combinations of age groups permitted. 441IAC 109.11(1) require program room size to be a minimum of 80 square feet of usable floor space or sufficient floor space to provide 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. In rooms where floor space is occupied by cribs is counted as usable floor space, there shall be 40 square feet of floor space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, lobby areas, storage areas, and other areas of the center not designed as activity space for children shall not be used as regular program space or counted as usable floor space. 441 IAC 109.11(4) required at least one functioning toilet and sink for each 15 children ages two years and older. At least one sink shall be provided in program rooms for infants and toddlers or in an adjacent area other than the kitchen. ii. Toddler. Ratio: 1 adult:4 children Group size: The State Fire Marshal and inspection ultimately determines the total building capacity however through the evaluation of below information, the Lead Agency issues a Certificate of License with the total allowable number of children that can be served. The annual licensing report shows the maximum capacity by age group for the child care center. Iowa Administrative Rules outline a multitude of sections that determine the maximum allowable capacity for a licensed child care facility, effectively defining group size. 441.109.8(2) outline staff to child ratios including combinations of age groups permitted. 441IAC 109.11(1) require program room size to be a minimum of 80 square feet of usable floor space or sufficient floor space to provide 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. In rooms where floor space is occupied by cribs is counted as usable floor space, there shall be 40 square feet of floor space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, lobby areas, storage areas, and other areas of the center not designed as activity space for children shall not be used as regular program space or counted as usable floor space. 441 IAC 109.11(4) required at least one functioning toilet and sink for each 15 children ages two years and older. At least one sink shall be provided in program rooms for infants and toddlers or in an adjacent area other than the kitchen. iii. Preschool. Ratio: Age 2: 1 adult: 7 children Age 3: 1 adult: 10 children Age 4: 1 adult: 12 children Group size: The State Fire Marshal and inspection ultimately determines the total building capacity however through the evaluation of above information, the Lead Agency issues a Certificate of License with the total allowable number of children that can be served. This certificate shows the maximum capacity by age group for the child care center Iowa Administrative Rules outline a multitude of sections that determine the maximum allowable capacity for a licensed child care facility, effectively defining group size. 441.109.8(2) outline staff to child ratios including combinations of age groups permitted. 441IAC 109.11(1) require program room size to be a minimum of 80 square feet of usable floor space or sufficient floor space to provide 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. In rooms where floor space is occupied by cribs is counted as usable floor space, there shall be 40 square feet of floor space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, lobby areas, storage areas, and other areas of the center not designed as activity space for children shall not be used as regular program space or counted as usable floor space. 441 IAC 109.11(4) required at least one functioning toilet and sink for each 15 children ages two years and older. At least one sink shall be provided in program rooms for infants and toddlers or in an adjacent area other than the kitchen. iv. School-Age. Ratio: 1 adult: 15 children Group size: The State Fire Marshal and inspection ultimately determines the total building capacity however through the evaluation of above information, the Lead Agency issues a Certificate of License with the total allowable number of children that can be served. This certificate shows the maximum capacity by age group for the child care center .Iowa Administrative Rules outline a multitude of sections that determine the maximum allowable capacity for a licensed child care facility, effectively defining group size. 441.109.8(2) outline staff to child ratios including combinations of age groups permitted. 441IAC 109.11(1) require program room size to be a minimum of 80 square feet of usable floor space or sufficient floor space to provide 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. In rooms where floor space is occupied by cribs is counted as usable floor space, there shall be 40 square feet of floor space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, lobby areas, storage areas, and other areas of the center not designed as activity space for children shall not be used as regular program space or counted as usable floor space. 441 IAC 109.11(4) required at least one functioning toilet and sink for each 15 children ages two years and older. At least one sink shall be provided in program rooms for infants and toddlers or in an adjacent area other than the kitchen. v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable). Ratio: Combinations of age groupings for children four years of age and older may be allowed and may have staff ratio determined on the age of the majority of the children in the group. Combinations of age groupings for children between three years of age and five years of age may be allowed with a staff of 1 to every 12 children. Children between 18 months and 3 years of age may be combined, if appropriate to the developmental needs of the child. If a child under 2 years is combined, the staff ratio of 1 to 7 shall be maintained, otherwise staff ratio may be determined by the age of the majority of the children in the group. Group size: The State Fire Marshal and inspection ultimately determines the total building capacity however through the evaluation of above information, the Lead Agency issues a Certificate of License with the total allowable number of children that can be served. This certificate shows the maximum capacity by age group for the child care center .Iowa Administrative Rules outline a multitude of sections that determine the maximum allowable capacity for a licensed child care facility, effectively defining group size. 441.109.8(2) outline staff to child ratios including combinations of age groups permitted. 441IAC 109.11(1) require program room size to be a minimum of 80 square feet of usable floor space or sufficient floor space to provide 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. In rooms where floor space is occupied by cribs is counted as usable floor space, there shall be 40 square feet of floor space per child. Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, lobby areas, storage areas, and other areas of the center not designed as activity space for children shall not be used as regular program space or counted as usable floor space. 441 IAC 109.11(4) required at least one functioning toilet and sink for each 15 children ages two years and older. At least one sink shall be provided in program rooms for infants and toddlers or in an adjacent area other than the kitchen. 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: 1 adult: 4 children Group size: Specifically for this age group only 4 children under 24 months of age may be present at any one time (of those 4 children only 3 of those may be under 18 months of age). However registered child development homes may have additional children of older ages present as well. Considering all age groups total group sizes are: Category A; 8 children, Category B; 12 children, Category C; 16 children. ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: 1 adult: 4 children Group size: Specifically for this age group only 4 children under 24 months of age may be present at any one time (of those 4 children only 3 of those may be under 18 months of age). However registered child development homes may have additional children of older ages present as well. Considering all age groups total group sizes are: Category A; 8 children, Category B; 12 children, Category C; 16 children. iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: 1 adult: 8 children Group size: Preschool group size varies by registration category. Not more than the following number of preschoolers may be present at any one time: Category A: 6 preschoolers, Category B: 8 preschoolers and Category C: 14 preschoolers. However registered child development homes may have additional children of older ages present as well. Considering all age groups total group sizes are: Category A; 8 children, Category B; 12 children, Category C; 16 children. iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: 1 adult: 12 children Group size: School-age group size varies by registration category. Not more than the following number of school-agers may be present at any one time: Category A: 8, Category B: 12 and Category C: 16. v. Mixed-Age Groups Ratio: Ratios in licensed CCDF family child care homes (Child Development Homes) vary depending on the age of the child as described below in ii-v. There is not a ratio specifically for mixed age group. Group size: Child Development Homes can care for no more than the following (which includes the use of assistants). Category A: 8 children, Category B: 12 children, Category C: 16 children. d. Are any of the responses above different for license-exempt family child care homes? [ ] No. [x] Yes. If yes, describe how the ratio and group size requirements for license- exempt providers vary by age of children served. 1:6 Ratio, Iowa Code allows licensed-exempt Child Care Homes to care for up to 6 children as long as at least one of those children is school-age. [ ] 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: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. Group size: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. Group size: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. Group size: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. Group size: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable) Ratio: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. Group size: N/A, Iowa does not have licensed in-home child care. f. Are any of the responses above different for license-exempt in-home care? [x] No. [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the ratio and group size requirements for license- exempt in-home care vary by age of children served. 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: Outlined in Iowa Administrative Rules 441.109.6. Must be at least 16 years of age. At least one staff person over the age of 18 must be on duty in the center whenever children are present. Staff members under the age of 18 may not provide care to children younger than school-age without an adult present. 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: a. Is at least 21 years of age. b. Has obtained a high school diploma or passed a general education development test. c. Has completed at least one course in business administration or 12 contact hours in administrative-related training related to Iowa Page 168 of 305 personnel, supervision, record keeping, or budgeting or has one year of administrative-related experience. d. Has certification in infant, child, and adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and Iowa's training for the mandatory reporting of child abuse. e. Has achieved a total of 100 points obtained through a combination of education, experience, and child development-related training as outlined in the following list. EDUCATION: 75-Bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood, child development or elementary education; 50-Associate's degree in child development or bachelor's degree in a child-related field; 40-Child Development Associate (CDA) or 1-year diploma in child development from a community college or technical school; 40-Bachelor's degree in a non-child related field 20- Associate's degree in a non-child-related field or completion of at least two years of a four-year degree. EXPERIENCE: 20-Full-time (20 hours or more per week) in a child care center or preschool setting; 10-Part-time (less than 20 hours per week) in a child care center or preschool setting ; 10-Full-time (20 hours or more per week) child-development-related experience; 5-Part-time (less than 20 hours per week) child development-related experience; 10-Registered child development home provider; 5-Nonregistered family home provider. CHILD DEVELOPMENT RELATED TRAINING: 1 point per contact hour of training. In obtaining the total of 100 points, a minimum of two categories must be used, no more than 75 points may be achieved in any one category, and at least 20 points shall be obtained from the experience category. Points obtained in the child development related training category shall have been taken within the past five years. For directors in centers predominantly serving children with special needs, the directors may substitute a disabilities-related or nursing degree for the bachelor's degree in early childhood, child development or elementary education in determining point totals. In addition, experience in working with children with special needs in an administrative or direct care capacity shall be equivalent to full-time experience in a child care center or preschool in determining point totals. For directors in centers serving predominantly school-age children, the directors may substitute a degree in secondary education, physical education, recreation or related fields for the bachelor's degree in early childhood, child development or elementary education in determining point totals. In addition, child-related experience working with school-age children shall be equivalent to full-time experience in a child care center or preschool in determining point totals. 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: Category A: Provider must have 3 references and be at least 18 years of age. Category B: High School Diploma or GED plus 2 years experience as a registered or non-registered child care provider or possess a CDA or a 2 or 4 year degree in a child related field and 1 year experience; must be at least 20 years of age. Category C: One provider who meets the following qualifications must always be present: (1) The provider shall be at least 21 years old. (2) The provider shall have a high school diploma, GED, or documentation of current or previous enrollment in credit-based coursework from a postsecondary educational institution that is an accredited college or university. (3) The provider shall either: 1. Have five years of experience as a registered or nonregistered child care provider, or 2. Have a child development associate credential or any two-year or four-year degree in a child care- related field and four years of experience as a registered or nonregistered child care home provider. 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: N/A 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. N/A, Iowa does not have license-exempt center- based child care. b. License-exempt home-based child care. Licensed-exempt family child care providers must be at least 18 years of age. c. License-exempt in-home care (care in the child’s own home). N/A