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 through the end of the 18th month. b. Toddler. Describe: 19-36 months c. Preschool. Describe: 3 years old through the end of the 4th year. d. School-Age. Describe: 5 years old and up 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: Children:provider 4:1 (Birth through the end of the 11th month); 6:1 (12 months through the end of the 23rd month) Group size: 12 children (Birth through the end of the 11th month); 12 children (12 months through the end of the 23rd month) ii. Toddler. Ratio: Children:provider 8:1 (2 years up to 3 years old) Group size: 16 children iii. Preschool. Ratio: Children:provider 10:1 (3 years through 5 years old) Group size: 20 children iv. School-Age. Ratio: Children:provider 20:1 (6 years old and up) Group size: 40 children v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable). Ratio: Must follow the ratio for the youngest child in the group Group size: Must follow the group size for the youngest child in the group. Due to legislative action of House Bill 422 passed and signed into law following the 2023 legislative session and implemented in October 1, 2023, child to staff ratios and ages of children affecting only child care centers were changed and no longer correlate with age classifications found in administrative rule. 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: Children:provider 4:1 (up to 3 children can be under age 2) Group size: 8 children ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: Children:provider 8:1 (up to 3 chidlren can be under age 2) Group size: 15 children iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: Children:provider 8:1 (up to 3 children can be under age 2) Group size: 15 children iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: Children:provider 8:1 (up to 3 children can be under age 2) Group size: 15 children v. Mixed-Age Groups Ratio: Children:provider 8:1 (up to 3 children can be under age 2) Group size: 15 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. Family, Friend, and Neighbor Ratio: Children:provider 4:1 Group size: 4 children Relative Care Exempt (RCE) Ratio: Children:provider 2:1 Group size: 2 children [ ] 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: NA Group size: NA ii. Toddler (if applicable) Ratio: NA Group size: NA iii. Preschool (if applicable) Ratio: NA Group size: NA iv. School-Age (if applicable) Ratio: NA Group size: NA v. Mixed-Age Groups (if applicable) Ratio: NA Group size: NA 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. Family, Friend, and Neighbor Ratio: Children:provider 4:1 Group size: 4 children Relative Care Exempt (RCE) Ratio: Children:provider 2:1 Group size: 2 children 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: Lead teacher qualifications: (1) complete facility overview on-the-job training; (2) be current on the ECP Practitioner Registry; (3) have 16 hours of annual training; (4) have current certification for infant, child, and adult CPR and infant choking response, and pediatric first aid; (5) successfully complete required early childhood teacher health and safety orientation every three years; (6) be at least 18 years old; (7) and be a level 2 or above on the ECP Practitioner Registry. Teachers that work at facilities that exclusively serve children ages 5 and up are waived from the Infant Safety essentials portion of health and safety orientation. There is no variation as to training requirements based on the number of staff employed. Staff qualification do not change based on the ages of the children. 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 center director must meet the following minimum requirements: (1) be at least 18-years of age; (2) be current on the ECP Practitioner Registry (have 16 hours of annual training); (3) successfully completed teacher orientation as indicated in ARM 37.95.163; (4) have one of the following: (i) current ECP Practitioner Registry level 4 or higher; (ii) current ECP Practitioner Registry level 3, plus two years of experience in a licensed child care facility or Head Start; (iii) current ECP Practitioner Registry level 2, (iv) three years of experience in a licensed child care facility or Head Start; (v) a bachelor degree or higher in any field, (vi) plus completion of the 60 hour infant-toddler training and the 60 hour preschool course, or 120 hours of alternate training approved by the department; or a combination of education and experience may be considered. This option must be approved by the Child Care Licensing Program manager. The director must complete the program management essentials course within 60 days of becoming a director or successfully complete an approved new director orientation such as program essentials. Center directors must be current on the ECP Practitioner Registry; have current certification for infant, child, and adult CPR and infant choking response, and pediatric first aid; and successfully complete required early childhood teacher health and safety orientation every three years. There is no variation as to training requirements based on the number of staff employed. Staff qualification do not change based on the ages of the children. 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: Teacher qualifications for Family and Group Child Care facility teachers: (1) complete facility overview on-the-job training; (2) be current on the ECP Practitioner Registry; (3) have 16 hours of annual training, (4) maintain certification for infant, child, and adult CPR and infant choking response, and pediatric first aid; (5) successfully complete required early childhood teacher health and safety orientation every 3 years; (6) be at least 18 years old. Teachers that work at facilities that exclusively serve children ages 5 and up are waived from the Infant Safety essentials portion of health and safety orientation. For Friends, Family, and Neighbor (FFN) care, providers must have 8 hours of annual training, and have current certification for infant, child, and adult CPR and infant choking response, and pediatric first aid, and successfully complete required FFN health and safety orientation every three years. 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: NA 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. NA b. License-exempt home-based child care. A FFN or RCE provider is licensed as an individual to provide child care, meaning the requirements for the provider is as individual caregiver. A FFN or RCE provider must meet the following requirements: 1) Complete the course, Health and Safety Overview for FFN/RCE Providers; 2) Complete the course, Fundamentals of FFN/RCE Providers Orientation; 3) Must have satisfactory background checks; and 4) Complete pediatric first aid and CPR. c. License-exempt in-home care (care in the child’s own home). FFN and RCE providers are required to complete the training courses 'Health and Safety Overview for FFN/RCE Providers’ and ￿Fundamentals of FFN/RCE Providers Orientation’.