5.6 Ongoing Health and Safety Training

Lead Agencies must have ongoing training requirements for all caregivers, teachers, and directors of eligible CCDF providers for health and safety standards but have discretion on frequency and training content (e.g., pediatric CPR refresher every year and recertification every 2 years). Lead Agencies have discretion on which health and safety standards are subject to ongoing training. Lead Agencies may exempt relative providers from these requirements. 5.6.1 Required ongoing training of health and safety standards Describe any required ongoing training of health and safety standards for caregivers, teachers, and directors of the following CCDF eligible provider types. a. Licensed child care centers: Each staff person working directly with children and more than 20 hours per week, including the director, is required to obtain at least 24 hours of training each year. Training must address all seven competency areas within two years: (1) child growth, development and learning; (2) health, safety, nutrition and infection control (which include CCDBG/CCDF safety topics); (3) family and community collaboration; (4) developmentally appropriate content; (5) learning environment and curriculum implementation; (6) assessment of children and programs; and (7) professionalism. Substitutes, volunteers, and educators routinely employed in a center but working 20 hours or fewer a week, will complete half the required training hours. Directors may count hours in personnel and business training toward the training requirement. Infant and toddler educators must have at least four hours of training in infant and toddler care annually and within three months of starting work. The four hours will count toward the 24-hour requirement. b. License-exempt child care centers: Child care facilities operated by the federal government (military installations and tribal) are exempt from licensure and must have standards that address ongoing training of health and safety standards as required by CCDBG/CCDF, the Department of Defense, and Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies. These facilities are required to maintain and submit copies of their Department of Defense certificate and accreditation (if applicable) to ECECD in order to receive CCDF funds. Tribal child care providers are required to submit to ECECD proof of tribal CCDF approval. c. Licensed family child care homes: Educators working for a home will receive at least 12 documented hours of training during each year, including six hours in child growth and development and three hours in health, safety, nutrition, and infection control. The three remaining training hours must be within the seven competency areas. Substitutes and part time second educators routinely employed in the home but working 20 hours or less a week shall complete half the required training hours. Such employees working more than 20 hours per week shall complete all required training hours. The primary educator in a licensed home shall complete all required training hours, regardless of the number of hours worked. d. License-exempt family child care homes: Primary and substitute caregivers are required to attend six hours of training annually. Training shall be within the seven competency areas: (1) child growth, development and learning; (2) health, safety, nutrition and infection control (which include CCDBG/CCDF safety topics); (3) family and community collaboration; (4) developmentally appropriate content; (5) learning environment and curriculum implementation; (6) assessment of children and programs; and (7) professionalism. e. Regulated or registered in-home child care: Primary and substitute caregivers are required to attend six hours of training annually. Training shall be within the seven competency areas: (1) child growth, development and learning; (2) health, safety, nutrition and infection control (which include CCDBG/CCDF safety topics); (3) family and community collaboration; (4) developmentally appropriate content; (5) learning environment and curriculum implementation; (6) assessment of children and programs; and (7) professionalism. f. Non-regulated or registered in-home child care: N/A