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Educational Development Certificate (GED) and at least six months’ experience as a teacher/car- egiver in a licensed or approved child care facility. However, a teacher/caregiver who is prevented from obtaining a high school diploma or GED because of a disability, and who otherwise is qualified to perform the essential functions of the position of teacher/caregiver, must have at least a high school Certificate of Completion and at least six months’ experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed or approved child care facility. If a teacher/caregiver does not meet the experience requirements, the teacher/caregiver must be directly supervised for six months by a staff person with at least one-year experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed or approved child care facility. Within six months of being employed, a teacher/caregiver must have six clock hours of training in child growth and development and early childhood education or shall continue to be under the direct supervision of a teacher/caregiver who has at least one year of experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed or approved child care facility; or (iii) A teacher/caregiver who has two years’ experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed or approved facility and was employed as of July 1, 1994, in a licensed or approved child care center in South Carolina is exempt from the high school diploma, General Education Develop- ment (GED), and Certificate of Completion requirements of (ii) above. (b) Exception: A teacher/caregiver with an undergraduate degree from a state approved college or university in early childhood, child development, elementary education, or a related field may begin working with the children immediately without additional supervision as long as they have 60 days’ field experience with a group of children aged 0–8. (c) Exception: A teacher/caregiver may be 17 years of age if he/she has received his/her GED or high school diploma and is continuously supervised by a qualified teacher/caregiver who is in the room at all times. (d) Exception: Staff persons who were employed prior to the effective date of these revised regulations are not required to meet the staff qualifications specified in this chapter if the staff qualifications required in the prior regulations are met. If a teacher/caregiver has had more than a twelve-month break in service, the new guidelines shall be met for re-employment as a teacher/car- egiver. (5) Professional development (a) The director(s) shall provide orientation for all new staff, volunteer(s), and emergency person(s) prior to their employment, volunteering, and student/teacher training. This orientation shall include the following: (i) Specific job duties and responsibilities; (ii) The requirements of this chapter related to their job; and (iii) The policies and procedures of the center that affect the health and safety of children. (b) The director shall participate in at least twenty clock hours of training annually. At least five clock hours shall be related to program administration and at least five clock hours shall be in child growth and development and/or health and safety excluding first aid and CPR training. The remaining hours shall come from the following areas: Curriculum, Nutrition, Special Needs, Child Guidance, Professional Development, or other areas approved by the Department, and must include blood-borne pathogens training as required by OSHA. Directors who receive training in excess of twenty hours per year may carry over ten hours to the following year in the category earned. (c) All staff, with the exception of emergency person(s) and volunteer(s), providing direct care to the children shall participate in at least fifteen clock hours annually. The hours shall come from at least three of the following areas: child growth and development, curriculum, Child Guidance, Health and Safety, Nutrition, Special Needs, Professional Development, Program Administration, or other areas approved by the Department, and must include blood-borne pathogens training as required by OSHA. CPR and first aid training do not count in the fifteen hours. (d) Caregivers who receive training in excess of fifteen hours per year may carry over five hours to the following year in the category earned.