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(i) A college or university degree in early childhood education, child development, child psychology or a related field that includes at least eighteen credit hours in child development and/or early childhood education; (ii) A bachelor’s degree from a college or university in any subject area and six months experience working with children in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility; (iii) An associate’s degree from a college or university in early childhood education, child development and/or child psychology or a related field, that includes at least eighteen credit hours in child development and/or early childhood education with six months work experience in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility; (iv) A diploma in child development/early childhood education from an institution of higher learning or a child development associate (CDA) credential, and one year work experience in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility; or (v) A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate with at least one year of work experience in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility. That year shall have included supervision of child care staff. A director/co-director 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, must have at least a high school Certificate of Completion with at least one year of work experience in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility. That year shall have included supervision of child care staff. (4) Teacher(s)/caregiver(s) (a) Teacher(s)/caregiver(s) shall meet the following qualifications: (i) Be at least 18 years of age, and able to read and write. (ii) A teacher/caregiver who began employment in a licensed, approved, or registered child care center in South Carolina after June 30, 1994, must have at least a high school diploma or GED and at least six months experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed, approved or registered child care facility. (iii) 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, approved, or registered child care facility. (iv) 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, approved, or registered child care facility. (v) 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, approved, or registered child care facility. (vi) A teacher/caregiver who has two years experience as a teacher/caregiver in a licensed, 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, GED, and Certificate of Completion requirements of (ii and iii) above. (vii) A teacher/caregiver with an undergraduate college or university degree in early child- hood, child development, or a related field may begin working with the children immediately without additional supervision. (b) Exception: A teacher/caregiver may be 16 or 17 years of age if he/she is continuously supervised by a qualified teacher/caregiver who is in the room at all times. (c) 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/caregiver.