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: Ongoing training requirements for centers licensed by the Lead Agency are defined at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01. Center directors must complete at least 24 hours of training annually or earn credit in one (1) academic course from an accredited academic institution in topics of administration, child development, early childhood education, health and safety, or related fields. Center assistant directors must complete at least 18 hours of training annually. Center educators must complete at least 12 hours of training annually. Drop-in directors must complete at least six (6) hours of training annually. Drop-in educators must complete at least three (3) hours of training annually. Due to the nature of care, drop-in centers are not eligible to participate in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program. All licensed child care center staff are required to complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every three (3) years. All licensed drop-in child care staff are required to complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every four (4) years. b. License-exempt child care centers: All staff of license-exempt child care centers participating in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program are required by the Lead Agency to complete at least six (6) hours of training in CCDBG health and safety training topics annually. The Lead Agency recommends license-exempt child care center staff complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every three (3) years. c. Licensed family child care homes: Ongoing training requirements for family and group child care homes licensed by the Lead Agency are defined at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240- 04-01. Family and group primary educators must complete 18 hours of training annually. Family and group educators must complete 12 hours of training annually. All licensed family and group child care home staff are required to complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every three (3) years. d. License-exempt family child care homes: All license-exempt family child care home Authorized Child Care Professionals participating in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program are required by the Lead Agency to complete at least six (6) hours of training in CCDBG health and safety training topics annually. The Lead Agency recommends Authorized Child Care Professionals complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every three (3) years. e. Regulated or registered in-home child care: Not Applicable. f. Non-regulated or registered in-home child care: The Lead Agency only permits relative care in circumstances when the child in care resides in the provider's home, i.e., a child or grandchild. The Lead Agency makes available in-home care for non-relatives in the child's home when the child requires special accommodations to meet individual needs. In such instances, these license-exempt providers would be subject to the same ongoing training requirements as Authorized Child Care Professionals. License-exempt family child care home Authorized Child Care Professionals participating in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program are required by the Lead Agency to complete at least six (6) hours of training in CCDBG health and safety training topics annually. The Lead Agency recommends Authorized Child Care Professionals complete a cycle of training in each CCDBG health and safety training topic every three (3) years.