Laserfiche WebLink
exfn&ir h <br />.1 MS I702i) 3/03 <br />i.Child Care <br />Centers <br />General Licensing Information <br />Miiinrsota Department orHumon Services <br />Division of Licensing <br />?n n r <br />fM <br />^ /" ■ <br />• \ <br />Why is it important to license child care? <br />Parents who use child circ entrust their children to a <br />care provider for many hours each day. Licensing child <br />care helps protect the health and safety of children by <br />requiring that providers meet minimum standards for <br />care and physical environment. <br />How do child core centers differ from <br />other child care? <br />In Minnesota, licensed child care is provided through <br />either family child care or child care centers. Family <br />child care is genenilly provided in the caregiver ’s home <br />and no more than 14 children can be cared for at any <br />one lime. A child care center, generally, is characterized <br />by a location other than the provider’s or caregiver ’s <br />residence, larger numbers of children being cared for, <br />and stall qualification and training reijuircmcnts. <br />Staff ratios ond group sizes <br />Ihe center must meet the minimum adult/child ratios <br />and m.iximum group size with the following age cat ­ <br />egories: <br />Age catq^ory Ad ill t/c hi Id ratio <br />Infant 1/4 <br />Max. group si/.c <br />8 <br />Toddler 1/7 14 <br />Preschooler l/IO 20 <br />School Age ■'>5 20 <br />- <br />Staff qualifications <br />A child care center must have the appropriate number <br />of staff qualified as teachers, assistant teachers and aides <br />based on the number of children in each age group. <br />Teacher: A child care center teacher must be at least <br />18 years old and meet one of nine possible combined <br />credential, educational and experience requirements; <br />for example, a high school diploma with 4,160 hours <br />experience as an assistant teacher and 24 credit hours in <br />a child care related area of study. <br />Assistant tcachen An assistant teacher must work <br />under the supervision of a teacher, must be at least 18 <br />years old, and meet one of nine possible combined <br />credential, educational and experience requirements; <br />for example, a liigh school diploma with 2080 hours of <br />experience as an aide or intern and 12 quarter credits in <br />a child care related area of study. <br />Aide: An aide carries out the child care program ac­ <br />tivities under the supervision of a teacher or assistant <br />teacher. An aide must be at least 16; if tinder 18, the <br />aide must be directly supervised by a teacher or assistant <br />teacher at all times except when assisting with sleeping <br />children or with toileting and diapering. <br />Volunteers: 11 included in the adult/child ratio, volun­ <br />teers must meet the requitements lor the assigned staff <br />(H)sitions. rhe director, teacher or assistant teacher must <br />supervise volunteers who have dirext contact or access <br />to chilihen.