Alabama Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers

Licensing Standards for DayCare Centers

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Section C
Staff

Qualifications

All staff hired after January 1, 1989 shall meet experience, training and age qualifications. Verification of qualifications shall be on file in the center.
- a. The director shall have the responsibility for operational management of the center. This person shall be at least 19 years of age and shall have at least a high school diploma or general education diploma. The Director shall obtain at least 20 clock hours of training in administration and management of day care centers prior to employment or licensing. Documentation of this training shall be provided to the Department representative. If this training is not immediately available, written approval to obtain training within 6 months, may be substituted. Examples of administrative and management training include, but are not limited to: maintenance of records; budgeting; supervision and management of center personnel, maintenance of the facility and equipment; purchasing; and meal planning. It shall be possible for the responsibilities of director and program director to be assumed by the same person provided all qualifications are met for each position. If the director does not meet the qualifications of a program director, then a program director shall be employed.
- b. The program director shall have the responsibility of supervising the planning of and implementing the children's daily activity program, and directing the in-service training of the staff. The program director shall be at least l9 years of age and shall have at least one of the following:
  
  (1) A bachelor's degree in child development or early childhood education from a college of university.
  (2) A bachelor's degree from a college or university, in addition to successful completion of at least 40 clock hours of child care training, if not included in the degree, and a Department approved plan to complete at least 20 additional clock hours of child care training within 6 months following employment or at least 3 months verifiable experience, as child care staff, in a licensed day care center.
  (3) A Child Development Associate Credential.
  (4) An Associate degree in child development or early childhood education from a post-secondary school (technical, vocational, junior college).
  (5) A high school or general education diploma, in addition to verification of successful completion of at least 40 clock hours of training in child care, and one year working experience in a licensed day care center, or a Department approved setting.
- c. Child care workers or teachers who have primary responsibility for the care of groups of children shall be at least l9 years of age and shall have a high school diploma or general education diploma (GED).
- d. Aides/assistant teachers who assist with groups of children, shall be at least 16 years of age and shall:
  
  (1) have at least an 8th grade education.
  (2) work under the direct supervision of a person qualified as a child care worker and shall not be counted in the required child-staff ratio.
- e. Service staff, such as cook, maids, custodians, and drivers shall be able to read and write and shall not be counted in the required child-staff ratio.
- f. Assisting professional staff, such as physicians, nurses, caseworkers, counselors, nutritionists, dentists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, employed or used by the day care center shall be qualified and/or licensed in their respective professions.
- g. Substitute staff shall be at least 19 years of age, and shall be informed of policies and/or procedures for the age group for which they will be providing care. Substitute service staff shall be informed of procedures necessary to the performance of their duties.
- h. Centers using volunteers shall meet the following conditions:
  
  (1) a written and Department approved plan for the orientation, training and use of volunteers, shall be developed and implemented.
  (2) a staff person shall be designated to assign, supervise, and evaluate each volunteer.
  (3) a schedule of the hours and activities of the volunteers shall be kept on file.
  (4) all volunteers who are counted in the child-staff ratio shall meet all qualifications required of regular staff.
Health
- a. Initially, each staff person shall provide a statement from a licensed practicing medical doctor or a physician's assistant, (as defined in Section 34-24-290 (4), Code of Alabama 1975). The initial statement shall be dated within 6 months prior to employment and shall document the date and results of a tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray. The statement shall attest to the physical suitability of the staff person to care for children and the person's freedom from infectious and contagious diseases. The statement shall be signed by the licensed practicing medical doctor or the physician's assistant and shall be on file in the center. (See DHR-DFC737, Medical Report for Persons Giving Care to Children, in Appendix 9.)
- b. At least every four years after the initial doctor's statement is provided each staff person shall obtain a statement from a licensed practicing medical doctor or a physician's assistant which attests to the staff person's freedom from infectious and contagious diseases and physical fitness to care for children. The statement shall be on file in the center.
- c. Staff persons with symptoms of a communicable disease or illness shall not be present in the center.
- d. A staff person who, upon examination or as a result of tests, shows indication of a physical, emotional, or mental condition which could be detrimental to the children or staff, or which would prevent satisfactory performance of duties, shall not continue work at the day care center until the condition is cleared to the satisfaction of the examining licensed practicing medical doctor and the Department representative.
- e. The Department representative shall require an additional medical or psychological evaluation if a change in the condition of a staff person is evident. A medical release to allow the licensing worker to confer directly with the doctor, shall be provided on request.
In-service Training
- a. All staff shall be involved in ongoing training. Program directors shall obtain at least 8 clock hours of training each year. Child care workers shall obtain at least 4 clock hours of training each year. Service staff shall obtain at least 2 clock hours of training each year. Training shall be related to staff's specific responsibilities. Documentation of training shall be on file in the center.
- b. Training shall be provided through, but need not be limited to, the following means:
  
  (1) staff communication at planned scheduled meetings.
  (2) materials concerning child growth and development/early childhood education, available for, and used by staff.
  (3) reading of the Minimum Standards for Day Care Centers and Nighttime Centers: Principles, Regulations, and Procedures. A signed statement verifying that the staff person has read the Minimum Standards shall be placed in each staff person's file.
- c. Centers shall have a written orientation for new staff and substitute personnel. Orientation shall be provided to staff and substitutes prior to or within one week after employment.

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