Section 407.200
Program Requirements for All Ages
a) Each child shall be recognized as an individual whose gender, ability differences,
personal privacy, choice of activities, cultural, ethnic, and religious background
shall be respected.
b) The staff of the day care center shall have a written plan for encouraging
parents to visit the center to observe and participate in their children's experience.
Parents shall be allowed to visit the center without an appointment any time
during normal hours of operation.
c) The program shall include opportunities for a child to have free choice
of activities to play alone, if desired, or with one or several peers chosen
by the child.
d) The facility shall provide a basic program of activities geared to the
age levels and developmental needs of the children served. The daily program
shall be posted in the facility, and shall provide:
- Regularity of such routines as eating, napping, and toileting with
sufficient flexibility to respond to the needs of individual children;
- A balance of active and quiet activity;
- Daily indoor and outdoor activities in which children make use of
both large and small muscles. For pre-school programs in which individual
children receive care for less than three hours per day, outdoor activities
are recommended, but not required;
- Occasional trips and activities away from the facility (frequency
to be determined by the day care center);
- A supervised nap or rest period for children under six years of
age who remain five or more hours as required by Section 407.350.
e) The daily program of the facility shall provide experiences which promote the
individual child's growth and well-being and the development of self-help and
communication skills, social competence, and positive self-identity.
f) Program planning shall provide the following:
- A variety of activities which takes into consideration individual
differences in interest, attention span, and physical and intellectual maturity;
- Sufficient time for activities and routines, so that the children
can manage them and progress at their own developmental rate;
- Sufficient materials and equipment to avoid excessive competition
and long waits;
- Program planning so that the children are not always required to
move from one activity to another as a total group. Staff-initiated large
group activities shall not be the predominant program option.
- Smooth transition from one activity to another to avoid long waiting
periods between activities and prolonged periods during which the children
must stand or sit; and
- Provision for privacy through arranging a small, quiet area that
is easily accessible to the child who seeks or needs time to be alone.
g) The use of visual media, such as television, films and videotapes, shall be
limited to developmentally appropriate programming, and an alternative activity
shall be made available. Media may be used as a special event or to achieve a
specific goal, but shall not be used as a regular daily routine.
h) The program shall take into account the stress and fatigue that result
from constant pressures and stimulation of long hours in a group living situation.
i) Activity areas, equipment, and materials shall be arranged so that staff
can be easily aware of the child's presence and activity at all times.
j) Equipment shall be arranged in orderly, clearly defined areas of interest,
with sufficient space in each area for the children to see various activities
available to them.
k) Programs involving intergenerational activities shall conduct those activities
according to Section 407.230.
l) Materials and equipment shall respect children's racial, cultural, ethnic,
religious and gender identities, as well as age and ability.
m) Each child shall have access to the full variety of age-appropriate equipment
on a daily basis.
n) When a specific plan is developed to meet a child's individual needs, the
record shall include:
- Any assessments by center staff or resource personnel;
- Written program recommendations and goals for the child;
- A written plan for implementing those recommendations within the
program;
- Periodic written evaluations of whether goals are being met;
- Adjustments to the program plan as indicated by the evaluations.
o) Staff shall consult with parents before implementing any special procedures
required to meet a child's individual needs.
p) Children shall not be left unattended at any time.
q) Staff assignments shall be such that children experience comfortable, ongoing
relationships with adults. Every attempt shall be made to establish a primary
relationship between each child and one adult.
(Source: Added at 22 Ill. Reg., effective January 1, 1998)
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