Iowa Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers

Licensing Standards for DayCare Centers

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Section 237A.12
Rules

Subject to the provisions of chapter 17A; the administrator shall promulgate rules-setting minimum standards to provide quality child day care in the operation and maintenance of child care centers and registered family day care homes relating to:

The number and qualifications of personnel necessary to assure the health, safety, and welfare of children in the facilities. Rules for facilities which are preschools shall be drawn so that any staff-to-children ratios which relate to the age of the children enrolled shall be based on the age of the majority of the children served by a particular class rather than on the age of the youngest child served.
Physical facilities.
The adequacy of activity programs and food services available to the children. The administrator shall not restrict the use of or apply nutritional standards to a lunch or other meal which is brought to the center or family day care home by a school-age child for the child's consumption.
Policies established by the center for parental participation.
Programs for education and in-service training
Records kept by the facilities.
Administration.
Health, safety and medical policies for children.

Rules adopted by the state fire marshal for buildings, other than school buildings, used as child care centers as an adjunct to the primary purpose of the building shall take into consideration that children are received for temporary care only and shall not differ from rules adopted for these buildings when they are used by groups of persons congregating from time to time in the primary use and occupancy of the buildings. However, the rules may require a fire rated separation from the remaining portion of the building if the fire marshal determines that the separation is necessary for the protection of children from a specific flammable hazard.

Rules relating to fire safety shall be adopted under this chapter by the state fire marshal in consultation with the department. Rules adopted by the state fire marshal for a building which is owned or leased by a school district or accredited nonpublic school and used as a child day care facility shall not differ from standards adopted by the state fire marshal for school buildings under chapter 100. Rules relating to sanitation shall be adopted by the department in consultation with the director of public health. All rules shall be developed in consultation with the state child day care advisory council. The state fire marshal shall inspect the facilities.

If a building is owned or leased by a school district or accredited nonpublic school and complies with standards adopted by the state fire marshal for school buildings under chapter 100, the building is considered appropriate for use by a child day care facility.' The rules adopted by the administrator under this section shall not require the facility to comply with building requirements which differ from requirements for use of the building as a school.

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