Licensing Standards for DayCare Centers

Section 418.7
Discipline

(a) Discipline provides an opportunity to enable a child to develop self-control. The day care center must establish discipline guidelines and inform all staff and parents of children in care at the center of the content of the guidelines. Such guidelines must include acceptable methods of guiding the behavior of children for the protection and growth of children. Such guidelines must be designed and administered in such a way as to help each child develop self-control and assume responsibility for his or her actions through clear and consistent rules and limits appropriate to the ages and development of children in care. The staff must use acceptable techniques and approaches to help children solve problems. These techniques include, but are not limited to, redirecting a child to an alternate activity, rewarding acceptable behavior, encouraging children to talk about their feelings and providing an example for children by speaking and interacting with children in a positive manner.

(b) Any discipline used must relate to the child's action and be handled without prolonged delay on the part of the staff so that the child is aware of the relationship between his or her actions and the consequences thereof.

(c) Isolating a child in any area where the child cannot be seen and supervised by a staff member is prohibited. Isolating a child in a closet or darkened area is prohibited.

(d) Where a child's behavior harms or is likely to result in harm to the child, others or property, or seriously disrupts or is likely to seriously disrupt group interaction, the child may be separated briefly from the group, but only for as long as is necessary for the child to regain enough self-control to rejoin the group. The child must be placed in an area where he or she is in the view of, and can be supervised and supported by, a staff member. Interaction between a staff member and the child must take place immediately following the separation to guide the child toward appropriate group behavior. Separation of a child from the group in a manner other than that provided for in this subdivision is prohibited.

(e) Corporal punishment is prohibited. For the purposes of this Part, the term corporal punishment means punishment inflicted directly on the body including, but not limited to, spanking, biting, shaking, slapping, twisting or squeezing; demanding excessive physical exercise, prolonged lack of movement or motion, or strenuous or bizarre postures; and compelling a child to eat or have in the child's mouth soap, foods, hot spices or foreign substances.

(f) Withholding or using food, rest or sleep as a punishment is prohibited. Forced feeding is prohibited.

(g) Discipline must be directed, administered and supervised by the day care center staff.

(h) Methods of discipline, which frighten, demean or humiliate a child are prohibited.

(i) Methods of toilet training, which frighten, demean or humiliate a child are prohibited.

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