Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Child Care Center Handbook NC Division of Child Development

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Purpose of Handbook Identify the child care law and rules Explain how to comply with requirements Provide resources to assist with maintaining compliance Offer best practices

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Table of Contents Preface – Overview of Division of Child Development – How to use 17 Chapters – Resource Sections 5 Appendices

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Symbols Used  Rule  Additional information/explanations  C ontact information HH Helpful Hint (best practice)  Web site address  Resources and forms available  Public School Information

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Examples Example 1: Chapter 11 – Behavior Management – page 11.2 Example 2: Chapter 17 – Star Rated License – page 17.5

SECTION 1: DISCIPLINE REQUIREMENTS NC GENERAL STATUTE (10) Discipline Practices  Each operator or staff member must attend to any child in a nurturing and appropriate manner, and in keeping with the child’s developmental needs.  Each center must develop written policies, on discipline, describing the methods and practices used to discipline children enrolled in care.  Staff must attend to children in a nurturing and appropriate manner in keeping with the child’s developmental needs.  The discipline policy of the center must explain the practices and methods that will be used by staff to promote healthy social and emotional behaviors and prevent and address challenging behaviors in the classroom.  The policy must clearly state that corporal punishment is not used, unless the center has taken religious exemptions allowed by law. (Refer to Chapter 15 for allowable religious exemptions.) HH – Effective guidance and discipline focuses on the development of the child. When thinking about how to respond to a child’s behavior, consider the child’s development and the behaviors that are typical for children at that stage of development. HH - Caregivers have the responsibility to guide children to develop self-control and orderly conduct in relationships with peers and adults. Explanation Best Practice Law Reference

CHILD CARE RULE.2804 Administrative Policies  Centers seeking two or more points for program standards must have administrative policies and practices which provide for:  selection and training of staff  communication with and opportunities for participation by parents  operational and fiscal management  objective evaluation of the program, management and staff.  Administrative policies are reviewed by the child care consultant as part of the rated license assessment. HH–Research consistently finds that high quality administrative practices are essential for ensuring good outcomes for children and families.  The McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership developed the Program Administration Scale (PAS) to reliably measure the leadership and management practices of center- based programs. The PAS was constructed to complement the environment rating scales. When used together, these tools provide a focused look at best practices at the classroom level and the broad view of program quality from an organizational perspective. You can access additional informational at Ch 17 – Star Rated License Section 2: Program Standards Best Practice Web Link

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook Chapters Chapter 1 – Getting Started – Resource Section Chapter 17 – Star Rated License – Resource Section

Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook How does the handbook support your work? How will you use the handbook?