1. A. A staff member shall provide guidance to help children respond to difficult situations. To develop self-regulation, children should receive adult support that is individual to the child and adapts as the child develops internal controls. This process should include:

   1. 1. Forming a positive relationship with the child, which occurs when the adult spends time talking to the child, listening to the child, following the child’s lead, playing with the child, and responding to the child’s needs;
   2. 2. Base expectations on children’s developmental level;
   3. 3. Establishing and being proactive in teaching and supporting children in learning simple rules;
   4. 4. Modifying the learning/play environment to support the child’s appropriate behavior;
   5. 5. Creating a predictable daily routine and schedule;
   6. 6. Modeling desired behavior;
   7. 7. Showing children positive alternatives;
   8. 8. Using deliberate redirection, the staff member should encourage the child to use appropriate behavior, and provide positive feedback when the child exhibits the behavior;
   9. 9. Individualized positive discipline strategies based on the individual needs of children, such as using a buddy system, individualized schedule, special break, or another applicable positive discipline strategy.

2. B. A licensee shall ensure that a staff member does not use or permit:

   1. 1. The use of physical punishment including:

      1. a. Hitting, spanking, shaking, slapping, twisting, pulling, squeezing, or biting;
      2. b. Demanding excessive physical exercise or excessive rest; and
      3. c. Forcing a child to eat or consume mouth soap, food, or foreign substances.
   2. 2. Any form of emotional abuse, including rejecting, extended ignoring, public or private humiliation;
   3. 3. Abusive, profane, sarcastic language, verbal abuse, threats, or derogatory remarks about the child or child’s family;
   4. 4. Punishment associated with eating, resting, sleeping, toileting, and withholding outdoor play;
   5. 5. Using medication to control behavior or restrict freedom of movement unless it is prescribed by a health care provider;
   6. 6. Mechanical restraint to restrict a child’s freedom of movement;
   7. 7. Placing a child in a crib, high chair, car seat, or other restrictive device for a time-out or to restrict a child’s freedom of movement; and
   8. 8. Directing an enrolled child to discipline or punish another enrolled child.

3. C. A licensee may allow a staff member to separate an enrolled child from other enrolled children for behaviors that are persistent and unacceptable. Separation should only be used in combination with instructional approaches that teach children what to do in place of the behavior problem.

   1. 1. A staff member may allow an enrolled child to be separated for no longer than three minutes. If the enrolled child has not regained control or composure after three minutes, a staff member may extend the separation for up to 10 minutes with staff member interaction with the enrolled child, except as provided in (C)(4);
   2. 2. An enrolled child may not be physically restrained, except when necessary to protect an enrolled child from injury, to protect persons on the premises from physical injury, or to protect property from damage, only physical restraint may be used;
   3. 3. When a child has an out-of-control behavior, the enrolled child may be removed from the company of other enrolled children until the enrolled child’s behavior has stabilized. Removal of a child is only to be used when there is a safety concern that cannot be reduced or eliminated with reasonable accommodations; and
   4. 4. A licensee shall develop a written plan with the enrolled child’s parent to provide individualized social and emotional intervention supports for the enrolled child that includes methods for understanding the enrolled child’s behavior, and developing, adopting, and implementing a team-based positive behavior support plan.

Historical Note

New Section made by final rulemaking at 31 A.A.R. 2015 (June 27, 2025), effective August 3, 2025 (Supp. 25-2).