100170.1 Expanded Home Caregivers shall comply with the requirements for Caregivers in Child Development Homes contained in this chapter, except as specifically provided herein.

170.2 An Expanded Home Caregiver shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age and shall:

(a) Have completed or earned at least one of the following:

(1) An associate or more advanced degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, with a major in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development;

(2) An associate or more advanced degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, with a major in a field other than child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development, with at least twelve (12) credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development;

(3) Sixty (60) credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, with at least twelve (12) of those credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early

childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development, at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation;

(4) Sixty (60) credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, with at least twelve (12) of those credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development, from an institution outside of the United States, and submitted a foreign credential equivalency report as required by OSSE;

(5) The equivalent of an associate or more advanced degree from an institution outside of the United States and submitted a foreign credential equivalency report as required by OSSE, with:

(A) A major in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development; or

(B) A major in a field other than child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development, with at least twelve (12) credit hours, or its equivalent as determined by OSSE, in child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development;

(6) A competency-based credential, representing a level of knowledge and skills equivalent to or greater than an associate

degree and awarded by a nationally recognized credential program, should one become available and approved by OSSE; or

(7) A current CDA credential; provided that the individual is enrolled in an associate or more advanced degree program and earns an associate or more advanced degree as described in §170.2(a)(1) within four (4) years of the date on which the Facility opened.

(b) Have successfully completed one of the following:

(1) At least one (1) year of operating as the Caregiver in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Home or its equivalent in another jurisdiction; or

(2) At least one (1) year of supervised occupational experience in a licensed Child Development Center, or its equivalent in another jurisdiction, as a Center Director or Teacher.

(c) Participate in at least four (4) child development-related training courses, approved by OSSE, per year, for a total of at least fifteen (15) hours of professional development annually; and

(d) Successfully complete all health and safety training requirements set forth in this chapter.

170.3 An individual who meets the requirements of § 170.2(a)(7) and has not earned a degree or credential in compliance with § 170.2(a)(1), (2), (3) (4), (5), or (6) within four (4) years of opening a Facility, may have up to six (6) years from the date on which the Facility opened, to earn a degree provided that the individual has maintained continuous enrollment in an associate or more advanced degree program or experienced a documented hardship, as approved by OSSE, that interfered with maintaining enrollment or completing the course of study within four (4) years.

170.4 For the purpose of § 170.2, a period of supervised occupational work experience shall include an average of no less than twenty (20) hours per week. One (1) year of occupational experience is the equivalent of one thousand (1,000) hours. Multiple qualifying periods may be aggregated in order to achieve the required total.

170.5 For the purposes of this section, early childhood development and early childhood education shall include the courses listed in § 164.5.

170.6 Any person who is employed as a qualified Expanded Home Caregiver in

a licensed Expanded Child Development Home in the District of Columbia on December 20, 2023 and who has continuously served as a Home Caregiver for the past ten (10) years, excluding any absences from the labor force due to caregiving responsibilities, may submit an application to OSSE for a continuous service certification that waives the qualification requirements in § 170.1. OSSE may deny a certification request when a Facility for which the Expanded Home Caregiver was responsible received one or more summary suspensions or failed to abate or resolve the deficiencies, or for any other reason consistent with ensuring the health, safety and welfare of children.

100170.7 A primary Caregiver shall reside in the dwelling where the licensed Expanded Home is located.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking at 63 DCR 14640 (December 2, 2016); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 65 DCR 7032 (June 29, 2018); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 72 DCR 008518 (August 1, 2025).