1. A. Children shall be directly supervised at all times by qualified staff persons:

   1. (1) Directly supervised for infants, toddlers and two year olds means staff persons shall be in the same room or area as the children and that the children shall be within their sight at all times;
   2. (2) Directly supervised for preschool and school-age children means staff persons are physically near, readily accessible, aware and responsible for the ongoing activity of each child and able to intervene when needed;
   3. (3) The center shall have a written procedure to account for the presence of each child as the child enters and exits the premises, enters and exits a vehicle or moves to a new location in or around the center;
   4. (4) There shall be at least two staff persons in the center at all times; and
   5. (5) Children in feeding chairs shall be constantly supervised.

2. B. Ratios

   1. (1) The following staffing ratios apply at all times children are present on the premises and during activities away from the center and shall be prominently posted in all classrooms.

      STAFF:CHILD RATIOS

      	Child’s Age	Staff:Child Ratio
      	Birth to one year	1:5
      	One to two years	1:6
      	Two to three years	1:8
      	Three to four years	1:12
      	Four to five years	1:17
      	Five to six years	1:20
      	Six to twelve years	1:23

   2. (2) When there are mixed age groups in the same room, the staff:child ratio shall be consistent with the age of the majority of the children when no infants or toddlers are in the mixed age group.
   3. (3) For mixed age groups, with one or more infants or toddlers, the ratios applicable to the youngest child in the group apply.

3. C. Nap time staff:child ratios

   1. (1) During nap times the following ratios apply as long as at least one other staff person is readily available:

      NAP TIME STAFF:CHILD RATIOS

      	Child’s Age	Staff:Child Ratio
      	Birth to one year	1:5
      	One to two years	1:6
      	Two to three years	1:16
      	Three to four years	1:24
      	Four years and older	1:34

4. D. Water safety staffing

   1. (1) The following staffing ratios apply at all times while children are swimming or wading. The staffing ratios shall also apply at all times while children are near a water body that poses a potential risk based upon the age of the child.

      WATER SAFETY STAFF:CHILD RATIOS

      	Child’s Age	Staff:Child Ratio
      	Birth to two years	1:1
      	Two to three years	1:2
      	Three to four years	1:3
      	Four to five years	1:6
      	Five years and older	2:25

   2. (2) All swimming activities shall be supervised by a person with current lifeguard training certification. If this is a staff person who has current lifeguard training certification, they may be included in the staff:child ratio. In instances in which all staff members can, without the ability to swim, quickly reach any child, a certified lifeguard is unnecessary.

HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 17, Issue No. 4, eff April 23, 1993; State Register Volume 29, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2005; SCSR 42-6 Doc. No. 4747, eff June 22, 2018.