Section 465 IAC 2-9-50 - Direct care personnel; child-staff ratiosAuthority: IC 31-27-2-4
Affected: IC 31-27-3
Sec. 50.
(a) The staff members responsible for the daily direct care and supervision of the children shall:(1) be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and(2) have at least a high school or equivalency diploma.(b) The institution shall count all children who live with their parents at the institution in determining the child-staff ratios.(c) While children are awake, the direct care worker to child ratio shall be determined and approved by the department based on the needs of the children being served. The approved ratio shall range between 1:4 to 1:8. While children are sleeping, the ratio shall be at least one (1) direct care worker to every twelve (12) children.(d) When there are three (3) or more children under eight (8) years of age in the living unit, the institution shall maintain a ratio of at least one (1) direct care worker to every four (4) children, whether the children are awake or asleep.(e) When one (1) employee is supervising a group of children, the institution shall have a written plan for that employee to summon another adult to immediately assist in case of an emergency without leaving the children unattended.(f) These child-staff ratios shall be maintained at group off-grounds activities.(g) The institution shall maintain a ratio of supervisors to direct care workers that ranges between 1:4 to 1:8.(h) To be considered in the staffing ratios, the staff must be awake. Any institution who is approved prior to January 1, 2012, to have night staff that are not awake is exempt from the requirements of this section on or after January 1, 2012. Department of Child Services; 465 IAC 2-9-50; filed Jun 27, 1991, 12:00 p.m.: 14 IR 1967; readopted filed Jul 12, 2001, 1:40 p.m.: 24 IR 4235; readopted filed Nov 27, 2007, 6:52 a.m.: 20071226-IR-465070551RFA; filed May 25, 2011, 1:23 p.m.: 20110622-IR-465100415FRA, eff Jan 1, 2012; readopted filed November 26, 2013, 4:02 p.m.: 20131225-IR-465130459RFAReadopted filed 10/10/2019, 10:42 a.m.: 20191106-IR-465190320RFA Transferred from the Division of Family Resources ( 470 IAC 3-11-50) to the Department of Child Services ( 465 IAC 2-9-50) by P.L. 234-2005, SECTION 195, effective July 1, 2005.