470 Ind. Admin. Code 3-4.4-7

Current through December 4, 2024

Section 470 IAC 3-4.4-7 - Buildings, grounds, equipment, furnishings, materials and supplies

Authority: IC 12-13-5-3

Affected: IC 12-17.2

Sec. 7.

(a) Cots. Each child not requiring a crib and young enough to nap shall be provided an individual cot. Cots shall be easily sanitized, and the sleeping surfaces off the floor. All cots shall be sanitized daily after each use. Weekly sanitation of a cot is acceptable only if the cot is used by the same child each day. Cots shall be spaced at least two (2) feet apart on all sides except where they touch the wall.

Coverings used to maintain comfort and warmth shall be clean and individually marked. Individual storage shall be provided for coverings, children's personal items and clothing.

Cots shall be in good repair and stored in a manner as to prevent injury to children.

(b) Space and Furnishings for Infants and Toddlers. Supplies and personal belongings of each child shall be individually stored and easily accessible. Diaper bags brought from home shall not be stored in the room.

Tiered cribs are prohibited. Mesh cribs, playpens, and bassinets of any type shall be prohibited for sleeping. All surfaces shall be cleanable.

Crib mattresses shall be securely covered with a waterproof material not dangerous to children. There shall be at least three (3) feet between cribs.

(c) Outdoor Play Area. The play area shall be well drained and free from hazards which might be dangerous to the life or health of the children.

(d) First Aid and Medications. Poisons and medications or other harmful chemicals shall be kept under lock, away from children. First aid supplies, hazardous articles, materials, and equipment such as cleaning fluids, polishes, bleaches, detergents, matches, and tools shall be stored in a place inaccessible to children.

Medication requiring refrigeration shall be stored in a lidded plastic container clearly labeled "medication." Medication not requiring refrigeration shall not be stored in the kitchen.

(e) Safety. Equipment, materials and furnishings, whether for indoor or outdoor use, shall be sturdy, nontoxic, easy to clean, and kept clean and in good, safe condition, free of sharp points or jagged edges, splinters, protruding nails or wires, loose parts, rusty parts, materials containing poisonous substances, or paint which contains lead or other poisonous materials, and free from hazards to the life or health of children.

All areas, surfaces and items including toys, cribs, jumpers and playpens with which children will come in contact shall be free of any residual pesticides and paint containing lead or other harmful materials or finishes, and shall be clean and easily sanitized on a regular basis.

The floor coverings shall be safe and easily cleanable. If carpeting is used, it shall be firmly secured, vacuumed daily when children are not present and shampooed as frequently as necessary to keep it clean.

Fans shall be kept clean and used in such a way as to prevent injury to children.

(f) Design and Construction. The facility shall be structurally sound, in good repair, and safe for children. The premises shall be maintained in a clean, neat and sanitary condition. Rooms shall not be swept or dusted while occupied by children except for cleaning up after food service or art projects. Kitchens, infant rooms, and toddler rooms shall not be used as throughways to other rooms or areas.

(g) Lavatory and Toilet Facilities. The facility shall provide inside toilet rooms equipped with flush toilets and securely fastened, sealed to the wall, supported wash basins with hot and cold running water. Toilet rooms shall be enclosed, adequately ventilated and located in close proximity to inside and outdoor play areas.

The facility shall provide a minimum of one wash basin and one flush toilet for each fifteen (15) children for which the facility is licensed. Toilet rooms with multiple toilets, shall not be used by school-age children of opposite sex, and toilets for school-age children shall be separated by partitions.

If child-size toilets and wash basins are not available, easy to clean steps or platforms shall be provided for small children. Nursery seats or toilet chairs shall be provided for children learning toilet habits. Toilet facilities shall be furnished for the staff and other adults separate from those furnished for the children.

All non-portable handwashing facilities shall be provided with hot and cold running water. Automatic hot water control valves that will not permit the hot water temperature at the point of use to exceed 120° F. shall be used. The temperature of the water for handwashing shall be at least 100° F. Alternative portable sinks are suitable if proper sanitary procedures are followed as specified by the SBH.

Toilets, toilet chairs, nursery seats, changing tables and lavatories shall be clean and sanitized.

When natural light is insufficient, it shall be supplemented by artificial light and properly diffused and distributed.

All windows which open, doors not equipped with panic hardware or equivalent, ventilators, and other outside openings shall be protected against insects by securely fastened 16-mesh screening, as the season requires.

Areas used by the children shall be heated when the temperature falls below 68° F., so that a temperature of 68° F. to 72° F. may be maintained within two feet of the floor.

470 IAC 3-4.4-7

Division of Family Resources; 470 IAC 3-4.4-7; filed Oct 14, 1987, 2:45 pm: 11 IR 933; readopted filed Jul 12, 2001, 1:40 p.m.: 24 IR 4235; readopted filed Oct 24, 2007, 11:25 a.m.: 20071121-IR- 470070448RFA; readopted filed Aug 23, 2013, 3:36 p.m.: 20130918-IR-470130306RFA

Transferred from the Indiana State Department of Health ( 410 IAC 22-1-7) to the Division of Family and Children ( 470 IAC 3-4.4-7) by P.L. 9-1991, SECTION 129, effective July 1, 1992.