S.C. Code Regs. § § 114-533

Current through Register Vol. 48, 12, December 27, 2024

Section 114-533 - Program

A. Supervision

Supervision of children shall be adequate at all times and requires:

(1) Awareness and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child, knowledge of activity requirements and children's needs and accountability of care.

(2) The operator and/or caregiver is in the same general area as the children and immediately available to them at all times.

(3) The operator and/or caregiver is directly overseeing the children and their activities at all times.

(4) The operator and/or caregiver is monitoring all of the children's activities by sight.

(5) The operator and/or caregiver is outside with all children in care during outdoor play.

B. Naptime Supervision

(1) The operator and/or caregiver is awake and alert while the children nap.

(2) The operator and/or caregiver is on the same level of the home where the children are napping.

(3) The operator and/or caregiver keeps all doors open if children nap in different rooms or areas.

(4) The operator and/or caregiver visually checks on each child every fifteen (15) minutes.

(5) The operator and/or caregiver shall be accessible to the children during naptime in case they have an emergency, i.e. asthma attack, breathing stops, or any other traumatic experience or in case of an emergency situation that requires evacuation, such as a fire.

C. Number of children in the home

(1) The operator may have up to six (6) children in the home at any given time, including children living in the home and children related to the operator who are under the age of twelve (12), unless zoning restrictions further limit the number of children.

(2) There shall be an additional caregiver, household member eighteen (18) years of age or older, staff, emergency person, or volunteer on the premises when four or more children in attendance are younger than twelve (12) months of age.

D. Attendance

(1) Accurate records of daily attendance of each child shall be kept on file at the family child care home at all times.

E. Daily Schedule

(1) The operator shall establish a daily schedule which will provide regularity of activities with sufficient flexibility and variety to respond to the needs of the children.

(2) The operator shall provide daily indoor and outdoor activities that contribute to the individual child's growth and well-being, including active and quiet activities.

(3) The family child care home shall provide an environment that safeguards infants and toddlers from physical harm, but is not so restrictive as to inhibit physical, intellectual, social, or emotional development.

F. Overnight Care

(1) A family child care home offering overnight care shall provide for the special needs of children during the night, shall adapt to the day/night routines of children, and shall ensure sufficient, unbroken periods of sleep for the children.

G. Discipline

(1) The family child care home's discipline policy shall outline methods of guidance appropriate to the ages of the children. Positive, non-violent, non-abusive methods for managing behavior shall be implemented. Children shall not be inappropriately handled with force.

(2) All operators/caregivers/household members shall sign an agreement to implement the discipline and behavior management policy, with a statement that specifies no corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is prohibited and includes, but is not limited to: spanking, hitting, slapping, twisting, dragging, yanking, squeezing, pinching, shaking, or biting a child.

(3) Emotional abuse is also prohibited, including but not limited to: profane, harsh, demeaning or humiliating language in the presence of the children. Threatening, humiliating, ignoring, corrupting, terrorizing or rejecting a child is prohibited.

(4) Withholding, forcing, or threatening to withhold or force food, sleep, or toileting is prohibited.

(5) Unsupervised isolation of a child shall not be allowed. The child shall be within sight of a caregiver if isolation from the group is used.

(6) The use of children to discipline other children is prohibited.

(7) Children shall not be restrained through drugs or mechanical restraints.

(8) Children shall not be forced to complete demanding physical exercise or engage in demanding or strenuous activity as a form of punishment.

(9) Parents shall be informed of any discipline their child may be experiencing while at the family child care home.

S.C. Code Regs. § 114-533

Added by State Register Volume 48, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/24/2024.