S.C. Code Regs. § § 114-524

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

Section 114-524 - Application of Staff:Child Ratios

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

(1) Directly supervised shall be defined as:

(a) For infants and toddlers: staff persons shall be in the same room or area as the children and the children shall be within their sight at all times; and

(b) For preschool and school age children: staff persons are in the same room or area, readily accessible, aware and responsible for the ongoing activity of each child and able to intervene when needed.

(2) The center shall have a written procedure to account for the presence of each child as the child enters and exits the premise, enters and exits a vehicle or moves to a new location in or around the center.

(3) There shall be at least two staff persons in the center at all times.

(4) Children in feeding chairs shall be constantly supervised.

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

(6) Children shall not be subjected to:

(a) Withholding, forcing, or threatening to withhold or force food, sleep or toileting;

(b) The use of children to discipline other children; and

(c) Restraining children through drugs or mechanical restraints.

B. Ratios

(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
Two years after	Three years after	Four years after
Birth to one year	1:5	1:5	1:5
One to two years	1:6	1:6	1:6
Two to three years	1:9	1:8	1:7
Three to four years	1:13	1:12	1:11
Four to five years	1:18	1:17	1:16
Five to six years	1:21	1:20	1:19
Six to twelve years	1:23	1:23	1:23

(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. When infants or toddlers are in the mixed age group, the staff:child ratio for infants and toddlers shall be maintained.

(3) For mixed age groups, with one or more infants or toddlers, the ratios applicable to the youngest child in the group apply.

C. Nap time staff:child ratios

(1) During nap times the following ratios apply as long as at least one other staff person is readily available for each group of children ages two and older:

NAP TIME STAFF:CHILD RATIOS
Child's Age	Staff:Child Ratio
Two years after	Three years after	Four years after
Birth to one year	1:5	1:5	1:5
One to two years	1:6	1:6	1:6
Two to three years	1:18	1:16	1:14
Three to four years	1:26	1:24	1:22
Four and older	1:36	1:34	1:32

D. Water safety staffing

(1) The following staffing ratios apply at all times while children are swimming, wading or near a water source. 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 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) 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.

S.C. Code Regs. § 114-524

Added by State Register Volume 29, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2005.