Child Care Center Handbook

1. Child Care Center Handbook NC Division of Child Development Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

2. Purpose of Handbook • Identify the child care law and rules • Explain how to comply with requirements • Provide resources to assist with maintaining compliance • Offer best practices Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

3. Table of Contents • Preface • Overview of Division of Child Development • How to use • 17 Chapters • Resource Sections • 5 Appendices Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

4. Symbols Used Rule Additional information/explanations  Contact information HHHelpful Hint (best practice) Web site address Resources and forms available Public School Information Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

5. Examples Example 1: • Chapter 11 – Behavior Management – page 11.2 Example 2: • Chapter 17 – Star Rated License – page 17.5 Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

6. SECTION 1: DISCIPLINE REQUIREMENTS Law Reference Explanation • Staff must attend to children in a nurturing and appropriate manner in keeping with the child’s developmental needs. • The discipline policy of the center must explain the practices and methods that will be used by staff to promote healthy social and emotional behaviors and prevent and address challenging behaviors in the classroom. • The policy must clearly state that corporal punishment is not used, unless the center has taken religious exemptions allowed by law. (Refer to Chapter 15 for allowable religious exemptions.) • HH – Effective guidance and discipline focuses on the development of the child. When thinking about how to respond to a child’s behavior, consider the child’s development and the behaviors that are typical for children at that stage of development. • HH - Caregivers have the responsibility to guide children to develop self-control and orderly conduct in relationships with peers and adults. Best Practice

7. Ch 17 – Star Rated License Section 2: Program Standards • Administrative policies are reviewed by the child care consultant as part of the rated license assessment. • HH–Research consistently finds that high quality administrative practices are essential for ensuring good outcomes for children and families. • The McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership developed the Program Administration Scale (PAS) to reliably measure the leadership and management practices of center-based programs. The PAS was constructed to complement the environment rating scales. When used together, these tools provide a focused look at best practices at the classroom level and the broad view of program quality from an organizational perspective. You can access additional informational at www.cecl.nl.edu/. Best Practice Web Link

8. Chapters • Chapter 1 – Getting Started • Resource Section • Chapter 17 – Star Rated License • Resource Section Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook

9. How does the handbook support your work? • How will you use the handbook? Regulatory Services Section Child Care Center Handbook