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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="9.5-404" title_number="9.5" title_name="Division of Early Childhood Development" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Child Care Centers">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The State Board shall adopt rules and regulations for licensing and operating child care centers.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>These rules and regulations shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Ensure safe and sanitary conditions in child care centers;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Ensure proper care, protection, and supervision of children in child care centers;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Ensure the health of children in child care centers by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Monitoring children for signs and symptoms of child abuse;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Instructing licensees and staff concerning child abuse detection and reporting;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Monitoring health practices to help prevent the spread of disease;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Monitoring the care of infants and children with special needs; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Prohibiting the administration of corporal punishment to discipline a child;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Promote the sound growth and development of children in child care centers;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Promote proper nutrition and developmentally appropriate practices by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Establishing training and policies promoting breast–feeding;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>Requiring compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program standards for beverages served to children, except that milk that is not nonfat or low fat may be ordered by a health care practitioner or requested by a parent or guardian; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Prohibiting beverages other than infant formula that contain added sweetener or caffeine; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Setting limits on screen time;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Carry out otherwise the purposes and requirements of this subtitle, including imposition of intermediate sanctions to ensure compliance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Prohibit a child from remaining at a child care center for more than 14 hours in 1 day unless the Department issues an exception for that child based on guidelines set by the State Superintendent;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Require that a child care center have in attendance at all times at least 1 individual who is responsible for supervision of children, including children on field trips, and who holds a current certificate indicating successful completion of approved:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Basic first aid training through the American Red Cross or through a program with equivalent standards; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training through the American Heart Association or through a program with equivalent standards appropriate for the ages of children for whom care is provided in the child care center; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Require that a child care center serving more than 20 children have in attendance certificate holders described in item (i) of this item in a ratio of certificate holders to children set by the Department;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>Require that the minimum age of a child care teacher in a child care center be at least 18 years old and an individual may not be precluded from being a child care teacher solely for being 18 years old;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Require that a child care center that receives notice of a contaminated drinking water supply from the child care center’s supplier of water, in accordance with § 9–410 of the Environment Article or otherwise, send notice of the drinking water contamination to the parent or legal guardian of each child attending the child care center; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Require that the notice sent by the child care center shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Be sent within 10 business days after receipt of the notice of contamination from the child care center’s water supplier;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Be in writing;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Identify the contaminants and their levels in the center’s water supply; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Describe the child care center’s plan for dealing with the water contamination problem until the child care center’s water is determined by the appropriate authority to be safe for consumption;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Require a child care center to have a written emergency preparedness plan for emergency situations that require evacuation, sheltering in place, or other protection of children, such as in the event of fire, natural disaster, or other threatening situation that may pose a health or safety hazard to the children in the child care center;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Require the plan under item (i) of this item to include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>A designated relocation site and evacuation route;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Procedures for notifying parents or other adults responsible for the child of the relocation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Procedures to address the needs of individual children, including children with special needs;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Procedures for the reassignment of staff duties during an emergency, as appropriate; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>Procedures for communicating with local emergency management officials or other appropriate State or local authorities; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Require a child care center to train staff and ensure that staff are familiar with the plan;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="12">
      <text>Require a child care center to have window coverings in accordance with § 5–505 of the Family Law Article; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="13">
      <text>Subject to subsection (c) of this section, establish probationary employment qualifications for an individual who is applying for the first time to be a child care teacher in a child care center in the State that serves preschool or school–age children who are at least 2 years old.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The probationary employment qualifications established under subsection (b)(13) of this section shall allow an individual to be employed as a child care teacher during a probationary period if the individual:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>Is enrolled in approved pre–service training;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Successfully completes the required 90 hours of the approved pre–service training within 6 months after being hired; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Holds an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Early childhood education;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Elementary education;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Child development;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="D">
          <text>Home economics;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="E">
          <text>Nursing;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="F">
          <text>Social work;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="G">
          <text>Special education; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="H">
          <text>A related field approved by the Department; or</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>Is enrolled in approved pre–service training;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Has successfully completed at least 45 hours of the approved pre–service training at the time the child care center hires the individual;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Successfully completes the remaining hours of the pre–service training within 6 months after being hired; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Holds an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in a field other than a field listed under item (i)3 of this paragraph.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If, at the end of the 6–month probationary period, an individual described in paragraph (1) of this subsection has not completed the required pre–service training, the child care center shall, with no further cause, terminate the individual or reassign the individual to a nonteaching position.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
