The Child Care License in North Carolina has been governed by state law since 1971. The current system uses a 5-star rating system that provides points based on programming quality. The more points, the higher the rank and so, the more 'stars' are expelled. If a person provides child care to more than two children who are unrelated to them for more than four hours per day, the provider must be licensed by the State.
Video Child care licensing in North Carolina
History
While all countries have some rules for center-based care, the rules are different and may range from simple health-related standards to a more comprehensive assessment system that factors in child development and early childhood education guidelines. North Carolina's initial setup effort for childcare licenses is confusing for parents and difficult to navigate. The state has a two-tier system that lists centers that meet the minimum requirements as a "A" level provider. This is confusing for parents who believe that the "A" rank is the highest category available. In 1999, the country moved to a star system citing better clarification for parents and a special standard provider may seek to obtain it. The newer star rating is also intended to help identify service providers for their level of care. One star is the lowest rank, while five stars is the highest.
This system requires both family centers (also called home parenting) and daycare centers located in commercial spaces. According to North Carolina legislation:
- Family or child care can have a maximum of five preschoolers treated and can reach a maximum of eight if three of them are school-aged children.
- The Childcare Center provides more than five preschoolers and will be limited to a maximum based on the total area of ​​indoor and outdoor square and possible sanitation, fire and zoning regulations that may be region specific.
Before switching to regulatory guidelines in 1999, the Frank Porter Graham Children Development Institute/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (FPG/UNC) was assigned to evaluate whether the newly adopted star system would effectively reflect the quality of daycare centers. The team collected data from more than 200 randomly selected child care centers across the state (not family care centers) just months before the new rule came into effect. The data collected is based on interviews from the director of the nursery center and direct observation of child development practices based on the Environmental Assessment Scale (ERS). This scale was developed in 1980 by FPG/UNC, enhanced by data over the years and is now considered a national standard. These standards include daily routines and activities as well as materials used in the classroom, interactions between teachers and students as well as teacher education and wages. The group then revisits the sample center once new star licensing rules come into effect. Of the more than 200 centers initially included in 1999 data collection, 84 childcare centers have received a new star rating by December 2000. Of these 84, the ERS measurements established in 1999 are directly related to the star ratings granted by the State. North Carolina in 2000. Therefore, preliminary evidence suggests that the new star rating system is directly correlated with the quality of child care.
Since implementation, a study of licensing programs has been commissioned by North Carolina to evaluate the success of the program. Organizations that deal with national child care such as the National Association of Child Care Research and Referral Agencies also provide report cards on regulatory measures for North Carolina and other states.
Summing up 2012, there are a total of 7646 licensed centers in North Carolina that provide care to 251,798 children.
Maps Child care licensing in North Carolina
How the star rating system works
All centers licensed through the State of North Carolina must pass a rating of one star; however, the Home Care Center and Childcare Center may voluntarily choose to become licensed at a higher level. There are certain exceptions to the rules of the rule. These exceptions include:
- if the children in the house are related to each other and no more than two children are not related in the same care;
- recreational programs run for less than four consecutive months of the year;
- programs that specialize in activities or instructions such as organized clubs, art lessons or music;
- Drop-in or short-term care while parents participate in non-work functions such as health clubs, shopping, resorts or churches;
- Public School Programs or non-public schools accredited by the South High School and School Association as long as they operate less than 6.5 hours per day;
- Holiday Bible School;
- Military base, Indian Cherokee Reservation or any federal property in which the federal government has jurisdiction or control.
If an individual in North Carolina is considering taking care of two or more children who are not in contact with them for more than four hours a day and NOT qualified for an exception, the home or center should be regulated through the State. At a minimum, both family care centers and child care should have safe practices regarding transportation and discipline. The NC law also provides that parents have the right to enter the premise at any time when their child is in care either at home or a central based facility. In addition to the limitation of the number of children allowed in home-based care centers, homes used for childcare should be operated by someone who is considered mentally competent beyond 21 years of age. Likewise, all the service providers in the home must undergo a criminal examination and have current CPR and SIDS training. Childcare centers have greater requirements such as curriculum and activity plans, health and safety certification and space and equipment requirements.
Providers receiving complaints proven by the Ministry of Health and Child Services of the Department of North Health for Child Development and Early Education may face fines or revocation of licenses. While the NC Children Development and Early Education Division has legal authorities relating to childcare licenses, all providers must also pass local inspections including reviews by local health departments, fire and safety officers and nursing care for immunization checks.
Become licensed in North Carolina
To become a licensed provider in North Carolina, applications should be submitted to the North Carolina Division for Early Childhood Development and Early Education. This division is part of the Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina. There are two separate processes: one for the Home Child Care center and another for the Child Care center.
Child care centers are ranked by North Carolina State based on standards developed by the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP). Each rating is valid for three years; however, the center may apply to be assessed for a higher ranking at any time. NCLAP is based at UNC Greensboro and employs regional licensing consultants and regional coordinators. When a center requests an assessment, preliminary information is collected before scheduling an organized site visit.
During field visits, two licensing agencies observed the center - often in some classrooms and settings. The Provider has access to many standards to be reviewed during the visit through the agency's "Additional Notes" feature so that each center knows expectations during the licensing visit. This "Supplementary Note" is used as the primary source for the assessment process in North Carolina. Classroom observations are complemented by interviews with caregivers. Detailed reports are then given by the license appraiser within two weeks of the visit.
Different standards apply to different age groups. These standards range from operating hours, the ratio of adults to children who must be maintained at all times and sanitary requirements.
- Environmental Scale of Infants/Toddlers (ITERS) is specifically for centers with children born to 30 months old.
- The Early Childhood Scale Environmental Scale (ETERS) primarily deals with children aged over 2.4 years old up to age 5.
- The Family Care Scale Scale and Child Care Scale Childcare Scale (FCCERS) are used for centers that accommodate multiple age groups in the home environment.
- The School Care Scale Care scale (SACERS) is designed for centers working with children aged 5 to 12.
Points earned during the process are directly correlated with the observations made by the licensing appraiser; However, education of educators is also considered. For family home care, a course in early childhood education calculated with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education is considered the highest level of the course. At daycare centers, the more staff with early childhood education courses or those demonstrating significant experience in the area, the higher the potential accrual point toward licensing to a Bachelor's degree.
North Carolina license rules associated with other states
The 2010 US Census shows that nearly 7.4 million children under the age of five who have working mothers are in some form of care other than their parents. At primary school age (considered 5 to 11 years of age), more than six percent of these children are at home without adult supervision.
The 50 states in the US have some safety rules for childcare; however, they vary widely with respect to law and compliance. Federal law has often implemented childcare for low-income families through initiatives such as Head Start and public subsidies for childcare, but regulatory measures outside these programs fall into individual countries. Likewise, any country that governs child care facilities may have different views on what is a child-care center, exemption from regulatory and supervisory measures. For example, North Carolina requires a license at the home center if more than two unrelated children are treated for more than four hours per day. South Dakota does not require a license until there are more than 12 children at home. Variations in program rules range from educational requirements for lead teachers to health and safety inspections. There are also differences between countries in the supervision of centers.
The statutory requirements in North Carolina are constantly changing from sanitary nuances to how childcare subsidies are administered and paid throughout the state. When different advocacy groups highlight their causes such as child development research, childhood obesity or even after childcare deaths are reported to cause practices reviewed across the state, those issues are brought to lawmakers state for action.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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