GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 896

Short Title:  Large Day Care Home Change.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Gardner; and Watson.

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Referred to:  Human Resources.

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April 8, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CHANGE THE LAW REGARDING STAFF/CHILD RATIOS FOR CHILD DAY CARE FACILITIES TO ADDRESS THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF LARGE CHILD DAY CARE HOMES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 110-91(7) reads as rewritten:
"(7)	Staff-Child Ratio. – In determining the staff-child ratio, all children younger than 13 years shall be counted.  The Commission shall adopt rules regarding staff-child ratios, group sizes and multi-age groupings for each category of facility other than for infants and toddlers, provided that these rules shall be no less stringent than those currently required for staff-child ratios as enacted in Section 156(e) of Chapter 757 of the 1985 Session Laws.  The staff-child ratios and group sizes for infants and toddlers for all facilities except child day care large homes for infants and toddlers shall be no less stringent than as follows:
Age	Ratio	Group Size
0 to 12 months	5	10
12 to 24 months	6	12
2 to 3 years	10	20.
		The staff-child ratio for child day care large homes for all children shall be no less stringent than as follows:
Age	Ratio	Qualifications
0 to 13 years	8	a. There is no specific group size requirement.   No more than three children may be less than 12 months old with one caregiver.
b. When only one caregiver is required to meet this staff-child ratio, the operator shall make available to parents the name, address, and phone number of an adult who is nearby and available for emergency relief.
c. Children shall be supervised at all times.  All children who are not asleep or resting shall be visually supervised.  Children may sleep or rest in another room as long as a caregiver can hear them and respond immediately."
Section 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 1997.