8 Colo. Code Regs. § 1402-1-2.214

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, June 10, 2024

Section 8 CCR 1402-1-2.214 - DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS - LARGE CHILD CARE CENTER

A. Large center directors must have a current director qualifications letter issued by the Department or a current early childhood professional credential level III or higher in version 3.0 as determined by the Department prior to working as the director of a large center.

B. The educational requirements for the director of a large center must be met by satisfactory completion of one (1) of the following. (All course hours are given in semester credit hours, but equivalent quarter credit hours are acceptable.) Official college transcripts must be submitted to the Department for evaluation of qualifications.

1. A Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university in one (1) of the following:

a. Child Development;

b. Child Psychology;

c. Early Childhood Education;

d. Early Childhood Special Education;

e. Educational Leadership and Administration;

f. Elementary Education;

g. Family and Human Development;

h. Family Studies;

i. Special Education; or

2. Completion of all of the following three (3) semester credit hour courses from an accredited college or university in each of the following subject or content areas:

a. Introduction to Early Childhood Professions;

b. Introduction to Early Childhood Techniques;

c. Guidance Strategies for Young Children or has been issued the Colorado Pyramid Model Training certificate of completion;

d. Health, Nutrition, and Safety;

e. Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Programs;

f. Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood Professions or Introduction to Business;

g. Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques;

h. Child Growth and Development;

i. The Exceptional Child; and j. Infant/Toddler Theory and Practice or have been issued the Expanding Quality Infant/Toddler Training certificate of completion; or

3. Completion of a course of training approved by the Department that includes course content listed at rule section 2.214(B)(1), and experience listed at rule section 2.214(C).

C. The experience requirements for the director of a large center must include direct work with young children within an early care and education setting and is based on the completion of the following amount of verified work experience in the care and supervision of four (4) or more children less than eight (8) years of age who are not related to the individual:

1. Persons with a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree with a major emphasis as listed in rule section 2.214(B)(1), or individuals with an early childhood professional credential level III version 3.0 as determined by the Department; no additional experience is required.

2. Persons with an Associate's degree in early childhood education or child development must have three (3) months (455 hours) of verified experience.

3. Persons with a Bachelor's degree and have completed the thirty (30) semester credit hours specified in rule section 2.214(B)(2), must have three (3) months (455 hours) of verified experience.

4. Persons who have no degree but have completed the thirty (30) semester credit hours specified in rule section 2.214(B)(2), must have six (6) months (910 hours) of verified experience.

5. Additional requirements for verified experience include:

a. Verified experience acquired in a school-age child care center may count for up to half of the required experience for director qualifications. The other half of the required experience must be working directly with children in a child development program; and,

b. For family child care home experience to be considered, the applicant must be, or have been, the licensee in the state of Colorado.

D. Renewal of Large Center Director Qualifications Letter

1. All individuals who were previously qualified as a large center director by the Department, who have not completed the required courses in each of the following subject or content areas, must take one (1) course every two (2) years from an accredited college or university, with all courses completed by February 1, 2022, or be in compliance with a current transitory director qualification letter. Official transcripts listing completion of one (1) or more of the five (5) courses shall be submitted to the Department within thirty (30) calendar days of completing each course until all five (5) courses have been completed in:

a. Guidance Strategies for Young Children or has been issued a Colorado Pyramid Model Training certificate of completion;

b. Health, Nutrition and Safety or Child Nutrition;

c. The Exceptional Child;

d. Infant/Toddler Theory and Practice or have been issued the Expanding Quality in Infant and Toddler Care Training certificate of completion; and

e. Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood Professions or Introduction to Business.

2. Except for individuals holding an early childhood professional credential level III version 3.0 as determined by the Department, directors meeting all large center director requirements in rule section 2.214(B), in centers operating more than six (6) hours a day must complete a three (3) semester credit hour course from an accredited college or university every five (5) years in a subject related to the operation of a center and must be able to demonstrate the relationship of the course taken to the operation of the center.

3. The renewal application and the official transcripts must be submitted to the Department. The renewed director letter shall expire five (5) years from approval of the renewal application.

4. Director letters must be renewed prior to the expiration date or the letter becomes invalid and the individual no longer qualifies as a director of a large center.

E. Revocation of Large Center Director Letter

1. Persons may be denied an original or renewal of a director letter; a director letter may be revoked if substantial evidence has been found that the applicant or director is responsible for one or more of the following at any child care facility, including, but not limited to:

a. Committing fraud;

b. Responsible for egregious or repetitive grounds for negative licensing actions;

c. Providing false information;

d. Providing false transcripts for self or staff; or

e. Providing false letters of experience for self or staff.

2. Persons who have had a director Letter revoked or denied for the reasons listed in rule section 2.214(E)(1), may submit a new application for consideration after a period of two (2) years from the date of denial or revocation.

3. A person issued a new director letter after a denial or revocation shall receive a provisional letter for no less than nine (9) months. After the provisional period has been completed, a new application may be submitted for consideration of a five (5) year time limited letter.

4. Persons whose director letter has been denied or revoked for the reasons listed in rule section 2.214(E)(1), may file an appeal in the same manner as a request for waiver, as specified in rule sections 2.114 through 2.118 of the "General Rules for Child Care Facilities."

F. Assistant Director Requirements

1. An assistant director working under the supervision of a director must be at least eighteen (18) years of age, have at least nine (9) months (1,365 hours) of experience as an early childhood teacher, and must meet one (1) of the following qualifications:

a. A Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university; or,

b. Completion of at least half of the required coursework for director qualifications in rule section 2.214(B)(2), including the following two (2) administration courses:

(1) Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Programs; and

(2) Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood Professions, or Introduction to Business.

G. All course grades used for the large center director or assistant director requirements must be a "C" or better.

8 CCR 1402-1-2.214

46 CR 22, November 25, 2023, effective 12/15/2023