Section He-C 6916.12 - Child Development(a) During the operating hours of the program, parents shall have the opportunity to communicate with the staff who care for their child.(b) Staff shall supervise every child in care at all times.(c) The only exceptions to (b) above shall be as follows:(1) Staff may allow children ages 72 months and older to go inside to use the bathroom when no staff are inside provided that staff have a plan in place to keep track of children who have gone inside and to check on children who have not returned in a timely manner; and(2) Staff may allow school-age children 72 months and older who are enrolled in a full day school program to leave the premises of the program, unsupervised by staff, to participate in a specific activity, provided that there is written authorization from each child's parent on file at the program.(d) Programs shall provide privacy for each child toileting, while allowing for age-appropriate supervision of each child.(e) Programs shall provide daily opportunity for outdoor physical activity in the absence of extreme weather.(f) All media, including televisions, video, or electronic devices shall be age and developmentally appropriate, and programs shall comply with parental restrictions regarding the use of electronic media for their child.(g) Staff shall nurture and encourage each child in care by providing each child with a variety of developmentally appropriate learning and social experiences and establishing and maintaining a learning environment that provides for the emotional well-being of each child.(h) When a child is engaging in unacceptable behavior, staff shall:(1) Establish developmentally appropriate rules or limits for acceptable behavior, which are equitable and consistently applied;(2) Redirect a child's attention to a desirable activity by providing positive guidance, positively worded directions, and developmentally appropriate explanations for the limits and rules referenced in (1) above;(3) Demonstrate desired behavior and problem-solving skills and then redirect children to acceptable behavior;(4) Arrange equipment, materials, activities, and schedules in a way that promotes desirable behavior; and(5) Implement safe, logical, and natural consequences related to the misbehavior and enforcing those consequences as soon as possible after the misbehavior has occurred.(i) Separation, or time out, shall only be used as a method to enable a child to regain control of themselves, not as a punitive disciplinary technique.(j) When a child is separated from the group, the child shall be able to see and hear the other children except when staff remove a child from the classroom to a quieter area to provide one-on-one attention.(k) Staff shall not: (1) Abuse or neglect children;(2) Use rough handling on children;(3) Use corporal punishment on children;(4) Require children to stand or sit facing walls or corners;(5) Shame, humiliate, threaten, or frighten children;(6) Withhold food from children, forcibly feed children, or discipline children for not eating;(7) Discipline children for toileting accidents, lapses in toileting habits, or prohibit children from using the toilet as a form of discipline;(8) Use isolation as a form of discipline;(9) Yell in anger or frustration at or with children; or(10) Direct profanity or obscene language at children or use profanity or obscene language in the presence of children.(l) Programs shall develop and implement a written policy to address the limitations of expelling children from the child care program for challenging behaviors.(m) The policy in (l) above shall address at a minimum:(1) The steps the program will take to assist the child in maintaining enrollment prior to expelling the child for challenging behaviors;(2) Parental notification requirements regarding their child's challenging behavior; and(3) The responsibilities of the program if the challenging behavior results in a serious safety risk to the child or others within the program.(n) The written policy in (l) above shall be provided to parents at enrollment.(o) The expulsion policy in (l) above shall only apply when addressing a child's behavior and not a parent's misconduct or the parent's failure to comply with other rules or laws.N.H. Code Admin. R. He-C 6916.12
Amended by Number 23, Filed June 8, 2023, Proposed by #13650, Effective 5/25/2023, Expires 5/25/2033.