During waking hours and whenever children are present, there must be at least one staff member to supervise every three children or fraction thereof. During sleeping hours, there must be at least one staff member present and awake in each living unit to supervise every six children or fraction thereof.
There must be a minimum of two adults on the grounds at all times. Additional child care staff must be on call. A list of the staff members on call must be posted by the facility's telephone in case of an emergency. The facility must have a written plan to ensure that staff, law enforcement, or appropriate emergency responders are available at the center within a reasonable time in the event of an emergency.
The facility must have an arrangement for employing substitute staff to serve children in emergencies, during vacations or illnesses of regular staff, and during the time when regular staff is off duty.
The facility must provide auxiliary staff members to fulfill the facilitys defined purposes. Auxiliary staff members include individuals such as certified special education teachers, mental health professionals, and physical or occupational therapists.
The department may require a higher adult-child ratio if safety needs or treatment concerns indicate a need for more supervision to maintain control and discipline.
S.D. Admin. R. 67:42:15:14
General Authority: SDCL 26-6-16.
Law Implemented: SDCL 26-6-16.