Who Is Qualified to Take Care of Your Children at Their Kentucky Day Care Facilities?

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A daycare class can quickly go out of control if too few staff members are supervising the childrenAs a parent, you know how hard it is to take care of young children and to keep them safe. The Commonwealth of Kentucky recognizes both the difficulty and the importance of keeping young children safe. Accordingly, regulations are in place that establish minimum staff-to-child ratios at licensed daycares and the qualifications of staff members and directors.

Staff-to-Child Ratios in Kentucky Daycares

The number of staff members per child depends on the age of the children under the staff members’ care. According to Kentucky regulations, the minimum staff-to-child ratios are as follows:

  • One staff member for every five infants.
  • One staff member for every six toddlers.
  • One staff member for every 10 preschool-age children who are two to three years old.
  • One staff member for every 12 preschool-age children who are three to four years old.
  • One staff member for every 14 preschool-age children who are four to five years old.
  • One staff member for every 15 school-age children who are five to seven years old.
  • One staff member for every 25 school-age children who are seven years old or older during before-school or after-school care.
  • One staff member for every 20 school-age children who are seven years old or older and who are enrolled in a full day program.

This means that at least one qualified staff member per number of children is present and working with the children while the children are present in the daycare.

Staff Qualifications in Kentucky Daycares

Not just anyone qualifies as a staff member or a director of a Kentucky child care facility. In order to qualify as a staff member for the ratios described above, an individual must:

  • Have a high school diploma, a GED, or a Commonwealth Child Care Credential.
  • Provide medical documentation that the person is free from tuberculosis upon hiring and every two years during the term of employment.
  • Not have been convicted of or pled guilty to certain crimes.
  • Not have abused or neglected a child.
  • Not be on the Sex Offender Registry.
  • Not have a health condition that makes the person unable to care for children.

Additionally, at least one staff member on duty must be able to provide CPR and first aid.

The qualifications are different for daycare directors. In order to be a child care facility director, an individual must:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Have a high school diploma or GED.
  • Must not be employed elsewhere during the hours that the childcare facility is open.

A director in a Type I child care center must also have one of the following:

  • An associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Development.
  • A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a different field plus 12 hours of child development training.
  • An associate’s degree in a different field plus 12 hours of child development training and two years of full-time paid experience working directly with children in specific types of programs.
  • A director’s credential in early childhood development and one year of full-time paid experience working directly with children in specific types of programs.
  • Documentation showing the person is a child development associate with one year of paid experience working directly with children in specific types of programs.
  • Documentation showing the person has three years of full-time paid experience working directly with children in specific types of programs.

Directors of Type 2 child care centers can either meet one of the requirements above, or have 12 hours of orientation and child development training and one year of full time paid experience working directly with children in specific types of programs, or obtain six additional hours of training child daycare program administration.

What Happens If Your Child Was Hurt and These Regulations Weren’t Followed?

If your child has been injured at a daycare or child care facility and the right number of staff were not present at the time of the injury, or if staff present at the time of the injury did not meet the minimum requirements, then those facts could be important evidence in a potential daycare negligence case. To find out more about your child’s rights and about what you can do to protect your child after a serious injury, please contact us today via this website or by phone. We are here for you 24 hours a day, every day, and we would be pleased to schedule a free consultation with you so that you can make important decisions on behalf of your child.

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