10A NCAC 09 .0102 DEfinitions

The terms and phrases used in this Chapter are defined as follows:

(1) "Activity area" means a space that is accessible to children and where related equipment and materials are kept in accordance with G.S. 110-91(12).

(2) "Agency" as used in this Chapter means Division of Child Development and Early Education, Department of Health and Human Services located at 333 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609.

(3) "Appellant" means the person or persons who request a contested case hearing.

(4) "Asbestos hazard" means a condition that results in exposure to asbestos in excess of the standards set forth in 10A NCAC 41C .0607(a) or to a category of asbestos containing material defined at 40 C.F.R. 763.88(b)(1)-(6).

(5) "Basic School-Age Care" training (BSAC training) means the training on the elements of quality afterschool care for school-age children, developed by the North Carolina State University Department of 4-H Youth Development and subsequently revised by the North Carolina School-age Quality Improvement Project.

(6) "Biocontaminant" means blood, bodily fluids, or excretions that may spread infectious disease.

(7) "Child Care Center" means an arrangement where, at any one time, there are three or more preschool-age children or nine or more school-age children receiving child care. This does not include arrangements described in Item (18) of this Rule regarding Family Child Care Homes.

(8) "Child Care Facility" means child care centers, family child care homes, and any other child care arrangement not excluded by G.S. 110-86(2) that provides child care, regardless of the time of day, wherever operated, and whether or not operated for profit.

(9) "Child care provider" as defined by G.S. 110-90.2(a)(2) includes the following employees who have contact with the children in a child care program:

(a) facility directors;

(b) child care administrative staff;

(d) teachers' aides;

(e) substitute providers;

(f) uncompensated providers;

(g) cooks;

(h) maintenance personnel; and

(i) drivers.

(10) "Child Development Associate Credential" means the national early childhood credential administered by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition.

(11) "Curriculum" means a curriculum that has been approved as set forth in these Rules by the NC Child Care Commission as comprehensive, evidenced-based, and with a reading component.

(12) "Developmentally appropriate" means suitable to the chronological age range and developmental characteristics of a specific group of children.

(13) "Division" means the Division of Child Development and Early Education within the Department of Health and Human Services.

(14) "Domains" means the developmental areas of learning described in the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development © 2013, available on the Division's website at https://ncchildcare.nc.gov/providers/pv_foundations.asp. This instrument is incorporated by reference and does not include subsequent editions. The domains address children's emotional and social development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development, and communication and cognitive development.

(15) "Drop-in care" means a child care arrangement where children attend on an intermittent, unscheduled basis.

(16) "Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised Edition" (Harms, Clifford, and Cryer, 2005, published by Teachers College Press, New York, NY) is the instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by a group of children in a child care center, when the majority of children in the group are two and a half years old through five years old, to achieve three or more points for the program standards of a rated license. This instrument is incorporated by reference and does not include subsequent editions. A copy of the scale is available for purchase on the Teachers College Press website at https://www.tcpress.com/search?search_term=assessment+materials. The cost of this scale is twenty-five dollars and ninety-five cents ($25.95). A copy of this instrument is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection during regular business hours. For the purposes of this Rule, "regular business hours" for the Division means 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during weekdays, excluding state holidays.

(17) "Experience working with school-age children" means working with school-age children as a child care administrator, program coordinator, group leader, assistant group leader, lead teacher, teacher or aide.

(18) "Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale – Revised Edition" (Harms, Cryer and Clifford, 2007, published by Teachers College Press, New York, NY) is the instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by children in family child care homes to achieve three or more points for the program standards of a rated license. This instrument is incorporated by reference and does not include subsequent editions. A copy of the scale is available for purchase on the Teachers College Press website at https://www.tcpress.com/search?search_term=assessment+materials. The cost of this scale is twenty-five dollars and ninety-five cents ($25.95). A copy of this instrument is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection during regular business hours.

(19) "Family Child Care Home" means a child care arrangement located in a residence where, at any one time, more than two children, but less than nine children, receive child care. Family child care home operators must reside at the location of the family child care home.

(20) "First aid kit" is a collection of first aid supplies (such as bandages, tweezers, disposable nonporous gloves, micro shield or face mask, liquid soap, cold pack) for treatment of minor injuries or stabilization of major injuries.

(21) "Group" means the children assigned to a specific caregiver or caregivers, to meet the staff/child ratios set forth in G.S. 110-91(7) and in this Chapter, using space the Division has identified for each group.

(22) "Health care professional" means:

(a) a physician licensed in North Carolina;

(b) a nurse practitioner approved to practice in North Carolina; or

(23) "Household member" means a person who resides in a family home as evidenced by factors including maintaining clothing and personal effects at the household address, receiving mail at the household address, using identification with the household address, or eating and sleeping at the household address on a regular basis.

(24) "If weather conditions permit" means:

(a) temperatures that fall within the guidelines developed by the Iowa Department of Public Health and specified on the Child Care Weather Watch chart. These guidelines shall be used when determining appropriate weather conditions for taking children outside for outdoor learning activities and playtime. This chart may be downloaded free of charge from http://idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/Files/HCCI/weatherwatch.pdf; and is incorporated by reference and includes subsequent editions and amendments;

(b) following the air quality standards as set out in 15A NCAC 18A .2832(d). The Air Quality Color Guide can be found on the Division's web site at https://www.deq.nc.gov/mitigation-services/publicfolder/library/news/brochures/air-quality-color-guide/download; and

(c) no active precipitation. Caregivers may choose to go outdoors when there is active precipitation if children have appropriate clothing such as rain boots and rain coats, or if they are under a covered area.

(25) "Infant" means any child from birth through 12 months of age.

(26) "Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale - Revised Edition" (Harms, Cryer, and Clifford, 2003, published by Teachers College Press, New York, NY) is the instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by a group of children in a child care center, when the majority of children in the group are younger than 30 months old, to achieve three or more points for the program standards of a rated license. This instrument is incorporated by reference and does not include subsequent editions. A copy of the scale is available for purchase on the Teachers College Press website at http://www.tcpress.com/search?search_term=assessment+materials. The cost of this scale is twenty-five dollars and ninety-five cents ($25.95). A copy of this instrument is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection during regular business hours.

(27) "ITS-SIDS Training" means the Infant/Toddler Safe Sleep and SIDS Risk Reduction Training developed by the NC Healthy Start Foundation and administered by the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center for the Division of Child Development and Early Education for caregivers of children ages 12 months and younger. Information regarding trainer and training availability can be found on the Division's website at http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/providers/pv_itssidsproject.asp.

(28) "Lead Teacher" means an individual who is responsible for planning and implementing the daily program of activities for a group of children in a child care facility. A lead teacher is counted in staff/child ratio, has unsupervised contact with children, and is monetarily compensated by the facility.

(29) "Licensee" means the person or entity that is granted permission by the State of North Carolina to operate a child care facility. The owner of a facility is the licensee.

(30) "Lockdown drill" means an emergency safety procedure in which occupants of the facility remain in a locked indoor space and is used when emergency personnel or law enforcement determine a dangerous person is in the vicinity.

(31) "North Carolina Early Childhood Administration Credential" means the state early childhood administration credential that is based on completion of required early childhood coursework taken at any NC Community College. Other post secondary curriculum coursework shall be approved as equivalent if the Division determines that the content of the other post secondary curriculum coursework offered is substantially equivalent to the NC Early Childhood Administration Credential Coursework. A copy of the North Carolina Early Childhood Administration Credential requirements is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection or copying at no charge during regular business hours. This information can be found on the Division's website at http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/providers/credent.asp.

(32) "North Carolina Early Educator Certification (certification)" is an acknowledgement of an individual's verified level of educational achievement based on a standardized scale. The North Carolina Institute for Child Development Professionals certifies individuals and assigns a certification level on two scales:

(a) the Early Care and Education Professional Scale (ECE Scale) in effect as of July 1, 2010; or

(b) the School Age Professional Scale (SA Scale) in effect as of May 19, 2010. Each scale reflects the amount of education earned in the content area pertinent to the ages of children served. The ECE Scale is designed for individuals working with or on behalf of children ages birth to five. The SA Scale is designed for individuals working with or on behalf of children ages 5 to 12 who are served in school age care settings. Information on the voluntary certification process can be found on the North Carolina Institute for Child Development Professionals website at http://ncicdp.org/certification-licensure/eec-overview/.

(33) "North Carolina Early Childhood Credential" means the state early childhood credential that is based on completion of required early childhood coursework taken at any North Carolina Community College. Other equivalences shall be approved by the Division if the Division determines that the content of other coursework or other pathways are substantially equivalent to the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential coursework. Substantially equivalent coursework shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) a currently active Child Development Associate Credential from the Council for Professional Recognition, a Certified Child Care Professional Credential from the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation, or a Montessori Credential from any of the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, American Montessori Society, National Center for Montessori Education, or Association Montessori Internationale; or

(b) a passing score on a test developed by the early childhood faculty of the North Carolina Community College System designed to demonstrate an individual's mastery of the concepts taught in early childhood coursework taken at any North Carolina community college.

A copy of the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential requirements is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection or copying at no charge during regular business hours. This information can be found on the Division's website at http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/providers/credent.asp.

(34) "Operator" means the owner, director, or other person having responsibility for operation of a child care facility subject to licensing.

(35) "Owner" means any person with a five percent or greater equity interest in a child care facility; however, stockholders of corporations who own child care facilities shall not be subject to mandatory criminal history checks pursuant to G.S. 110-90.2 unless they are a child care provider.

(36) "Parent" means a child's parent, legal guardian, or full-time custodian.

(37) "Passageway" means a hall or corridor.

(38) "Person" means any individual, trust, estate, partnership, corporation, joint stock company, consortium, or any other group, entity, organization, or association.

(39) "Premises" means the entire child care building and grounds including natural areas, outbuildings, dwellings, vehicles, parking lots, driveways and other structures located on the property.

(40) "Preschooler" or "preschool-age child" means any child who is at least three years of age and does not fit the definition of school-age child in this Rule.

(41) "Reside" refers to any person that lives at a child care facility location. Factors for determining residence include:

(a) use of the child care facility address as a permanent address for personal identification or mail delivery;

(b) use of the child care facility to store personal belongings such as furniture, clothing, and toiletry items; and

(42) "School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale, Updated Edition" (Harms, Jacobs, and White, 2014, published by Teachers College Press) is the instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by a group of children in a child care center, when the majority of the children in the group are older than five years, to achieve three or more points for the program standards of a rated license. This instrument is incorporated by reference and does not include subsequent editions. A copy of the scale is available for purchase on the Teacher College Press website at https://www.tcpress.com/search?search_term=assessment+materials. The cost of this scale is twenty-five dollars and ninety-five cents ($25.95). A copy of this instrument is on file at the Division at the address given in Item (2) of this Rule and is available for public inspection during regular business hours.

(43) "School-age child" means any child who is attending or who has attended a public or private grade school or kindergarten and meets age requirements as specified in G.S. 115C-364.

(44) "Seasonal Program" means a recreational program as set forth in G.S. 110-86(2)(b).

(45) "Shelter-in-Place drill" means staying in place to take shelter rather than evacuating. It involves selecting a small interior room, with no or few windows, and used when emergency personnel or law enforcement determine there is a threat.

(46) "Staff" or "staff member" as used in this Chapter includes child care providers, substitute providers, and uncompensated providers. Volunteers, as defined in this Rule, are not staff members.

(47) "Substitute provider" means any person who temporarily assumes the duties of a staff person for a time period not to exceed two consecutive months and may or may not be monetarily compensated by the facility. Any substitute provider must be at least 18 years of age and literate.

(48) "Teacher" means an individual who assists the Lead Teacher in planning and implementing the daily program of activities for a group of children in a child care facility. A teacher is counted in staff/child ratio, has unsupervised contact with children, and is monetarily compensated by the facility.

(49) "Teacher's aide" or "Aide" means a person who assists the lead teacher or the teacher in planning and implementing the daily program. A teacher's aide shall be at least 16 years old and less than 18 years old, shall be literate, and may count in staff/child ratio as long as there is also a credentialed staff person who is at least 21 years of age present in the room and available to respond to the needs of the teacher's aide and children in care.

(50) "Toddler" means any child ages 13 months to 35 months of age.

(51) "Track-Out Program" means any child care provided to school-age children when they are out of school on a year-round school calendar.

(52) "Uncompensated provider" means a person who works in a child care facility and is counted in staff/child ratio or has unsupervised contact with children, but who is not monetarily compensated by the facility. Any uncompensated provider must be at least 18 years of age and literate.

(53) "Volunteer" means a person who works in a child care facility and is not counted in staff/child ratio, does not have unsupervised contact with children, and is not monetarily compensated by the facility. A person who is at least 13 years of age, but less than 16 years of age, may work on a volunteer basis, as long as he or she is supervised by and works with a staff person who is at least 21 years of age and meets staff qualification requirements.

History Note: Authority G.S. 110-85; 110-88; 110-90.2; 143B-168.3; 45 CFR 98.41; S.L. 2021-180; S.L. 2022-71;

Eff. January 1, 1986;

Amended Eff. April 1, 1992; October 1, 1991; October 1, 1990; November 1, 1989;

Temporary Amendment Eff. January 1, 1996;

Amended Eff. March 1, 2015; May 1, 2013; September 1, 2012; July 3, 2012; July 1, 2012; November 1, 2007; May 2006; May 1, 2004; April 1, 2003; July 1, 2000; April 1, 1999; July 1, 1998; April 1, 1997;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2017;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2024; July 1, 2023; February 1, 2022; February 1, 2021; September 1, 2019.