10A NCAC 09 .1722         Prohibited DISCIPLINE

(a)  No child shall be subjected to any form of corporal punishment by the family child care home operator, additional caregiver, substitute provider, or any other person in the home, whether or not these persons reside in the home as follows:

(1)           No child shall be handled roughly in any way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking;

(2)           No child shall ever be placed in a locked room, closet, or box, or be left alone in a room separated from staff;

(3)           No discipline shall ever be delegated to another child;

(4)           No food shall be withheld or given as a means of punishment or reward;

(5)           No child shall ever be disciplined for toileting accidents;

(6)           No child shall ever be disciplined for not sleeping during rest period;

(7)           No child shall be disciplined by assigning chores that require contact with or use

of hazardous materials, such as cleaning bathrooms or floors, or emptying diaper pails;

(8)           Physical activity, such as running laps and doing push-ups, shall not be withheld or required as punishment;

(9)           No child shall ever be yelled at, shamed, humiliated, frightened, threatened, or bullied; and

(10)         No child shall be restrained as a form of discipline unless the child's safety or the safety of others is at risk. For purposes of this Rule, "restraining" shall mean that a caregiver physically holds a child in a manner that restricts the child's movement, for a minimum amount of time necessary to ensure a safe environment. Children shall not be restrained through the use of heavy objects, including a caregiver's body, or any device such as straps, blankets, car seats, or cribs.

(b)  Discipline practices shall be age and developmentally appropriate.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 110-85; 110-91(10); 143B-168.3;

Eff. July 1, 1998;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2003; April 1, 2001;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2017.