10A NCAC 09 .1803         PROHIBITED DISCIPLINE IN CHILD CARE CENTERS

(a)  No child shall be subjected to any form of corporal punishment by the owner, operator, director, or staff of any child care center. For purposes of this Rule, "staff" shall mean any regular or substitute caregiver, any volunteer, and any auxiliary personnel, including cooks, secretaries, janitors, maids, or vehicle drivers. The following shall apply at all child care centers:

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

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

(3)           no discipline shall be delegated to another child;

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

(5)           no child shall be disciplined for toileting accidents;

(6)           no child shall 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, floors, or emptying diaper pails;

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

(9)           no child shall 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. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Rule, no child shall 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. January 1, 1986;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2001; November 1, 1989;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2017 (Transferred from 10A NCAC 09 .1801).