10A NCAC 09 .2829         QUALITY POINT OPTIONS

Operators may choose to earn one additional quality point toward a rated license as described in Rule .2802 of this Section as follows:

(1)           Education options:

 

Quality Point Education Options (.2829)

 

75 percent of infant/toddler teachers have obtained an Infant and Toddler Certificate;

OR

All teachers have the North Carolina Diploma in Early Childhood (1 year) from a regionally accredited college or university as defined in Rule .1103 of this Chapter;

OR

75 percent of teachers have an AAS or higher in early childhood education or child development;

OR

75 percent of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in early childhood education or child development;

OR

All lead teachers have an AAS or higher in early childhood education or child development;

OR

75 percent of group leaders have a North Carolina School-Age Care Credential or 6 semester hours in school-age coursework;

OR

A Family Child Care Home operator has an Infant and Toddler Certificate or a BA/BS or higher in early childhood education or child development;

OR

Completing 20 additional annual on-going training hours for full-time lead teachers and teachers, and staff working part-time;

OR

Completing 20 additional annual on-going training hours for family child care home operators;

OR

The child care administrator has at least 10 years of documented child care administrative work experience in a licensed program that can be verified by the Division;

OR

75 percent of lead teachers and teachers have at least 10 years of documented early childhood work experience that can be verified by the Division;

OR

All lead teachers and teachers have at least 5 years of documented early childhood work experience that can be verified by the Division and have been employed by no more than 2 different employers;

OR

When the program has earned at least 4 points in education and the program has a combined turnover rate of 20 percent or less for the administrator, program coordinator, lead teacher, teacher, and group leader positions over the last 12 months;

OR

In a stand-alone school age program, 75 percent of group leaders have at least 5 years of documented school-age work experience that can be verified by the Division and have been employed by no more than 2 different employers.

 

 

(2)           Programmatic options:

 

Quality Point Programmatic Options (.2829)

 

Using a curriculum as defined in Rule .0102(10) of this Chapter. This programmatic option is not available to facilities that are required to use an approved curriculum in accordance with Rule .2802(d) of this Section;

OR

Having reduced group sizes decreased by at least one child per age group from the seven point level as described in Rule .2818(c) of this Section;

OR

Having staff/child ratios decreased by at least one child per age group from the seven point level as described in Rule .2818(c) of this Section;

OR

Meeting the following program standards:

(1)           Having a staff benefits package that offers at least four of the following benefits: paid              leave for professional development, paid planning time, vacation, sick time, retirement, or health insurance; and

(2)           Having evidence of an infrastructure of parent involvement that includes at least two of the following: parent newsletters offered at least quarterly, parent advisory board, periodic conferences for all children, or parent information meetings offered at least quarterly

OR

A Family Child Care Home operator has completed a 30 hour or longer business training course;

OR

A center administrator has completed a business training course and a wage and hour training course that is at least 30 hours of total training time;

OR

Restricting enrollment to four preschool children in a Family Child Care Home;

OR

Reducing infant capacity by at least one child from the seven point level for a Family Child Care Home as described in Rule .2828(g)(3) of this Section.

 

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 110-85; 110-88(7); 110-90(4); 143B-168.3; S.L. 2011-145, s. 10.7(b);

Eff. May 1, 2006;

Amended Eff. December 1, 2006;

Recodified from Rule .2823 Eff. August 1, 2012;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2015; September 1, 2012;

Readopted Eff. March 1, 2019.