Tweet
KS recently came out with regulations requiring us to have written, specific supervision plans for while kids are awake, sleeping, and outside. Do other states have requirements like these? This is new, and we're not quite sure how to write these new plans. I'm part of a group of providers, and we're looking for ideas if other states have had to do this. Thanks.
-
-
Welcome to the forum!
-
Ks Supervision plan
I'm trying to write mine right now. I've swiped a few things from PDFs I found by googling. What I really want to write is "I will not be a big dummy like you guys must think we all are." Some of these regulations are ridiculous!
I have a question: How are my kids suppose to get an hour of outside time when it's too cold or windy for my 3 month old to go out and the others have to now be 5 to go out by themselves. I have a fenced in yard and I can see the kids in 85% of it from inside and can hear them very well. My 3 year olds were able to handle it just fine before they changed things. Arg. I'm frustrated.Comment
-
My plan is- every child in my care is within sight AND sound every moment in care.
I have observation mirrors mounted to enforce the plan.Comment
-
I think that most rule changes are because somebody at HQ needs job security and has to come up with something/anything.
We have a moronic written "emergency plan" we must send in and get approved before getting licensed here in Utah. It's a bunch of stupidly obvious questions that don't really need answered, because any provider with even a partial brain already knows what to do. Having to write it down for licensing is insulting to every providers intelligence.
One new provider wasn't sure how much detail they wanted.....simple answers or a book detailing every single move you'd make? I told her to make is as simple as possible. Most of my answers were one word or sentence. It still got approved. I wish I could answer that way I wanted to though.........
This kind of thing......
"What will you do if a child goes missing?"
Oh...I dunno....sit on the couch, watch TV and eat chocolate?
Do they really think there is a provider out there who wouldn't call the authorities, parents etc??? Or that because she had written it down and sent it to HQ that's exactly what she'll do?
Good grief.....
Comment
-
Ah yes emergency plans. We had to write one this year After the tornado in joplin they really stepped emergency preparedness. Part of it was really stupid. seems they have since revised it though.
So anyway following your regulations on supervision is not enough?It:
: will waitComment
-
For mine, I just wrote that the kids were within sight/hearing distance of me unless I had to attend to personal needs, etc. I basically just wrote along with the regulations, so I mentioned what I would do for my kids under 2.5. For outside time, I wrote that none of my kids would ever be let outside alone even if they were 5 or older. I only have up to 4 year olds right now, so it worked for me just to put that they'd never be alone. Make sure you cover the sections of sleeping and meals. I emailed my plan to my surveyor, and she looked it over. She said that mine was good, so I then had my parents sign off as being notified of my policy. I then put the signed papers in each child's binder and posted it on the wall. You don't have to have the signed policies with the records, but I like to be thorough.
One note: Make sure you have a safe sleep policy developed even if you don't take under 18 months. They're really checking here for safe sleep policies.
As to your question about the 3 month old and outside time, I have a 3 month old in care too. I just bundle her up, and take her out. I have been waiting lately until later afternoon to do outside time because it's been chilly in the mornings.
If you have any questions about KS stuff, just pm me if you register on the site.Comment
-
OP, this is the supervision requirements from the State of MI, maybe it will help you with your dilemma. Remember to keep it simple, you do not have to include all of the rationale just a statement like I highlited below.
R 400.1911 (1) Supervision.
(1) The caregiver shall assure appropriate care and supervision of
children at all times.
Rationale Assures for the safety and well-being of children as supervision is basic
to the prevention of harm. Also assures that children's basic needs are
being met.
Technical
Assistance
The caregiver is responsible and accountable for:
• Providing a program that meets the developmental needs of all
children in care.
• Using reasonable judgment when caring for children.
• Being close enough to the children to provide for their safety.
• Assuring that lighting in the napping area is sufficient to observe
the children at all times.
• Everything that goes on in the home, including those times when
children are left in the care of an assistant caregiver.
Effective monitoring of children must occur at all times regardless of
whether direct or indirect supervision is being used. Individual judgment,
as to the use of appropriate direct and indirect supervision,
depends on circumstances unique to each home and child.
The following factors should be considered in determining the appropriate
level of supervision:
• Ages of children.
• Number of children.
• Developmental needs, including any special needs, of each child.
• Activities taking place, including water activities.
• Areas being used.
• Outdoor hazards.
• Field trips.
DIRECT SUPERVISION means the caregiving staff are:
• In the same area as the children (e.g., single room, adjoining
rooms).
• Immediately available to them.
• Directly overseeing their activities.
• Interacting with them.
INDIRECT SUPERVISION means the caregiving staff are:
• Overseeing the children's activities from another area.
• Aware of the activities in which the children are involved.
• Providing regular, periodic direct supervision of children.
School-age children may play in an approved basement use area with
indirect supervision provided they are able to demonstrate that they can
exit through the door or exit window without assistance.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATION
FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
R 400.1911
10/01/2011
R 400.1911 2 of 5 FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
10/01/2011 STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1911
Indirect supervision may also be used when school-age children are
outdoors. School-age children may go down the block to a nearby playground,
bike in the immediate neighborhood or wait at a bus stop with
written parental permission specifying:
• Clear boundaries for the children’s travels.
• Time frames for checking out and checking back in. Children, parents
and the caregiver should have an understanding of the safety
of the neighborhood.
Note: For the purposes of this rule, school-age is defined as any child
attending kindergarten or a higher grade.
Visiting children of all ages (friends of the caregiver's children, neighborhood
children, etc.) can present supervisory issues. The caregiving
staff need to assure that:
• The visiting children do not require direct care and supervision.
• The parents of the visiting children are at home and immediately
available should the children need to be sent home.
• The visiting children are not interfering in any way with the care
and supervision of the child care children or taking away from adequate
space and equipment.
Consultation The following publications are available on the department's website
(www.michigan.gov/michildcare):
• Keeping Track at all Times: Preventing Lost Children (BCAL-Pub
687).
• Biting: What Can I Do To Stop It (BCAL-Pub 688).
• Animals and Children: Friends or Foes (BCAL-Pub 685).
• Fussy Baby (BCAL-Pub 689).
R 400.1911 (2) Supervision.
(2) A caregiver or adult assistant caregiver shall be present in the
home at all times when children are in care.
Rationale Assures for the safety and well-being of children as supervision is basic
to the prevention of harm. Also assures that children's basic needs are
being met.
R 400.1911 3 of 5 FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
10/01/2011 STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1911
R 400.1911 (3) Supervision.
(3) Caregiving staff shall be up and awake at all times when children
are in care except as provided in R 400.1922 (2) of these
rules.
Rationale Assures for the safety and well-being of children as supervision is basic
to the prevention of harm. Also assures that children's basic needs are
being met.
Technical
Assistance
If there is an appropriate number of awake caregiving staff supervising
the children, a caregiver may rest or sleep.
R 400.1911 (4) Supervision.
(4) Caregiving staff shall know the location of each child at all
times.
Rationale Assures for the safety and well-being of children as supervision is basic
to the prevention of harm. Also assures children's basic needs are
being met.
Technical
Assistance
Refer to subrule (1) of this rule for the requirements regarding appropriate
care and supervision.
Consultation Keeping Track at All Times: Preventing Lost Children (BCAL-Pub 687)
is available on the department’s website
(www.michigan.gov/michildcare).
R 400.1911 (5) Supervision.
(5) Caregiving staff shall never leave a child unattended or with a
minor in a vehicle.
Rationale Assures for the safety and protection of children.
R 400.1911 4 of 5 FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
10/01/2011 STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1911
R 400.1911 (6) Supervision.
(6) A caregiver or adult assistant caregiver shall at all times
directly supervise children who are engaged in water activities or
are near collections or bodies of water.
Rationale • According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, in
2005, of all children between one to four years of age who died,
almost 30% died from drowning. For every child who drowns, an
additional four are hospitalized for near-drowning; and for every
hospital admission, approximately four children are treated in hospital
emergency rooms.
• An estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized
due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent
die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer a severe,
permanent neurological disability.
• An estimated 50 infants and toddlers drown each year in buckets
containing liquid used for mopping floors and other household
chores.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental deaths of children
ages five and under.
• Small children can drown within 30 seconds in as little as two
inches of liquid.
• A child can drown in less time than it takes to answer the telephone.
Irreversible brain damage can occur in three to five minutes.
• Most drownings happen in fresh water - often in home swimming
pools.
• Most children drown within a few feet of safety.
• Twenty-five percent of all drowning victims have had swimming
lessons.
• Close continuous supervision is one essential factor in reducing
the number of children’s drownings and water related injuries.
Technical
Assistance
Water activities are defined as a play activity where children are allowed
to enter the water under adult supervision by playing in swimming/wading
pools in the backyard and other swimming areas at lakes or public
beaches. It also includes any other activities where children are in or on
the water.
During water activities the caregiving staff are responsible and accountable
for all the following:
• Providing direct supervision at all times to children engaged in
water activities or in the water activity area.
R 400.1911 5 of 5 FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
10/01/2011 STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1911
• Assuring appropriate supervision of children who are engaged in
non-water activities away from the immediate water activity area.
• Assuring that all children engaged in water activities can be easily
observed.
• Assuring that telephone usage and other distractions are limited to
emergencies.
• Assuring the water activity is appropriate and checking the water
activity area for general safety.
• Assuring that inflatable toys and rings are used for play purposes
only and not as safety devices.
• Assuring the adult to child ratio is maintained for all children in
care.
• Assuring a CPR-trained adult is supervising children in the water
activity area.
Refer to R 400.1921 (1-11) regarding additional regulation for water
hazards and water activities.
Consultation To assure compliance with this subrule, the following best practices are
recommended:
• Assure that children are familiar with the rules for behavior in and
around the water activity area.
• Assure that only strong swimmers are permitted to use, with caution,
diving boards and water slides.
• Know the water depths and/or strength of currents when in natural
water settings.
• At the swimming area, designate specific boundaries, both inside
the water and on the shore or pool deck, for the child care children.
• Institute a buddy system for the children.
1 of 1
STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1912
R 400.1912 (1-6) Infant supervision and sleeping.
(1) Infants, birth to 12 months of age, shall be placed on their
backs for resting and sleeping.
(2) Infants unable to roll from their stomachs to their backs, and
from their backs to their stomachs, when found facedown, shall be
placed on their backs.
(3) If infants can easily turn over from their backs to their stomachs,
then they shall be initially placed on their backs, but allowed
to adopt whatever position they prefer for sleeping.
(4) For an infant who cannot rest or sleep on her/his back due to
disability or illness, the caregiver shall have written instructions,
signed by a physician, detailing an alternative safe sleep position
and/or other special sleeping arrangements for the infant. The caregiver/
assistant caregiver shall rest/sleep children in accordance
with a physician's written instructions.
(5) Caregiving staff shall maintain supervision and monitor infants'
breathing, sleep position, bedding, and possible signs of distress
except as provided in R 400.1922.
(6) Video surveillance equipment and baby monitors shall not be
used in place of subrule (5) of this rule.
Rationale Assures for the safety and well-being of infants as placing infants to
sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs has been associated with
a dramatic decrease in infant deaths.
Technical
Assistance
Monitoring must be continual and must include visual observation of
infants, with caregiving staff standing close enough to the infant to
observe breathing patterns, sleep position and any signs of distress or
discomfort.
Consultation It is recommended that the caregiver observe a sleeping infant frequently,
every 15-20 minutes, to assure the infant is not in distress.
Resources include the following:
• National SIDS Resource Center and the Back to Sleep Campaign
- www.sidscenter.org.
• Local and state health departments.
• Tomorrow's Child - www.tomorrowschildmi.org or 1-800-331-7437.
• American Academy of Pediatrics - www.healthychildcare.org.
• Department of Human Services - www.michigan.gov/safesleep.
Refer to R 400.1916 for information on bedding and sleeping equipment.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATION
FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD CARE HOMES
R 400.1912
07/01/2009
1 of 4
STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
R 400.1913
R 400.1913 (1)I see little people.Comment
-
Exactly! Here we have to have Emergency Fire and Tornado plans, practice them monthly, document them, post the plan by each exit and label all exits with a fire symbol and the tornado space with a tornado symbol. These things, along with the required no smoking signs hide my door so well It's a surprise we can find it. :
:
I wonder who they think all of these posted plans/signs help? The children I care for can't read (nor do they smoke) so they have no idea what the plan says (or that they are not allowed to smoke in my house) and as for the pictures they are just decorations to tear off if given the chance to the littles.
To top it off the state just made us add a flood plan. I live no where near a body of water so I was tempted to put that my plan would be to contact Noah and see if he has room on the arc for a tired woman and her 6 charges but I didn't think the state would appreciate it. Instead I added the flood plan they wanted and to be proactive I added a plan for a volcanic eruption and a biohazard spill. At my last inspection the woman looked at it funny and said "I certainly hope we won't have a volcanic eruption here" and I responded with, "I figured it's almost as likely as a flood so I'd better add it to save on designing and laminating a new plan next time they change rules"....I live in Iowa ::::::
Last edited by nanglgrl; 10-19-2012, 03:45 PM. Reason: Insert one of Blackcats cool new Emoticons here.Comment
Comment