Section 250.09. Additional requirements for infant and toddler care.

 

(1)   Applicability, qualifications and general requirements.

(a) Family child care centers providing care and supervision to infants and toddlers shall comply with the additional requirements of this section.

(c) General requirements.

1. A provider shall use information obtained on a department-provided form for children under 2 years of age to individualize the program of care for each child. The information shall be at the center before the child is left for care on the child's first day of attendance. A provider and the child's parents shall periodically discuss the child's development and routines.

2. Cribs and playpens shall contain a tight fitting mattress and any mattress covering shall fit snugly over the mattress. Waterbeds may not be used by children under age 2.

3. Sheets or blankets used to cover the child shall be tucked tightly under the mattress and shall be kept away from the child's mouth and nose.

4. Children under one year of age may not sleep in a crib or playpen that contains soft materials such as sheepskins, pillows, fluffy blankets, bumper pads or stuffed animals.

5. Safety gates shall be used at open stairways when children are awake.

(2)   Daily program.

(a) Child care providers shall respond promptly to a crying child's needs.

(b) Each infant and toddler shall be allowed to form and follow his or her own patterns of sleeping and waking.

(c) Each child under one year of age shall be placed to sleep on his or her back in a crib unless otherwise specified in writing by the child's physician. The child shall be allowed to assume the position most comfortable to him or her when able to roll over unassisted.

(d) Emphasis in activities shall be given to play as a learning and growth experience.

(e) Throughout the day, each infant and toddler shall receive physical contact and attention such as being held, rocked, talked to, sung to and taken on walks inside and outside the center.

(f) Routines related to activities such as taking a nap, eating, diapering and toileting shall be used as occasions for language development and other learning experiences.

(g) When a non-mobile child is awake, a provider shall change the child's body position and location in the room periodically. Non-mobile awake children shall be placed on their stomach occasionally throughout the day.

(h) Each non-walking child who can creep or crawl shall be given opportunities each day to move freely in a safe, clean, open, warm and uncluttered area.

(i) A provider shall encourage infants and toddlers to play with a wide variety of safe toys and objects.

(j) Infants and toddlers shall be taken outdoors for part of each day except during inclement weather or when this is not advisable for health reasons.

(3)   Feeding. A provider shall do all of the following:

(a) Feed each infant and toddler on the child's own feeding schedule.

(b) Ensure that food and formula brought from home is labeled with the child's name and dated, and is refrigerated if required.

(c) Ensure that formula provided by the center is of the commercial, iron-fortified type and mixed according to the manufacturer's directions.

(d) Provide formula or breast milk to all children under 12 months of age.

(e) Provide another type of milk or milk substitute only on the written direction of the child's physician.

(f) Discard leftover milk or formula after each feeding, and rinse bottles after use.

(g) Refrain from heating breast milk in a microwave oven.

(h) Offer drinking water to infants over 6 months of age and toddlers several times daily.

(i) Hold a child unable to hold a bottle whenever a bottle is given. Bottles may not be propped.

(j) Hold or place a child too young to sit in a highchair or feeding table in an infant seat during feeding. Wide-based highchairs with safety straps or feeding tables with safety straps shall be provided for children who are not developmentally able to sit at tables and chairs.

(k) Ensure that eating utensils and cups are scaled to the size and developmental level of the children.

(4)   Diapering and toileting. A provider shall do all of the following:

(a) Change wet or soiled diapers and clothing promptly.

(b) Change the child on an easily cleanable surface which is cleaned with soap and water and a disinfectant solution after each use with a chlorine bleach solution of one quart water to one tablespoon bleach, made fresh daily or a product containing quaternary ammonia prepared according to the label directions or a commercially prepared disinfectant that contains bleach or quaternary ammonia.

(c) If the diapering surface is above floor level, provide a strap, restraint or other structural barrier to prevent falling. A child may not be left unattended on the diapering surface.

(d) Place soiled cloth diapers in a plastic bag labeled with the name of the child and send them home daily.

(e) Place soiled disposable diapers in a plastic-lined, covered container and dispose of them daily.

(f) Wash his or her hands with soap and warm running water before and after each diapering or assistance with toileting routines.

(g) Apply lotions, powders or salves to the child during diapering only at the specific direction of a parent or the child's physician.

(h) Wash the child during diapering with a disposable towel used only once.

(i) Wash the child's hands with soap and warm running water after diapering. The hands of children under one year of age may be washed with soap and a wet fabric or paper washcloth, used once and discarded.

History: CR 03-052 : cr. Register December 2004 No. 588 , eff. 3-1-05; corrections in (1) (b) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7. , Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635 ; CR 07-102 : r. (1) (b), am. (1) (c) 1. and 5. Register December 2008 No. 636 , eff. 1-1-09.

Note

The department's form, Intake for Children under 2 Years, is used to record information for individualizing the program of care for each child. Information on how to obtain the form is available on the department's website, http://dcf.wisconsin.gov , or from any regional licensing office in Appendix A. Wisconsin has an information and referral service for persons with questions or concerns about a child's development called First Step that is available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When a call is placed to First Step at 1-800-642-7837, the caller will learn about early intervention services as well as other related services in the area. When a provider or a parent has concerns about a child's growth or development a referral to a Birth-to-Three agency should be considered to determine if the child is eligible for special services. With parental consent and consultation, it is recommended that centers who care for children who have an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) coordinate programming activities with the local Birth-to-Three agency. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 A quaternary ammonia product is any of a group of compounds in which a central nitrogen atom is joined to four organic radicals and one acid radical, used as antiseptics and disinfectants. Benzalkonium chloride, dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and dodecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride are the names of some common ammonium compounds that might identify a product as a quaternary ammonium product. The chemical name for bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1