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(a) When food is stored or served to children in a school or children's institution, the provisions of 24 RCNY Health Code Article 81 shall be complied with.
(b) The food supplied to children shall be wholesome, of good quality, properly prepared, sufficient in amount, varied and served at regular hours.
(c) Milk shall be kept at a temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
(d) A child under 12 years of age shall not be permitted to remove the caps from bottles or containers of milk intended for other persons or permitted to assist in the dispensing of milk except under adequate supervision.
(a) A health inspection of all children shall be made daily by a responsible person who is familiar with the children and who is able to recognize signs of ill health.
(b) The person in charge of a school or children's institution shall isolate cases and carriers of communicable disease and provide facilities for their isolation pursuant to 24 RCNY Health Code § 11.17.
Schools and children's institutions shall keep a current record containing the name, home address, date and place of birth, the date of admission and the date of and reason for the discharge of each child, and the names and home and emergency addresses of parents, guardians, or agency which placed the child.
When the strict application of any provision of this article or 24 RCNY Health Code Articles 49 or 51 presents practical difficulties, or unusual or unreasonable hardships, the Commissioner in a specific instance may modify the application of such provision consistent with the general purpose and intent of these articles and upon such conditions as in his opinion are necessary to protect the health of the children. The denial by the Commissioner of a request for modification may be appealed to the Board in the manner provided by 24 RCNY Health Code § 5.21.
(a) Abuse means any act or failure to act, performed intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, which causes or is likely to cause harm to a child, including, but not limited to:
(1) inappropriate use of a physical restraint, isolation, medication or other means that harms or is likely to harm a child; and
(2) an unlawful act, a threat or menacing conduct directed toward a child that results and/or might be expected to result in fear or emotional or mental distress to a child.
(b) Assistant teacher means a person who is part of the teaching staff and works under the supervision of an education director or group teacher.
(c) Certified group teacher means an individual who qualifies as a group teacher pursuant to 24 RCNY Health Code § 47.13(d)(1).
(d) Child care program.
(1) Child care program means any program providing child care for five or more hours per week, for more than 30 days in a 12-month period, to three or more children under six years of age.
(2) Child care program does not mean:
(A) Any State-regulated informal child care program, a group family or family day care home, or school age child care program, or a foster care program;
(B) A kindergarten or pre-kindergarten class operated as part of or located within any elementary school; except that school programs that provide care to children younger than three years of age shall be deemed child care programs subject to this Code. "Operated as part of an elementary school" means that there is identical ownership, operation, management and control of kindergarten or pre-kindergarten classes and elementary school classes.
(C) "Mommy and me" or equivalent programs where each child is accompanied by a parent or another adult escorting the child, who is not employed by the child care program; or
(D) Children's camps operating seasonally at any time between June and September that are required to have a permit, pursuant to 24 RCNY Health Code Article 48 of this Code; or
(E) Adult physical fitness, spa or other recreational facilities, or retail establishments, or other businesses providing supervision for children of patrons or employees of the facility, establishment or business while parents are on the premises, unless children are registered or enrolled and individual children are spending more than eight hours/week in the Program.
(F) Churches or religious organizations where congregants' children are supervised by employees or members of the congregation while parents attend services.
(e) Competent supervision includes awareness of and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child, performed via direct observation and not by mechanical, audio, or video device. It requires that all children be within a caregiver's line of sight and that the caregiver be near enough to respond when redirection or intervention strategies are needed. Competent supervision takes into account the child's age, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, and must be provided by qualified and cleared staff and in compliance with the minimum staff/child ratios required by 24 RCNY Health Code § 47.23(f).
(f) Corporal punishment means punishment inflicted by program staff, or any other individual working for or at a program, directly on the body of a child, including, but not limited to, physical restraint, spanking, biting, shaking, slapping, twisting or squeezing; demanding excessive physical exercise, prolonged lack of movement or motion, or strenuous or bizarre postures; and compelling a child to eat or have in the child's mouth soap, foods, hot spices or irritants or the like.
(g) Corrective action plan means a written safety assessment required to be prepared, pursuant to 24 RCNY Health Code § 47.21, that shall be submitted to and approved by the Department when a permittee hires, plans to hire, or plans to utilize the services of, certain persons, or in such circumstances as are specified in this Article, or as may otherwise be required by the Department to show that a particular person at, or the continuing operation of, a child care program shall not pose a danger to children.
(h) Early childhood education means education of children under the age of eight.
(i) Education director means a person whose responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordination and development of an age and developmentally appropriate curriculum and program, training of teaching and other staff, and supervision of group teachers.
(j) Facility means interiors and exteriors of buildings, structures and areas of premises under the control of a permittee where services are provided and that are subject to the permit.
(k) Family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program means any program provided by any family shelter operated by, or through contracts with, the Department of Homeless Services, the Human Resources Administration, or a successor agency, under Title 18 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations, that provides child supervision services to children under six years old housed in the shelter.
(l) Fill and draw pool means a pool that is not equipped with a recirculation system, but is cleaned by complete removal and disposal of used water and replacement with water at periodic intervals.
(m) Group size means the maximum number of children that may be cared for as a unit. Group size shall be used to determine the minimum staff/child ratio based upon the age of the children in the group.
(n) Group teacher means a person who, under the supervision of an education director, is responsible for planning and supervising age and developmentally appropriate activities for a given group of children.
(o) Health care provider means a New York State licensed physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner or registered nurse, as defined in the State Education Law.
(p) Imminent or public health hazard means any violation, combination of violations, conditions or combination of conditions occurring in a facility making it probable that illness, physical injury or death could occur or the continued operation of the program could result in injury or be otherwise detrimental to the health and safety of a child. Any of the following are imminent or public health hazards which require the Commissioner or designee to order its immediate correction or to order the permittee to cease operations immediately and institute such corrective action as may be required by the Department or provided by this Code. Imminent or public health hazards include, but not be limited to:
(1) Failure to maintain constant and competent supervision of children;
(2) Use of corporal punishments or of frightening or humiliating methods of behavior management;
(3) Failure to immediately report instances of alleged child abuse, maltreatment, or neglect to the Department and the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment and to take appropriate corrective action to protect children when allegations of such abuse or maltreatment have been reported to or observed by the permittee;
(4) Refusal or failure to provide access to the facility to an authorized employee or agent of the Department;
(5) Uncontained sewage in any part of the facility;
(6) Transporting children in the bed of a truck or trailer or in any other part of any motor vehicle that is not designed for passenger occupancy; or transporting children without adequate supervision; or failing to use appropriate child restraints in vehicles;
(7) Failure to provide two approved means of egress or obstructing any means of egress or a required fire exit;
(8) Failure to properly store flammable liquids or other toxic substances;
(9) Failure to maintain firefighting or fire detection equipment in working order;
(10) Allowing pillows to be used for children younger than two years of age who are not disabled or when not recommended by a health care provider.
(11) Contamination of the potable water supply by cross connection or other faults in the water distribution or plumbing systems;
(12) Serving food to children from an unknown or unapproved source; serving food that is adulterated, contaminated or otherwise unfit for human consumption, or re-serving food that was previously served;
(13) Failing to exclude from work at the program a person with a communicable disease who is required to be excluded, pursuant to 24 RCNY Health Code Article 11;
(14) Failure to implement the program's written safety plan resulting in a child not being protected from any unreasonable risk to his or her safety;
(15) Conducting construction, demolition, painting, scraping, or any repairs other than emergency repairs while children are present in the facility; failing to remove children from areas and rooms while such activities are in progress;
(16) Failure to screen any person who has, or will have the potential for, unsupervised contact with children in accordance with 24 RCNY Health Code § 47.19; or
(17) Any other condition(s), violations, or combination of conditions or violations, deemed to be an imminent health hazard by the Commissioner or his or her designee.
(q) Infant means a child younger than 12 months of age.
(r) Infant/toddler child care program means a child care program that, during all or part of the day or night, provides care to children younger than 24 months of age.
(s) Night child care program means a child care program, as defined in this section, that accepts children for care starting at 5 p.m., provides child care services between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., and operates more than one night per week, for more than 30 days in a 12-month period.
(t) Parent means a natural or adoptive parent, guardian or other person lawfully charged with a minor child's care or custody.
(u) Permittee means a person, organization or other entity that has been issued a permit to operate a program, pursuant to this Article.
(v) Program means any child care program or family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program.
(w) Semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a college or university course which requires at least 15 clock hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, as defined in 8 NYCRR § 50.1. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credits granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.
(x) Serious injury means a serious impairment of physical condition, including, but not limited to, the following: loss of consciousness; concussion; bone fracture; protracted loss or impairment of function of any bodily member or organ; a wound requiring extensive suturing; and serious disfigurement.
(y) Services means any child care or child supervision provided by a child care program or family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program.
(z) Shelter child supervision liaison means a person who is employed in a family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program and whose responsibilities shall include but not be limited to: referring families to child care programs, the Early Intervention Program, and Committees on Preschool Special Education; helping families apply for child care services; arranging in-service training of all staff as required by this Article; and keeping a daily log, to be kept on site and made available to the Department upon request, reflecting the number of families admitted to the shelter, the number of children under the age of six admitted to the shelter, the number of children referred to licensed child care programs, and the number of enrollments of referred children in licensed child care programs.
(aa) Shelter child supervision staff means shelter child supervision liaisons and child supervisors.
(bb) Shelter child supervisor means a person who, under the supervision of a shelter child supervision liaison, is responsible for the supervision of children at a family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program.
(cc) Spa pool, "hydrotherapy pool," "whirlpool," "hot spa," or "hot tub" means a pool primarily designed for therapeutic use or relaxation that is generally not drained, cleaned or refilled for individual use. It may include, but is not limited to, hydrojet circulation, hot water, cold water, mineral bath, air induction, bubbles or any combination thereof. Spa pools shall have a maximum water depth of 4 feet at any point and may be equipped with aquatic seats within the perimeter of the pool. Spa pools shall not be used for swimming, wading or diving activities at any facility regulated by this Article.
(dd) Staff/child ratio means the minimum number of teaching staff required to be present to care for a given number of children in a child care program, or the minimum number of shelter child supervisors required to supervise a given number of children in a family shelter-based drop-off child supervision program.
(ee) Teacher aide means an individual at least 18 years of age who is part of the teaching staff and works under the supervision of an education director, group teacher, or assistant teacher.
(ff) Teaching staff means a child care program's education director, group teachers, assistant teachers, and teacher aides.
(gg) Toddler means a child between 12 and 24 months of age.
(hh) Volunteer means a person who donates any services to a program regulated by this Article.
(Amended City Record 9/20/2017, eff. 10/10/2017; amended City Record 6/12/2018, eff. 7/12/2018)
(a) Permit required. No person shall operate a program as defined in this Article without a permit issued by the Commissioner, provided, however, that a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten that is part of or located in and operated by an elementary school may voluntarily apply for and hold a permit as a child care program. Child care program permits issued before the effective date of this Article will be deemed to be child care program permits.
(b) Term of permit. The term of a permit shall be determined by the Department, but in no case shall exceed two (2) years.
(c) Permits not transferable. A permit shall be issued to a person, as defined in 24 RCNY Health Code § 1.03, to conduct a program at a specific facility and location. Permits shall specify the number of children that may be cared for in each type of program operated at the facility by the permittee. Permits shall not be transferable or assignable by a permittee to any other person or entity; and shall not be applicable to any other facility or location. Separate permits shall be required for child care programs providing infant/toddler child care, those providing care for children aged two through five, and night child care programs. Any change in building address or location, capacity or permittee not authorized or approved by the Department shall void a permit, and may result in the closure of the program.
(d) Inspections. Permittees will allow credentialed Department staff to visit the program while in operation and inspect the documents that are required by this Article to be kept on the premises and provided upon request. Such inspections will occur at least once per year.
(Amended City Record 9/20/2017, eff. 10/10/2017; amended City Record 6/12/2018, eff. 7/12/2018)
(a) Maximum number of children on premises. Each permit shall specify the maximum number of children to be allowed on the premises of each specific type of program at any time that the program is in operation. The total number of children on the premises of the program shall be included for this purpose, regardless of whether such children are enrolled in the program. The Department shall determine the maximum number of children allowed based upon the number of children for which adequate facilities and teaching staff or shelter child supervision staff are provided, in accordance with:
(1) the supervision and space requirements of this Code; and
(2) the maximum number of persons permitted by the certificate of occupancy issued by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) or, if applicable, another government entity with the authority to issue a certificate of occupancy to the facility.
(b) Capacity not to be exceeded. A program shall not have children in attendance in excess of the number(s) prescribed in its permit.
(c) Limitation on hours per child. Family shelter-based drop-off child supervision programs must provide no more than 20 hours of services in any week to any child who has resided in the shelter for more than 90 days.
(Amended City Record 9/20/2017, eff. 10/10/2017; amended City Record 6/12/2018, eff. 7/12/2018)
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