DCF 251.05(3)(k)1.1. No licensee, employee, volunteer, visitor, or other person with symptoms of serious illness that presents a safety or health risk to children or a communicable disease that is reportable under ch.
DHS 145 and transmitted through normal contact may be in contact with children in care.
DCF 251.05(3)(k)2.
2. No licensee, employee, volunteer, visitor, or other person whose behavior gives reasonable concern for the safety of children may be in contact with the children in care.
DCF 251.05(3)(k)3.
3. The department may require a licensee, employee, or other person in contact with the children whose behavior gives reasonable concern for the safety of children to submit to an examination by a licensed mental health professional as a condition of licensure or employment.
DCF 251.05 Note
Note: See also s.
DCF 251.11 (1) (f), which requires a written statement from a physician or licensed mental health professional when there is reason to believe that the physical or mental health of a person may endanger children in care.
DCF 251.05(3)(k)4.
4. No person with a health history of typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, or other diarrheal disease may work in a center until it is determined by appropriate tests that the person is not a carrier of the disease.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)
(
a)
Orientation. Except as provided under subd.
14., each center shall develop and implement a written orientation program that all new employees, substitutes, and regular volunteers shall complete and document within their first week at the center. The orientation program shall cover all of the following:
DCF 251.05 Note
Note: See DCF 251.08 (4) (b) for orientation requirements for persons transporting children.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)4.
4. Prevention and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)8.
8. Training in the recognition of childhood illnesses and infectious disease control, including handwashing procedures, universal precautions for handling bodily fluids, and immunizations.
DCF 251.05 Note
Note: Information on universal precautions may be obtained from the Child Care Information Center website,
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/ccic, or by calling 800-362-7353.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)11.
11. The procedure for ensuring that all child care workers know the children assigned to their care and their whereabouts at all times, including during center-provided transportation.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)13.
13. The procedure for sharing information related to a child's special health care needs including any physical, emotional, social, or cognitive disabilities with any child care worker who may be assigned to care for that child throughout the day.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)14.
14. If the center is licensed to care for children under one year of age, a review of procedures to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome prior to an employee's or volunteer's first day of work.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)15.
15. The procedure to contact a parent if a child is absent from the center without prior notification from the parent.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)16.
16. Information on any special needs that a child enrolled in the center may have and the plan for how those needs will be met.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)17.
17. Building and physical premises safety, including identification of and protection from hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic.
DCF 251.05(4)(a)18.
18. The handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of biocontaminants. In this subdivision, “biocontaminants” includes blood, body fluids, or excretions that may spread infectious disease.
DCF 251.05 Note
Note: The licensee may use the department's form,
Staff Orientation Checklist - Group Child Care Centers, for documenting staff orientation. The form is available on the department's website at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cclicensing/ccformspubs.
DCF 251.05(4)(b)
(b)
Staff meetings. To ensure that staff have the opportunity to receive pertinent information and clarification of problems and issues, each center shall conduct in-person staff meetings at least 9 times in a calendar year or one time for each month of center operation and shall document that staff meetings have been held.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)1.1. Each administrator, center director, child care worker, school-age administrator, and school-age director shall participate in at least 15 hours of continuing education annually.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)2m.
2m. Each administrator, center director, child care worker, school-age administrator, or school-age director who works fewer than 8 months per year shall participate in the equivalent of at least 2 hours of continuing education per month of employment as an administrator, center director, child care worker, school-age administrator, or school-age director.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)3.
3. Any continuing education hours completed that exceed the annual requirement for the year may be used to meet the annual requirement in the 2 years following completion.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)4.
4. Continuing education courses completed for credit that exceed the annual requirement for the year may be used to meet the annual requirement in the 2 years following completion.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)5.
5. Assistant child care teachers who are currently enrolled in their first entry level course are not required to earn continuing education for that year.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)6.
6. The types of training acceptable to meet continuing education requirements shall be limited to any of the following:
DCF 251.05(4)(c)6.b.
b. Workshops, conferences, seminars, lectures, correspondence courses, and home study courses.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)6.c.
c. Training offered by the child care center through the use of guest or staff trainers.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)6.g.
g. Viewing educational materials, including videos, lesson plans, and websites.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)7.c.
c. Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)7.s.
s. Any other topic that promotes child development or protects children's health or safety.
DCF 251.05(4)(c)9.
9. Each administrator, center director, and child care worker shall have documentation of the 12-month period included in his or her training year for meeting continuing education requirements and begin a new training year in the same month each year.
DCF 251.05 Note
Note: The licensee may use either the department's form,
Staff Continuing Education Record - Child Care Centers, or the licensee's own form to document the completion of continuing education. Forms are available on the department's website at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cclicensing/ccformspubs.
DCF 251.05 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 8-1-97; reprinted to correct error in Table,
Register, February, 1997, No. 494; reprinted to correct error in Table,
Register, March, 1997, No. 495;
CR 03-052: r. and recr. (title), (1) (a), (1) (j) 3., (2) (c) 3. to 7., am. (1) (b) 3. b., (c) 5. (intro.), Table 46.05-A, (6) (intro.), Table 46.05-B, (d) 3., Table 46.05-C, (2) (a) (intro.), 3., 6., 8., 11., (4) (e) (intro.) and 1., r. (1) (c) 5. a. to i. and 6. a. to f., (1) (d) 3. a. to i., renum. (1) (j) 4. to be 5., cr. (1) (j) 4. a. and b., (2) (a) 12., (2) (c) 8. to 10., (3) (g)
Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 3-1-05; corrections in (1) (j) 1. a., 3., (2) (a) 2. and 3. made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2008 No. 635;
CR 07-102: r. and recr. (1), am. (2) (a), 9., (3) (b), (c), (f), (4) (d), (j) and Table D, cr. (2) (a) 13., 14., (3) (h) and (i), r. (2) (c) 6. and 10.
Register December 2008 No. 636, eff. 1-1-09; renumbering in (1) (e) 4. and corrections in (1) (e) 4. d., 5. d., (L) 3., (4) (j) and Table D made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 1.,
6. and
7., Stats.,
Register November 2008 No. 635;
EmR1918: emerg. r. and recr., eff. 1-30-19;
CR 19-089: r. and recr.
Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4-1-20; correction in (4) (a) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., and correction in (2) (a) 3. b., (4) (c) 7. d. made under s.
35.17, Stats.,
Register March 2020 No. 771;
CR 20-003: am. (2) (a) 3. a.
Register July 2020 No. 775, eff. 8-1-20;
CR 21-100: am. (1), (2) (a) (intro.), 2., 3. a., 4. a., b., r. (2) (a) 4. c., am. (2) (a) 4. d., 5., cr. (2) (a) 8., am. (3) (b), cr. (3) (cm), am. (3) (d) 3. a., b., (e) 3. c., Table A, Table B, 5., (f) 2. c., 3. a., bm. to e., (g) 2. a., c., cr. (3) (gm), (gr), am. (3) (i) 2., (j) 2., r. (4) (a) 10., am. (4) (c) 1., r. (4) (c) 2., cr. (4) (c) 2m., am. (4) (c) 6. e., cr. (4) (c) 6. f. to h., r. (4) (c) 8.
Register February 2023 No. 806, eff. 3-1-23.
DCF 251.055
DCF 251.055 Supervision and grouping of children. DCF 251.055(1)(a)(a) Each child shall be supervised by a child care worker who is within the sight and sound of the children to guide the children's behavior and activities, prevent harm, and ensure safety.
DCF 251.055(1)(b)
(b) At least one child care teacher shall supervise each group of children, except as provided in par.
(c).
DCF 251.055(1)(c)
(c) Assistant child care teachers who are at least 18 years of age and have completed the training required for the position may provide sole supervision to a group of children in full-day centers for opening and closing hours, not to exceed the first 2 hours and the last 2 hours of center operation, and during the center's designated naptime, not to exceed 2 hours.
DCF 251.055(1)(d)
(d) A child care worker may not provide care for children at the center for more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period.
DCF 251.055(1)(e)
(e) A child may not be in care for more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period.
DCF 251.055(1)(f)
(f) The center shall implement and adhere to a procedure to ensure that the number, names, and whereabouts of children in care are known to assigned child care workers at all times.
DCF 251.055(1)(g)
(g) A child may not be released to any person who has not been previously authorized by the parent.
DCF 251.055(1)(h)
(h) The center shall implement a procedure to contact a parent if a child is absent from the center without prior notification from the parent.
DCF 251.055(1)(i)
(i) No person under 18 years of age shall be left in sole charge of a child.
DCF 251.055(1)(j)
(j) No licensee, employee, volunteer, or other individual in contact with children may consume alcoholic beverages or any non-prescribed controlled substance specified in ch.
961, Stats., on the premises of the center or be under the influence of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance, during the hours of the center's operation.
DCF 251.055(2)(a)(a) The maximum number of children in a group may not exceed the number specified in Table 251.055.
DCF 251.055(2)(b)
(b) The ratio of child care workers to children may not be less than the minimum number of child care workers to children specified in Table 251.055.
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See PDF for table 
DCF 251.055(2)(c)
(c) When there is a mixed-age group, the required staff-to-child ratios in Table 251.055 shall be adjusted on a pro rata basis in accordance with the ages of the children in the group.
DCF 251.055 Note
Note: The licensee may use the department's form,
Child Care Staff-To-Child Ratio Worksheet - Group Child Care Centers, to adjust the staff-to-child ratio. Forms are available on the department's website at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cclicensing/ccformspubs.
DCF 251.055(2)(d)
(d) When infants and toddlers are part of a mixed-age group, the size of the group may not exceed 8.
DCF 251.055(2)(e)
(e) When the group of children is a mixed age group of children 2 years and older, the group size shall be determined by the number of children that can be cared for by 2 child care workers with the required staff-to-child ratios in Table 251.055 adjusted on a pro rata basis in accordance with the ages of the children in the group.
DCF 251.055(2)(f)
(f) Maximum group size does not apply to field trips, outdoor play areas, and areas of the center reserved exclusively for eating. Staff-to-child ratios shall be maintained in those settings.
DCF 251.055(2)(g)
(g) During naptime, an adjustment in group size and staff-to-child ratios in Table 251.055 may be made as follows:
