Fluent Essays

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Contemporary Issues in Licensing: Building and Physical Premises Safety in Childcare (Links to an external site.). The Fire Department recently completed an inspection of the Bright Futures Early Learning Center and unfortunately you did not pass inspection.The following infractions were listed:Non-working smoke alarms were foundObjects (artwork) hung from the ceiling impede smoke alarm productivityMultiplug adapters were found in multiple outletsObstructions in the hallwaysHazardous materials found within reach of children (bleach)No fire escape route plan in multiple roomsPlayground ground cover not dense enough to break a child’s fallFor your discussion response, choose three violations andExplain why these violations are considered infractions.Create a plan to rectify these prior to inspection.Explain how these infractions will be monitored so they do not happen again.200 wordsMust use one Scholarly Peer Reviewed SourceCite According to APA FormatTURNITIN SCORE Must be below or at 20\% and I will need your report as I will be turning in what you give in my own. If it doestnt meet what is asked I will ask you to re-do the work before submittig payment. Thank YouResource Below:Office of Child Care (2014). CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN LICENSING: Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care. Retrieved from https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/1408_bldg_physical_premises_safety_final_0.pdf ece207_contempory_issues_in_licensing.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN LICENSING: Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care Introduction While child care licensing standards generally address overall child well-being, minimizing the risk of physical harm is the foundation of child protection. Ensuring that buildings are structurally sound and free from hazards, food service and sanitation practices are followed, and program policies prepare staff to act in the case of emergencies are essential to effective monitoring. State child care licensing agencies coordinate in various ways with state and local authorities in an effort to ensure that children remain safe and healthy and that monitoring is efficient (not duplicative). This brief, one in a series, addresses States’ sometimes complicated monitoring practices regarding build and physical premises safety and offers questions for consideration—based on lessons learned from nine States—about effective coordination strategies. This brief is organized primarily into five sections:  Environmental health;  Fire safety;  Playgrounds;  Building codes; and  Zoning. Within each of these sections, standards and oversight and the state licensing agencies’ roles in the coordination inspections and standards are described. Content Introduction Background Methodology Environmental Health Inspections Fire Safety Playground Inspections Building Code Inspections Zoning Approval Coordination Between Agencies Summary References Appendix A - Environmental Health Inspection Requirements in 2011 Appendix B - Fire Inspection Requirements in 2011 National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement, A Service of the Office of Child Care 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 22031 | Phone: 877-296-2250 | Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com Page 1 2 2 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 17 1 Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care August 2014 Child Care’s National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center Background The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) mandates that providers receiving federal funds must be licensed or regulated in their jurisdiction under state or tribal law, or must be legally exempt from regulation. They also must meet health and safety requirements that include building and physical premises safety. An audit by the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) (1994) revealed a significant number of health and safety violations among child care facilities. The top two areas of noncompliance were unsanitary conditions and facility hazards. The OIG attributed these violations primarily to weak monitoring and enforcement practices by States. The weak monitoring and enforcement resulted from announced (rather than unannounced) inspections, infrequently enforced sanctions, a lack of interagency coordination on inspections and insufficient numbers of inspectors in the States. An OIG audit in 2013 found that many States do not meet the recommendation of Caring 1 for our Children that each provider undergo at least two inspections each year, with at least one of the inspections being unannounced. Methodology To support the Office of Child Care’s goal of children served in safe, healthy child care settings, the National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement (NCCCQI) contracted with a group of consultants with expertise in administering and researching licensing systems to prepare a series of written briefs about critical licensing issues. The information provided in these briefs was obtained by surveying and interviewing representatives of state licensing agencies in nine States: CT, FL, GA, NC, OH, OK, TX, UT, and, WA. The States selected are not a representative sample but were chosen based on the consultants’ knowledge that they are implementing effective and innovative practices which may be helpful to other state licensing agencies. Additionally, an effort was made to achieve some degree of geographic representation through the States selected. Licensing personnel from the nine States selected first completed a written survey instrument and then spoke with the consultants in a telephone interview. All individuals interviewed were licensing agency directors or top-level administrators. Information from Research Brief #1: Trends in Child Care Center Licensing Regulations and Policies for 2011 (National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement [NCCCQI], 2013) and The 50-State Child Care Licensing Study: 2011-2013 Edition (National Association for Regulatory Administration [NARA], 2013) also included to provide national data and context to the information gathered from the nine States. Both of these reports include data gleaned from a national survey of licensing agencies conducted by NARA. Responses to the NARA survey were 2 received from licensing agencies in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Environmental Health Inspections Child care licensing rules typically require licensed facilities to meet the requirements of the state or local environmental health authority, or include specific environmental health-related standards. When specific standards are included in licensing rules, they may address categories such as sanitation, hand washing, food 1 rd Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs, 3 Edition (2011), by American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Available at http://cfoc.nrckids.org/. 2 For the purposes of these reports, as well as in this brief, the District of Columbia is included in state counts and not listed separately. National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement, A Service of the Office of Child Care 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 22031 | Phone: 877-296-2250 | Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com 2 Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care August 2014 Child Care’s National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center service, and private water supply. Often the licensing rules do not cover all aspects of environmental health creating a need for other state and local agencies to inspect child care providers. When there is overlap between the licensing agency standards and the standards of other state agencies, the licensing agency must take the initiative to ensure the standards are not in conflict. In some cases, the licensing standards will indicate that the provider must comply with the standards of another state agency but licensing staff generally do not monitor providers for compliance with these standards. In its survey of state licensing agencies NARA (2011) defined an environmental health inspection as: An inspection of child care facilities conducted by the health department, or other entity, for compliance with the state’s environmental health codes and laws. This inspection is in addition to those conducted by the licensing agency. NARA found that more States require environmental health inspections for child care centers than family and group child care homes. As shown in the table below, of the 39 States that require environmental health inspections, only 19 require annual inspections of centers. States’ frequency of environmental health inspections for centers, family child care (FCC) and group child care homes (GCC) are included below (NARA, 2013). Appendix A includes a table that lists the States that require licensed child care providers to have environmental health inspections in 2011. States’ Frequency of Environmental Health Inspections Frequency of Environmental Health Inspections* Child Care Centers FCC Homes GCC Homes (N=39) (N=12) (N=18) Once a year 19 7 11 Once every two years 8 1 2 Once every three years 3 1 1 Other frequency 10 6 6 *Note: Some States reported more than one frequency. N=The number of States that require inspections. (NARA, 2013, p. 70) The responsible agency and frequency of inspections often varies by State, as does the role of the licensing agency. 3 For example, in Connecticut, the local health department inspects items such as meal service and the kitchen, the condition of the well, and the water quality (done with a separate checklist) for centers and group child care homes only. Connecticut licensing staff inspect the observable health and safety areas such as hand washing and diaper changing. In Oklahoma, the State Department of Health conducts the environmental health inspections of the kitchen (a typical restaurant-type inspection), while licensing staff inspect other environmental health standards not addressed by the health department. Since 2010, environmental health inspections in Florida are conducted by licensing staff as part of the licensing process to eliminate duplication. Conducting environmental health inspections requires staff and other resources. States take different approaches to covering these costs, which may depend on the scope of the inspection and vary from one area of the State to 3 For an overview of recommended physical facility and environmental health standards, see Caring for Our Children, Standard 5.2 Quality of the Outdoor and Indoor Environment at http://cfoc.nrckids.org/StandardView/5.2. A subset of these standards is available in Stepping Stones to Caring for Our Children at http://nrckids.org/index.cfm/products/stepping-stones-to-caring-for-our-children-3rd-edition-ss3/. National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement, A Service of the Office of Child Care 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 22031 | Phone: 877-296-2250 | Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com 3 Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care August 2014 Child Care’s National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center another. Costs may be charged to the state’s general fund, the licensing agency (OK) or by charging the provider (GA, OH, UT). In Washington, the provider is charged a fee only if a full assessment is required by a subject matter expert, for example for a lead-based paint assessment. Some local health departments in Connecticut and cities and counties in Texas charge a fee for inspections. Fire Safety Child care programs are often monitored by licensing and the state or local fire authority for compliance with fire safety requirements. In its survey of state licensing agencies (2011), NARA defined a fire safety inspection as: An inspection of child care facilities conducted by the State Fire Marshal, or other fire safety entity, for compliance with the state’s fire safety codes and laws. This inspection is in addition to those conducted by the licensing agency. States vary in how frequently they conduct these inspections and the frequency varies further by the type of facility.  Centers Fire inspections of child care centers may be conducted by the State Fire Marshal’s office or a local fire authority trained by that office and often depend on available resources. Similar to environmental health inspections, licensing agency staff usually monitor the requirements that are in the child care regulations and those most easily observed, such as the presence of fire extinguishers and records of fire drills. They rely on the fire authorities to assess requirements that are more difficult to observe or more technical to evaluate, such as means of egress.  GCC Homes The agency responsible for conducting fire safety inspections of group child care homes Fire inspections are most frequently required for sometimes differs from the agency conducting initial licensure and less frequently for license inspections for centers. There is often more renewal and ongoing monitoring. local involvement in conducting these inspections and more responsibility falls to child care licensing agencies.  FCC Homes There is less oversight of fire safety in FCC homes. However, there may be a greater potential for fire safety issues in homes: meals are prepared near where the children are receiving care and the use of candles and space heaters is more common, among other hazards. State licensing rules generally require providers to meet state or locally-adopted fire safety standards and specify the frequency of inspection by the fire authority. Additionally, child care licensing rules also contain specific fire safety requirements that are monitored by licensing staff, e.g., working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, posted evacuation routes and records of fire drills. State and local fire authorities may adopt specific editions and portions of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) NFPA 101: Life Safety Code and the International Fire Code by the International Code Council for child care oversight. Some of the recommended features for inspection included in the Life Safety Code are: doors, panic hardware or fire exit hardware, stairs, number of exits, travel distance to exits, interior finishes, extinguishment requirements, emergency lighting, furnishing and decorations, and relocation drills. Few States follow all child care related standards in the current Life Safety Code, for example, staff-child ratios for infant care may differ, or some States may have adopted portions of an earlier version of the code as it is published every National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement, A Service of the Office of Child Care 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 22031 | Phone: 877-296-2250 | Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com 4 Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care August 2014 Child Care’s National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center three years. Definitions of child care occupancy may vary significantly from the state licensing definitions. Additional information about the code is available on the NFPA Web site at www.nfpa.org/101. According to the NARA licensing report (2013), all States require fire safety inspections of centers by a fire authority, but far fewer require inspections of FCC homes. In Texas, licensing does not require fire safety inspections of group or family child care homes, although local ordinances may require them. However, child care homes must obtain written approval from the state or local fire marshal if care is provided above or below the ground floor of the home. The table below shows the frequency of fire inspections, with most States conducting them annually. Appendix B includes a table that lists the States that required licensed child care providers to have fire safety inspections in 2011. States’ Frequency of Fire Safety Inspections Child Care Centers FCC Homes GCC Homes (N=50) (N=21) (N=26) Once a year 28 8 16 Once every two years 11 4 2 Once every three years 1 1 1 Other frequency 13 11 11 Frequency of Fire Safety Inspections* *Note: Some States reported more than one frequency. N=The number of States that require inspections. (NARA, 2013, p. 70) While fire authorities continue to play the major role in initial fire inspections, licensing staff are very Licensing agencies that are unaware of the fees involved in ongoing monitoring of fire safety charged to programs may not have a full standards. In the States interviewed, licensing staff understanding of the burdens and challenges monitor some aspects of fire safety during initial and providers face in becoming licensed. periodic inspections of both centers and homes. In the interest of protecting children, licensing staff observe and note conditions that may put children’s safety in jeopardy, regardless of whether it’s a licensing or a fire safety standard. This requires that licensing staff be knowledgeable about fire safety requirements and able to apply the regulations in diverse settings. In North Carolina, the licensing staff focus on fire safety standards that are easily observed such as fire exits. Costs associated with conducting fire safety inspections, including staff time and travel, may be absorbed by the various agencies while some states choose to chargethe provider a fee to offset the costs. Some licensing agencies interviewed were not aware of whether a fee was charged in some counties and what the cost was, if any. In five States (CT, GA, OH, OK, and TX) fees to providers vary by the local fire authority. In Utah, the provider pays the local fire authority for the inspection, and the fee varies by city. In Washington, the state licensing agency pays the fees to the State Fire Marshal. Inspection fees differ per type of inspection—initial inspections are $269, environmental change request inspections are $188, critical inspections based upon licensor request due to complaint or monitoring are $237, and follow-up inspections are $164. Additionally, in Washington there have been issues related to use of older school buildings for child care. In some cases, licenses have been denied because of building safety issues. Recently the State Fire Marshal’s Office National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement, A Service of the Office of Child Care 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 22031 | Phone: 877-296-2250 | Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com 5 Building and Physical Premises Safety in Child Care August 2014 Child Care’s National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center adopted new rules that allow older versions of the fire code to be applied in approving school buildings for child care. Playground Inspections The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) collects current injury data associated with consumer products from U.S. hospital emergency departments across the country. NEISS data (CPSC, 2012) show that more than 246, 000 children ages 14 and younger were treated in hospital emergency departments for playground-related injuries. In Special Study: Injuries and Deaths Associated with Children’s Playground Equipment (Tinsworth & McDonald, 2001), datashow that in a one-year period, about 75 percent of injuries occurred on equipment designed for public use, and of those, 10 percent were in commercial child care settings. In addition, about three-fourths (79 percent) of the injuries that occurred on public equipment involved falls, primarily to the surface below the equipment. Falls are also the leading cause of nonfatal injuries for all children ages birth to 19 years. Every day, approximately 8,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. This adds up to almost 2.8 million children each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Although there are no national data available on how frequently child care playgrounds and outdoor play spaces are inspected, the information collected for this brief suggests that child care licensing agencies take this responsibility seriously. All of the States interviewed inspect the outdoor play space before licensing centers and both large and small FCC homes and inspect them as part of ongoing monitoring. States’ child care licensing rules generally include requirements on fencing, equipment safety, fall zones, and maintenance; and often refer to the Consumer Product Safety Commissions (CPSC) Public Playground Safety Handbook. Child care licensing staff in all of the States interviewed have the responsibility for monitoring child care playgrounds. This adds to their responsibilities and requires a unique body of knowledge and skills.  In seven of the nine States interviewed (CT, FL, GA, NC, OK, TX, and WA), playground inspections in all types of programs are conducted by licensing staff or consultants. Oklahoma and Florida noted that this is done during every regulatory visit;  In Ohio, licensing staff conduct inspections of the playgrounds at centers and group child care homes during each visit, if the weather permits. County staff conduct inspections of playgrounds for all small child care homes.  Utah’s accredited playground inspectors are part of the licensing s ... Purchase answer to see full attachment