2017 Minnesota Statutes

245A.40 CHILD CARE CENTER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.

Subdivision 1.Orientation.

The child care center license holder must ensure that every staff person and volunteer is given orientation training and successfully completes the training before starting assigned duties. The orientation training in this subdivision applies to volunteers who will have direct contact with or access to children and who are not under the direct supervision of a staff person. Completion of the orientation must be documented in the individual's personnel record. The orientation training must include information about:

(1) the center's philosophy, child care program, and procedures for maintaining health and safety according to section 245A.41 and Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0140, and handling emergencies and accidents according to Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0110;

(2) specific job responsibilities;

(3) the behavior guidance standards in Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0055; and

(4) the reporting responsibilities in section 626.556, and Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0130.

Subd. 2.Child development and learning training.

(a) For purposes of child care centers, the director and all staff hired after July 1, 2006, shall complete and document at least two hours of child development and learning training within the first 90 days of employment. For purposes of this subdivision, "child development and learning training" means training in understanding how children develop physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially and learn as part of the children's family, culture, and community. Training completed under this subdivision may be used to meet the in-service training requirements under subdivision 7.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), individuals are exempt from this requirement if they:

(1) have taken a three-credit college course on early childhood development within the past five years;

(2) have received a baccalaureate or master's degree in early childhood education or school-age child care within the past five years;

(3) are licensed in Minnesota as a prekindergarten teacher, an early childhood educator, a kindergarten to sixth grade teacher with a prekindergarten specialty, an early childhood special education teacher, or an elementary teacher with a kindergarten endorsement; or

(4) have received a baccalaureate degree with a Montessori certificate within the past five years.

Subd. 3.First aid.

(a) All teachers and assistant teachers in a child care center governed by Minnesota Rules, parts 9503.0005 to 9503.0170, and at least one staff person during field trips and when transporting children in care, must satisfactorily complete pediatric first aid training within 90 days of the start of work, unless the training has been completed within the previous two years.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), which allows 90 days to complete training, at least one staff person who has satisfactorily completed pediatric first aid training must be present at all times in the center, during field trips, and when transporting children in care.

(c) The pediatric first aid training must be repeated at least every two years, documented in the person's personnel record and indicated on the center's staffing chart, and provided by an individual approved as a first aid instructor. This training may be less than eight hours.

Subd. 4.Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(a) All teachers and assistant teachers in a child care center governed by Minnesota Rules, parts 9503.0005 to 9503.0170, and at least one staff person during field trips and when transporting children in care, must satisfactorily complete training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that includes CPR techniques for infants and children and in the treatment of obstructed airways. The CPR training must be completed within 90 days of the start of work, unless the training has been completed within the previous two years. The CPR training must have been provided by an individual approved to provide CPR instruction, must be repeated at least once every two years, and must be documented in the staff person's records.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), which allows 90 days to complete training, at least one staff person who has satisfactorily completed cardiopulmonary resuscitation training must be present at all times in the center, during field trips, and when transporting children in care.

(c) CPR training may be provided for less than four hours.

(d) Persons providing CPR training must use CPR training that has been developed:

(1) by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross and incorporates psychomotor skills to support the instruction; or

(2) using nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines for CPR and incorporates psychomotor skills to support the instruction.

Subd. 5.Sudden unexpected infant death and abusive head trauma training.

(a) License holders must document that before staff persons and volunteers care for infants, they are instructed on the standards in section 245A.1435 and receive training on reducing the risk of sudden unexpected infant death. In addition, license holders must document that before staff persons care for infants or children under school age, they receive training on the risk of abusive head trauma from shaking infants and young children. The training in this subdivision may be provided as orientation training under subdivision 1 and in-service training under subdivision 7.

(b) Sudden unexpected infant death reduction training required under this subdivision must be at least one-half hour in length and must be completed at least once every year. At a minimum, the training must address the risk factors related to sudden unexpected infant death, means of reducing the risk of sudden unexpected infant death in child care, and license holder communication with parents regarding reducing the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

(c) Abusive head trauma training under this subdivision must be at least one-half hour in length and must be completed at least once every year. At a minimum, the training must address the risk factors related to shaking infants and young children, means to reduce the risk of abusive head trauma in child care, and license holder communication with parents regarding reducing the risk of abusive head trauma.

(d) The commissioner shall make available for viewing a video presentation on the dangers associated with shaking infants and young children, which may be used in conjunction with the annual training required under paragraph (c).

Subd. 6.Child passenger restraint systems; training requirement.

(a) A license holder must comply with all seat belt and child passenger restraint system requirements under section 169.685.

(b) Child care centers that serve a child or children under nine years of age must document training that fulfills the requirements in this subdivision.

(1) Before a license holder transports a child or children under age nine in a motor vehicle, the person placing the child or children in a passenger restraint must satisfactorily complete training on the proper use and installation of child restraint systems in motor vehicles. Training completed under this subdivision may be used to meet orientation training under subdivision 1 and in-service training under subdivision 7.

(2) Training required under this subdivision must be at least one hour in length, completed at orientation, and repeated at least once every five years. At a minimum, the training must address the proper use of child restraint systems based on the child's size, weight, and age, and the proper installation of a car seat or booster seat in the motor vehicle used by the license holder to transport the child or children.

(3) Training required under this subdivision must be provided by individuals who are certified and approved by the Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety. License holders may obtain a list of certified and approved trainers through the Department of Public Safety Web site or by contacting the agency.

(4) Child care providers that only transport school-age children as defined in section 245A.02, subdivision 16, in child care buses as defined in section 169.448, subdivision 1, paragraph (e), are exempt from this subdivision.

Subd. 7.In-service.

(a) A license holder must ensure that the center director and all staff who have direct contact with a child complete annual in-service training. In-service training requirements must be met by a staff person's participation in the following training areas:

(1) child development and learning;

(2) developmentally appropriate learning experiences;

(3) relationships with families;

(4) assessment, evaluation, and individualization;

(5) historical and contemporary development of early childhood education;

(6) professionalism; and

(7) health, safety, and nutrition.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms have the meanings given them.

(1) "Child development and learning training" has the meaning given it in subdivision 2, paragraph (a).

(2) "Developmentally appropriate learning experiences" means creating positive learning experiences, promoting cognitive development, promoting social and emotional development, promoting physical development, and promoting creative development.

(3) "Relationships with families" means training on building a positive, respectful relationship with the child's family.

(4) "Assessment, evaluation, and individualization" means training in observing, recording, and assessing development; assessing and using information to plan; and assessing and using information to enhance and maintain program quality.

(5) "Historical and contemporary development of early childhood education" means training in past and current practices in early childhood education and how current events and issues affect children, families, and programs.

(6) "Professionalism" means training in knowledge, skills, and abilities that promote ongoing professional development.

(7) "Health, safety, and nutrition" means training in establishing health practices, ensuring safety, and providing healthy nutrition.

(c) The director and all program staff persons must annually complete a number of hours of in-service training equal to at least two percent of the hours for which the director or program staff person is annually paid, unless one of the following is applicable.

(1) A teacher at a child care center must complete one percent of working hours of in-service training annually if the teacher:

(i) possesses a baccalaureate or master's degree in early childhood education or school-age care;

(ii) is licensed in Minnesota as a prekindergarten teacher, an early childhood educator, a kindergarten to sixth grade teacher with a prekindergarten specialty, an early childhood special education teacher, or an elementary teacher with a kindergarten endorsement; or

(iii) possesses a baccalaureate degree with a Montessori certificate.

(2) A teacher or assistant teacher at a child care center must complete one and one-half percent of working hours of in-service training annually if the individual is:

(i) a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse with experience working with infants;

(ii) possesses a Montessori certificate, a technical college certificate in early childhood development, or a child development associate certificate; or

(iii) possesses an associate of arts degree in early childhood education, a baccalaureate degree in child development, or a technical college diploma in early childhood development.

(d) The number of required training hours may be prorated for individuals not employed full time or for an entire year.

(e) The annual in-service training must be completed within the calendar year for which it was required. In-service training completed by staff persons is transferable upon a staff person's change in employment to another child care program.

(f) The license holder must ensure that, when a staff person completes in-service training, the training is documented in the staff person's personnel record. The documentation must include the date training was completed, the goal of the training and topics covered, trainer's name and organizational affiliation, trainer's signed statement that training was successfully completed, and the director's approval of the training.

Subd. 8.Cultural dynamics and disabilities training for child care providers.

(a) The training required of licensed child care center staff must include training in the cultural dynamics of early childhood development and child care. The cultural dynamics and disabilities training and skills development of child care providers must be designed to achieve outcomes for providers of child care that include, but are not limited to:

(1) an understanding and support of the importance of culture and differences in ability in children's identity development;

(2) understanding the importance of awareness of cultural differences and similarities in working with children and their families;

(3) understanding and support of the needs of families and children with differences in ability;

(4) developing skills to help children develop unbiased attitudes about cultural differences and differences in ability;

(5) developing skills in culturally appropriate caregiving; and

(6) developing skills in appropriate caregiving for children of different abilities.

(b) Curriculum for cultural dynamics and disability training shall be approved by the commissioner.

(c) The commissioner shall amend current rules relating to the training of the licensed child care center staff to require cultural dynamics training. Timelines established in the rule amendments for complying with the cultural dynamics training requirements must be based on the commissioner's determination that curriculum materials and trainers are available statewide.

(d) For programs caring for children with special needs, the license holder shall ensure that any additional staff training required by the child's individual child care program plan required under Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0065, subpart 3, is provided.

Subd. 9.Ongoing health and safety training.

A staff person's orientation training on maintaining health and safety and handling emergencies and accidents, as required in subdivision 1, must be repeated at least once each calendar year by each staff person. The completion of the annual training must be documented in the staff person's personnel record.

History:

2007 c 112 s 21; 2009 c 26 s 3; 2011 c 23 s 2; 2013 c 108 art 3 s 20; 2015 c 78 art 4 s 29-31; 1Sp2017 c 6 art 16 s 7-12