The words and terms used in this chapter have the meanings
assigned to them under §745.21 of this title (relating to What
do the following words and terms mean when used in this chapter?),
unless another meaning is assigned in this section or another subchapter
or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the
following words and terms used in this chapter have the following
meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Activity plan--A written plan that outlines the
daily routine and activities in which a group of children will engage
while in your care. The plan is designed to meet the children's cognitive,
language, social, emotional, and physical developmental strengths
and needs.
(2) Activity space--An area or room used for children's
activities, including areas separate from a group's classroom.
(3) Administrative and clerical duties--Duties that
involve the administration of an operation, such as bookkeeping, enrolling
children, answering the telephone, and collecting fees.
(4) Admission--The process of enrolling a child in
an operation. The date of admission is the first day the child is
physically present at the operation.
(5) Adult--A person 18 years old and older.
(6) Age-appropriate--Activities, equipment, materials,
curriculum, and environment, including the child's assigned classroom,
that are developmentally consistent with the developmental or chronological
age of the child being served.
(7) Attendance--When referring to a child's attendance,
the physical presence of a child at the operation on any given day
or at any given time, as distinct from the child's enrollment in the
operation.
(8) Before or after-school program--An operation that
provides care before and after or before or after the customary school
day and during school holidays, for at least two hours a day, three
days a week, to children who attend pre-kindergarten through grade
six.
(9) Caregiver--A person who is counted in the child
to caregiver ratio, whose duties include the supervision, guidance,
and protection of a child. As used in this chapter, a caregiver must
meet the minimum education, work experience, and training qualifications
required under Subchapter D of this chapter (relating to Personnel).
A caregiver is usually an employee, but may also be a substitute,
volunteer, or contractor, as outlined in paragraph (15) of this section
and Subchapter D, Division 5 of this chapter (relating to Substitutes,
Volunteers, and Contractors).
(10) Certified Child-Care Professional Credential--A
credential given by the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation
to a person working directly with children. The credential is based
on assessed competency in several areas of child care and child development.
(11) Certified lifeguard--A person who has been trained
in life saving and water safety by a qualified instructor, from a
recognized organization that awards a certificate upon successful
completion of the training. The certificate is not required to use
the term "lifeguard," but you must be able to document that
the certificate is current, relevant to the type of water activity
in which children will engage, and represents the type of training
described.
(12) CEUs--Continuing education units. A standard unit
of measure for adult education and training activities. One CEU equals
10 clock hours of participation in an organized, continuing-education
experience, under responsible, qualified direction and instruction.
Although a person may obtain a CEU in many of the same settings as
clock hours, the CEU provider must meet the criteria established by
the International Association for Continuing Education and Training
to be able to offer the CEU.
(13) Child Development Associate Credential--A credential
given by the Council for Professional Recognition to a person working
directly with children. The credential is based on assessed competency
in several areas of child care and child development.
(14) Clock hour--An actual hour of documented:
(A) Attendance at instructor-led training, such as
seminars, workshops, conferences, early childhood classes, and other
planned learning opportunities, provided by an individual or individuals,
as specified in §744.1319(a) of this chapter (relating to Must
the training for my caregivers and the director meet certain criteria?);
or
(B) Self-instructional training that was created by
an individual or individuals, as specified in §744.1319(a) and
(b) of this chapter, or self-study training.
(15) Contract service provider--A person or entity
contracting with the operation to provide a service, whether paid
or unpaid. Also referred to as "contract staff" and "contractor"
in this chapter.
(16) Corporal punishment--The infliction of physical
pain on a child as a means of controlling behavior. This includes
spanking, hitting with a hand or instrument, slapping, pinching, shaking,
biting, or thumping a child.
(17) Days--Calendar days, unless otherwise stated.
(18) Director--An adult you designate to have daily,
on-site responsibility for your operation, including maintaining compliance
with the minimum standards, rules, and laws. As this term is used
in this chapter, a director may be an operation director, program
director, or site director, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(19) Employee--A person an operation employs full-time
or part-time to work for wages, salary, or other compensation. Employees
are all of the operation staff, including caregivers, kitchen staff,
office staff, maintenance staff, the assistant director, all directors,
and the owner, if the owner is ever on site at the operation or transports
a child.
(20) Enrollment--The list of names or number of children
who have been admitted to attend an operation for any given period
of time; the number of children enrolled in an operation may vary
from the number of children in attendance on any given day.
(21) Entrap--A component or group of components on
equipment that forms angles or openings that may trap a child's head
by being too small to allow the child's body to pass through, or large
enough for the child's body to pass through but too small to allow
the child's head to pass through.
(22) Field trips--Activities conducted away from the
operation.
(23) Food service--The preparation or serving of meals
or snacks.
(24) Frequent--More than two times in a 30-day period.
Note: For the definition of "regularly or frequently present
at an operation" as it applies to background checks, see §745.601
of this title (relating to What words must I know to understand this
subchapter?).
(25) Garbage--Waste food or items that when deteriorating
cause offensive odors and attract rodents, insects, and other pests.
(26) Governing body--A group of persons or officers
of a corporation or other type of business entity having ultimate
authority and responsibility for the operation.
(27) Grounds--Includes any parcel of land where the
operation is located and any building, other structure, body of water,
play equipment, street, sidewalk, walkway, driveway, parking garage,
or parking lot on the parcel. Also referred to as "premises"
in this chapter.
(28) Group activities--Activities that allow children
to interact with other children in large or small groups. Group activities
include storytelling, finger plays, show and tell, organized games,
and singing.
(29) Hazardous materials--Any substance or chemical
that is a health hazard or physical hazard as determined by the Environmental
Protection Agency. Also referred to as "toxic materials"
and "toxic chemicals" in this chapter.
(30) Health-care professional--A licensed physician,
a licensed advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), a licensed vocational
nurse (LVN), a licensed registered nurse (RN), or other licensed medical
personnel providing health care to the child within the scope of the
license. This does not include physicians, nurses, or other medical
personnel who are not licensed in the United States or in the country
in which the person practices.
(31) Health check--A visual or physical assessment
of a child to identify potential concerns about a child's health,
including signs or symptoms of illness and injury, in response to
changes in the child's behavior since the last date of attendance.
(32) High school equivalent--
(A) Documentation of a program recognized by the Texas
Education Agency (TEA) or other public educational entity in another
state, which offers similar training on reading, writing, and math
skills taught at the high school level, such as a General Educational
Development (GED) certificate; or
Cont'd... |
