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Resources in Child Care - Glossary of Terms
| Acknowledgement Packet: | |
| Will be sent to all programs that return the Program Profile to DCD; informs the program of the required steps in the implementation plan. | |
| Actions Taken: | |
| Probationary License | A probationary permit may be given if the program has not met the law or rules either on purpose, or an on-going basis, or is hazardous to the health and safety of children. The probationary license, and the notice explaining why it was issued, must be posted in the child care program where it can be easily seen. |
| Provisional License | The license of a child care program may be placed on provisional status if the program has not met the child care rules either on purpose, or it has happened more than once, or it is dangerous to the health and safety of children. A provisional license is given so that the program has time to fix the problems. The provisonal license, and the notice explaining why it was given, must be posted in the child care program where it can be easily seen. |
| Special Provisional Permit | A special provisional permit may be given to any type of center of home when abuse or neglect occurred in the child care arrangement. The center or home may not enroll new children during the time the special provisional permit is in effect unless they receive written permission. Both the special provisional permit and the letter stating why it was given must be posted. |
| Administrative Action: |
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| Date the Notice of Administrative Action was sent | Notification to the program which details the type of Administrative Action taken and any corrective actions the program is required to comply with. |
| Fine | Also known as a civil penalty, a fine may be given to a child care provider if the nature of a problem is a serious violation of a child care regulation. |
| Notice of Action | Programs that have serious or repeated violations may receive an Administrative Action issued by the Division of Child Development. Providers have the right to appeal an administrative action. When a provider appeals an action, a contested case hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is scheduled. The hearing is an opportunity for the provider and the Division of Child Development to have witnesses testify about the situation which resulted in the administrative action. The provider/operator has 30 days after receiving the Notice of Administrative Action to file an appeal. |
| Written Reprimand | Child care programs receive notices for not meeting child care rules. This is the least severe penalty issued by the Division of Child Development. It is issued for a problem that is not likely to happen again. For example, a program may receive a written reprimand because there was a change in ownership of the program and the Division of Child Development was not notified. A written reprimand does not have to be posted in the child care program. |
| Written Warning | Child care programs receive notices for not meeting child care rules. This warning is a more serious notice than a written reprimand. It is given to notify a provider that a problem has been documented. The written warning includes the changes that must be made to correct the problem. For example, a program may have had more children per caregiver than is allowed by the rules. A written warning does not have to be posted in the child care program. |
| Allocation Formula: |
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| A formula established by the North Carolina General Assembly for distributing state and federal funds for child care funds to all counties. The formula has three factors: (a) the county's population; (b) the number of children in poverty under age 6 in the county; and (c) the number of working mothers with children under the age of 6 in the county. | |
| Certification/Accreditation: |
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| Disclaimer | The Division of Child Development has attempted to compile a complete list of all state or national certification/accreditation organizations. Every attempt has been made to make sure information given on this page is accurate. Since inaccuracies may occur, this page does not replace official sources. All information is presented without warranties and does not constitute an endorsement of any program, or products, either expressed or implied. If you find some questionable information or are aware of other certification or accreditation organizations, please E-Mail the Webmaster-->. |
| Ecumenical Child Care Network (ECCN) Congregations and Child Care | Promotes high quality child care by involving both early childhood professionals and congregational leaders in a self-study process. The recognition is for any child care program housed in or operated by a religious congregation and complements the accreditation conferred by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, which is a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. |
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N.C. Child Care Resource
and Referral Network (NC CCR&R Network) |
The North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network is a statewide network that provides local CCR&R agencies an opportunity to strengthen services and to meet certain standards of quality established by the Network. Data collection, quality assurance, program administration, referral practices and evaluation are all a part of being accredited. |
| National Accreditation Council for Early Childhood Professional Personnel and Programs (NACECPP) | NACECPP is a national, non-profit organization that supports private-licensed, center-based, and ecumenical early childhood programs under the sponsorship of the Child Care Institute of America. Parents, teachers and program administrators are involved in reviewing all program aspects. |
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National Association for
Family Child Care (NAFCC) |
The NAFCC works with family child care home operators to provide quality child care. Safety, health, nutrition, adult and child contact, learning, outdoor area, and professionalism are all a part of being accredited. |
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National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC) |
NAEYC programs meet higher voluntary standards for young children and their families. Emphasis is placed on how the staff talk and work with children. Health and safety, number of staff members to the number of children, staff education, play and learning spaces, and program plans are all a part of being accredited. |
| National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) | Licensed child care or preschool programs in operation at least one year must meet standards in the areas of staff qualifications and education, administration, developmental program, health and safety, parent and community involvement, and the indoor and outdoor environments. Both parents and staff are surveyed as part of the process. |
| National School-Age Care Alliance | The NSACA system is designed for programs serving five to fourteen-year-olds. Programs must meet quality standards that describe the quality of relationships, environments, activities, health and safety practices, and program administration. |
| The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits educational institutions ranging from early childhood centers to universities. The primary focus of the Association is improving educational quality. Continued membership with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is based on improvements demonstrated through annual reports, interim reviews and periodic evaluations. |
| Child Care Licensing Consultant: |
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| Employee of DCD that will visit, assist and monitor DPI operated programs throughout the MOU Implementation period. | |
| Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R): |
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| CCR&R agencies work with parents, child care providers, and local planners to help make child care better, affordable, and more available. Parents can call a child care resource and referral agency to get up-to-date child care information and help in choosing quality child care. CCR&R agencies work to increase the number of child care spaces. They also provide training and information to existing and new child care providers. | |
| Complaint Information: |
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| Complaint Details | Details surrounding a complaint. These may include: date of visit, complaint category, the nature of the complaint, findings, and rules violated. |
| Conclusion of Complaint |
Confirmed – A complaint is confirmed when information/evidence gathered during the investigation shows that the incident/violation occurred as reported. (Excerpt from the procedures manual for substantiated).
Unconfirmed – A complaint is unconfirmed when the information/evidence gathered during the investigation shows that the incident/violation did not occur as reported. (Excerpt from the procedures manual for unsubstantiated) |
| Nature of Complaint | Each complaint is categorized into one or more areas of licensing violations based upon information provided by the person filling the complaint. |
| Criminal Records Background Check: |
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| A search of local, state, and/or federal records to determine if a person has been convicted of a crime. Effective January 1, 1996, anyone working, or wanting to work, in child care must complete a criminal records background check. The results of the background check are used to decide if the person is fit to care for children. | |
| DCD: |
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| Division of Child Development | |
| DPI: |
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| Department of Public Instruction | |
| Eligibility Requirements: |
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| The requirements a family must meet to receive financial assistance to pay for child care. The criteria is based upon both the family need and family income. Reasons for needing child care may include: the parent is looking for work or attending a job training program; the child has developmental needs; or as a support to Child Protective or Child Welfare Services. Depending upon the reason for care, some families may be able to receive financial assistance without considering how much they earn. (Also see Subsidized Child Care Program . | |
| Facility Identification Number (ID#): |
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| License Number | Every home and center has an ID number that is assigned by the Division of Child Development. The ID # is listed on the permit. If you have a question about a program, or want to receive information about a program, it is very helpful to have the ID # available when you call or write to the Division of Child Development. |
| General Information: |
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| Child Care Facility | A single center or home, or a group of centers or homes or both, which are operated by one owner or supervised by a group. |
| Developmentally Appropriate | A term that means suitable to the chronological age range and develomental characteristics of a specific age group of children. |
| Drop-in-Care | A child care arrangement where children attend on an unscheduled basis. |
| Owner/Operator | The person or persons held legally responsible for the child care business. |
| Part-time Care | A child care arrangement where children attend on a regular schedule but less than full time. |
| Implementation Team: |
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| A committee of staff from the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development, and Department of Public Instruction charged with designing the plan for implementation of the requirements of the MOU. | |
| Licensing Inspection Visit: |
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| On-site visit made to the DPI operated program to monitor for compliance with all applicable minimum licensing requirements. | |
| MOU: |
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| Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health and Human Services requiring all DPI operated programs to meet minimum health and safety standards. | |
| Permit Information: |
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| Approved Capacity | Maximum number of children allowed to be in care during any shift. |
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Compliance History
(Revised Rated License) |
Compliance history is now a minimum requirement for maintaining any license as well as a Notice of Compliance under the revised rated license. Any new center or family child care home that opens after January 1, 2006, must maintain a compliance history of at least 75% over the previous 18 months or during the length of time the facility has operated. By January 1, 2008, existing child care facilities must have a compliance history of at least 75% for the previous 18 months or during the length of time the facility has operated in order to maintain a license or Notice of Compliance. |
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Educational Standards
(Revised Rated License) |
Education Standards indicates the level of education of the director and teachers. This is one of three components used to determine a facility's star license rating and has a maximum point value of five points. |
| Family Child Care Home License (FCCH) | A FCCH License is given to child care homes who meet minimum requirements for the legal operation of a family child care home. The FCCH License must be posted in the home where it can be easily seen. |
| Notice of Compliance | The law allows religious-sponsored centers and religious-sponsored homes to choose to operate without obtaining a permit. They get a Notice of Compliance instead of a permit. These facilities and homes must meet minimum health and safety rules. They do not have to meet certain rules about staff qualifications, yearly training hours, and rules related to activities for the children. Notices of Compliance are printed on Division of Child Development letterhead stationery. Posting of the letter of compliance is not required. |
| Probationary License | A probationary permit may be given if the program has not met the law or rules either on purpose, or an on-going basis, or is hazardous to the health and safety of children. The probationary license, and the notice explaining why it was issued, must be posted in the child care program where it can be easily seen. |
|
Program Standards
(Revised Rated License) |
Program Standards indicates the quality of care a child receives. This is one of three components used to determine a facility's star license rating and has a maximum point value of five points. |
| Provisional License | The license of a child care program may be placed on provisional status if the program has not met the child care rules either on purpose, or it has happened more than once, or it is dangerous to the health and safety of children. A provisional license is given so that the program has time to fix the problems. The provisonal license, and the notice explaining why it was given, must be posted in the child care program where it can be easily seen. |
| Quality Bonus Points | Child care facilities may choose to meet additional criteria to earn one quality point which will be added to the total points earned in program standards and staff education to determine the total number of stars earned. |
| NC Pre-K | NC Pre-K is a community-based education initiative designed to prepare at-risk four-year-olds in North Carolina for success in kindergarten |
| Rated License | In September 2000, rated licenses showing one to five stars replaced all “A” and “AA” licenses for child care centers and family child care homes. There are three components of the rated license: program standards, educational standards, and compliance history. Each component is worth one to five points. The star rating is based on a total of all three components combined. Child Care facilities with a one star license meet minimum standards. Facilities with a two to five star license voluntarily meet a higher level of enhanced standards. SEE NEW CHANGES UNDER REVISED RATED LICENSE |
| Revised Rated License | Changes were made to North Carolina’s Star Rated License System during 2005 legislative session. The higher voluntary star ratings will be based on two components: program standards and staff education instead of the current three components of program standards, staff education and compliance. The compliance history will now be a minimum requirement for maintaining any license as well as a Notice of Compliance. Existing child care programs will have until January 1, 2008, to be assessed under the revised two component system. Any new child care facility that opens after January 1, 2006, will be assessed under a revised two component system. |
| Religious-sponsored Program | Any child care center, home, or summer day camp run by a church, synagogue, or school of religious charter. Religious-sponsored programs do not have to meet certain rules about staff qualifications or other rules about training hours or activities. Programs may choose to have a Notice of Compliance that shows that the center or home meets minimum standards such as health, fire and safety rules. |
| Restrictions on License | Restrictions on a license show specific limits a program has. |
| Revocation of Permit | A child care program's permit may be taken away if Division of Child Development decides that the program has not met the rules or law on purpose, on an on-going basis, or the program is dangerous to the health or safety and/or the program has not made efforts to fix the problem. The child care provider is told in advance of the decision, and is given the chance to ask for a hearing about the decision, before the permit is taken away. If the child care provider does not ask for a hearing about the decision, the program must close. If there is a hearing, the provider may continue to operate until the process is complete. The notice that the permit has been taken away must be posted in the child care program where it can be easily seen. |
| Special Provisional Permit | A special provisional permit may be given to any type of center of home when abuse or neglect occurred in the child care arrangement. Under a special provisional, the Division may prevent the enrollment of new children until satisfied that the circumstances leading to the aduse/neglect have been corrected. Both the special provisional permit and the letter stating why it was given must be posted. |
| Staff/Child Ratio Policy | A Child Care Program my choose to set staff/child ratio lower than the ratios mandated by state regulations. For more information about ratios go to Comparison of requirements for "A" and "AA" licenses |
| Star Rating | Child Care Programs may obtain a 1-5 Star Rated License. Programs with a 1 star license meet minimum standards. Programs with a 2-5 star license voluntarily meet a higher level of enhanced standards. |
| Suspension of Permit | A child care program's permit may be suspended for up to 45 days if the Division of Child Development decides that the program is not meeting rules on purpose, on an on-going basis, or dangerous to the health or safety of children and/or the program has not made reasonable efforts to correct the problem. When the permit is suspended, the program must close. Notice of a suspended permit must be posted in the program where it can be easily seen. |
| Temporary License | A temporary license is given to a new center or large home, or to a previously licensed center or large home when there is a change in ownership or location, for a period of no more than 90 days. This allows the center or large home to achieve a satisfactory rating for a regular license. A temporary license must be posted in the center where it can be easily seen. |
| Total Points | This number reflects the sum of the three point categories of the star rating system: Program Standards, Educational Standards and Compliance History. The total possible point value is 15. |
| Education Standards | Education Standards indicates the level of education of the director and teachers. This is one of two components used to determine a child care facility’s star license rating and has a maximum point value of seven points. |
|
Program Standards
(Revised Rated License) |
Program Standards indicates the quality of care a child receives. This is one of two components used to determine a facility’s star license rating and has a maximum point value of seven points. |
| Potential Problems: | |
| Any program that is determined to be at risk of providing an environment that could pose serious health or safety risks to children, including the presence of lead or asbestos, sub-standard buildings, or dangerous play equipment. | |
| Prelicensing Events: |
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| Activities to offer information and training on the requirements for a child care license such as Prelicensing Workshops, Regional Meetings, On-Site Visits. | |
| Professional Development: |
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| Lead teacher | An individual who is responsible for planning and implementing the daily program of activities for a group of children in a child care center and who is scheduled to be in that classroom for at least two-thirds of the total daily hours of operation. There must be at least one lead teacher assigned to each group of children. This constitutes a change from previous rules regarding teachers. |
| Accredited | Nationally recognized higher education regional certification (for higher education institutions outside of the United States, the recognized system of the specified country's accreditation process will be accepted). |
| Profile Packets: |
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| Will be sent through all school superintendents to each public school that has a child care or preschool education program required by the MOU to participate in the implementation plan; contains a Program Profile that must be completed and returned to DCD to initiate the implementation period for the program. | |
| Programs: |
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| Any child care or preschool education program that is operated by the Department of Public Instruction that serves preschool children or subsidized school-age children, regardless of the length of time children are present. | |
| Rating Scales: |
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| Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale | (Harms, Cryer, and Clifford, 1998, published by Teacher College Press, New York, NY) - The instrument used to evaluate quality of care received by a group of children in a child care center, when the majority of children in the group are two and a half year through five years old to achieve three through five points for the program standards of a rated license. |
| Environment Rating Scale | A tool that is used by an assessor to measure how well caregivers respond to and provide care for children. The Environment Rating Scale (ERS) also assesses health and safety practices. The quality and quantity of play and learning activities are also assessed. |
| Family Day Care Rating Scale | (Harms and Clifford, 1989, published by Teachers College Press, New York, NY) - The instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by children in family child care homes to achieve three through five points for the program standards of a rated license. |
| Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale | (Harms, Cryer, and Clifford, 1990, published by Teacher College Press, New York, NY) - The instrument used to evaluate the quality of care received by a group of children in a child care center, when the majority of children in the group are younger than thirty months old, to achieve three through five points for program standards of a rated license. |
| Sanitation: |
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| Sanitation Inspection | An inspection that is made by the local health department to determine whether a child care center meets the minimum sanitation rules adopted by the North Carolina Commission for Health Services. These rules look at cleanliness of the facility; toilet, diaper change and handwashing areas; food preparation and service; sanitizing of eating and drinking utensils; sleeping areas; water supply; infectious disease control; sewage disposal; ventilation; and other areas related to public health. |
| Sanitation Rating |
The sanitation rating is determined by the number of penalty points a
child care center receives during the health department's inspection.
The rating must be posted for public view.
More serious violations are recorded as 6-point demerits.
The following scale shows what the different sanitation ratings mean.
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| School Age: |
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| Preschooler or Preschool-Aged Child | Any child that does not fit the definition of school-aged child. |
| School-aged Child | School-aged child means any child who is at least five years old on or before October 16 of the current school year and who is attending, or has attended, a public or private grade school or kindergarten. Any child who is at least five years of ages on or before April 16 of the current school year, is determined by the principal of the school to be gifted and mature enough to justify admission, and is enrolled no later than the end of the first month of the school year. Any child who has been attending school during the school year in another state in accordance with that states' laws or rules before moving to North Carolina. |
| Smart Start: |
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| Smart Start is a statewide initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Smart Start may help with the cost of child care. It may help child care homes or centers improve their programs. Smart Start also helps families access health care and other services that are very important during a child's early years. | |
| Enrolled in Subsidized Child Care Program (SCC): |
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| The program that provides funding to help parents with the cost of enrollment in regulated child care programs or programs that are exempt from regulation. (Also see Eligibility Requirements ). | |
| Enrolled in Subsidized Child Care Program (SCC): |
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| Approval for Subsidized Child Care | You may be eligible to receive financial assistance which can help pay the cost of child care. For more information about Subsidized Child Care contact your local Department of Social Services or Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. |
| Child Care Voucher | Document issued to the family that is determined eligible to receive child care services by the Local Purchasing Agency (LPA). This voucher serves as an agreement between the parent and the provider and is the mechanism which places the responsibility for the selection of a provider with the parent instead of the LPA. The voucher also certifies that payment could be made to an eligible provider participating in the Subsidized Child Care Program. |
| Subsidized School-age Child: |
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| Any child currently enrolled in public or private grade school that is receiving child care assistance from the local Department of Social Service. | |
| Technical Assistance: |
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| Offered by a DCD licensing consultant to familiarize DPI staff with the requirements for a child care license; could include on-site visits, meetings with DPI staff, consultation with local inspectors on behalf of the DPI program. | |
| Type of Program: |
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| Center | A child care program with a capacity of five or more children. Capacity is determined by the available square footage and building, fire and safety standards. |
| Family Child Care Home (FCCH) | Child care arrangement in the provider's home that may have no more than five preschool children present at any one time. The program may enroll up to eight children if at least three of the children are school age . |
| Summer Day Camp | A seasonal recreational program that provides child care and operates for less than 4 months per year. These programs are not required to be licensed unless they provide subsidized child care. |
| Visits-Announced: |
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| Courtesy Visit | A courtesy visit is made primarily at a potential or current provider's request to help achieve compliance with regulations and to improve quality of care. |
| Prelicensing Visit | Prelicensing visits offer the potential provider assistance in meeting regulations mandated by the state and to assess the program for issuance of a license. |
| Technical Assistance Visit | A current provider can request a technical assistance visit to receive advice and guidance for a particular part of the program. This could include advice in programming, room arrangement, staff training and help understanding the regulations. A provider can also request assistance in making changes to their program in an effort to comply with an Administrative Action. |
| Visits-Unannounced: |
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| Abuse/Neglect Complaint Visit | An unannounced visit made to a facility to investigate possible child abuse or neglect that may have happened at the facility. The details of the complaint are confidential. The person making the complaint does not have to give his name. |
| Annual Compliance Visit | An unannounced visit made to a facility within a twelve month time period by a licensing consultant to monitor for compliance with child care regulations mandated by the state. |
| Follow-Up Visits/Routine Monitoring Visits | These visits are unannounced and can be made to assess compliance, assure DCD recommendations are put into practice, or to monitor the correction of violations following an Administrative Action. |
| Regulatory Complaint Visit | An unannounced visit made to a facility to investigate possible licensing violations. The details of the complaint are not confidential. The person making the complaint does not have to give his name. |
| Unannounced Visit | An unannounced visit is made to assess compliance with regulations. These visits are made without giving prior notice to the provider. |
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