7. Staff-to-Child Ratio Flashcards
Staff-to-Child Ratio
~ a way of calculating the maximum number of children one caregiver can be responsible for while children are in care (ratio = based on the ages of the children)
~ as children get older, a caregiver can supervise more of them because their needs change as they develop self-help skills
~ limiting the number of children per caregiver supervision = providing all of them with quality social interactions
~ the law states specific minimum requirements; however, many child care programs choose to keep their ratios smaller in order to provide a higher quality of care
important to establish for the optimal development and safety of children
The staff-to-child ratios are as follows:
AGE OF THE CHILDREN = MAXIMUM # OF CHILDREN ONE CAREGIVER CAN SUPERVISE
* Infants (Birth to 1 Year) = 4
* 1-year-old children = 6
* 2-year-old children = 11
* 3-year-old children = 15
* 4-year-old children = 20
* 5-year-old children or older = 25
* Mixed age groups–includes child(ren) under 1 year of age = 4
* Mixed age groups–includes child(ren) over 1 year of age but under 2 years of age = 6
* Mixed age groups–includes child(ren) 2 years of age or older = Ratio of age group of the majority of children in the group
Ratios must be maintained at all times when children are in care, including naptime. On field trips, there must be one additional staff person. A volunteer may be counted as a caregiver in order to meet ratio requirements, if the volunteer has met all of the training and background screening requirements.
