School-Age Child Care Center Director Qualifications and Duties

101515

(a) In addition to Section 101215.1, the following shall apply:

(b) All school-age child care centers shall have a director.

(1) In a combination program that has a school-age child care center component, the director of the child care center component shall maintain ultimate responsibility, in the capacity as director, for the combined program; a separate director for the school-age child care center component is not required.

(A) In a combination program, the director shall designate a fully qualified teacher as specified in Section 101516.2 for the school-age child care center component.

(B) The director of the child care center component within the combination program shall maintain administrative responsibility for the overall program and shall provide direct supervision and guidance to the school-age child care center component.

(c) As an alternative educational prerequisite, any school-age director may substitute six of the units in early childhood education or child development required in Section 101215.1(h)(1)(B) with six units appropriate to elementary school-age children, on a unit-per-unit basis, in any one or a combination of the following:

(1) Recreation, which includes, but is not limited to, art, music, and dance relevant to elementary school-age children.

(2) Physical education, which includes, but is not limited to, indoor and outdoor sports activities relevant to elementary school-age children.

(3) Units earned toward an elementary teaching credential.

(d) As an alternative educational prerequisite, the director of a school-age child care center that stands alone may, pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21, substitute 20 training hours for each of the required units of education in Section 101215.1(h)(1). (This alternative shall not apply to a director of a combination program that includes a component for school-age children.) Units and training hours may be combined to meet the total educational requirement (15 units or 300 training hours, or any combination thereof).

(1) Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(b) contains the alternative educational requirements that a director as specified in (d) above may meet.

Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(b) states:

In addition to an administration course consisting of three units or 60 training hours and three units or 60 training hours in early childhood education, child development, or schoolage child courses, the site director may, as an alternative to existing regulations, complete nine core units or 180 training hours from the following:

(1) Recreation, which includes, but is not limited to, art, music, and dance.

(2) Physical education, which includes, but is not limited to, indoor and outdoor sports activities.

(3) Human services and social welfare, which includes, but is not limited to, nursing, psychology, sociology, or home economics.

(4) Units earned toward an elementary or middle school teaching credential.

(5) Early childhood education, child development, or schoolage child units.

A director is required to complete 12 units or 240 training hours prior to employment. The remaining three units [or 60 training hours] must be completed within one year of employment.

(2) A director as specified in (d) above may also qualify by possessing any associate of arts or bachelor's degree from an accredited or approved college or university provided at least three units or 60 training hours are in early childhood education, child development or school-age child courses; and three units or 60 training hours are in administration or staff relations.

(3) In accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(f), a director as specified in (d) above may use alternative approved sources of education.

Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(f) states:

In addition to existing approved sources of education, the following are approved sources of education that may be used to satisfy the education required of staff at a schoolage child care center:

(1) Vocational school training in recreation, physical education, human services, social welfare, and education as described in subdivisions (b) and (d).

(2) Professional training that qualifies as continuing education credits in the child care or elementary education area.

(3) Standard training programs that are provided by statewide or nationally recognized or community-based youth service organizations and offered or approved by an accredited educational institution or the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

(e) Verification of education allowed by Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21 shall be by transcript or certificate (with hours completed shown on the certificate). To verify course or training program approval, a certification on accredited educational institution letterhead that the course or training program has been approved shall accompany the completion certificate. This certification is only necessary for courses or training programs not offered by an accredited educational institution but approved by such an institution.

(f) A director as specified in (d) above may also complete alternative types of experience pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21. Such experience shall be verified as having been performed at least three hours per day for a minimum of 100 days in a calendar year.

(1) Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(e) contains the alternative types of experience that a director as specified in (d) above may complete.

Health and Safety Code Section 1597.21(e) states:

The department shall accept the following alternative types of experience for site directors and teachers, if the experience was obtained working directly with children: classroom teaching or teacher assisting experience in elementary or middle school education; paid or volunteer work experience in physical education or recreation programs; college work-study or internship in recreation or youth development; paid or volunteer work experience in human services as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b); or paid or volunteer work experience in school guidance or in other counseling programs.

NOTE: Authority cited: Section 1596.81, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1596.72, 1596.81, 1596.95, 1597.055 and 1597.21, Health and Safety Code.