Staff

Staff. (1) Definition. In this section, “the Registry” means a brand of The Registry, Inc., a professional development recognition agency. (2) Staff records. (a) The licensee shall maintain a file on each employee or contracted employee. The file shall be available for examination by the licensing representative at the center and shall include all of the following: 1. The employee’s name, address, date of birth, education, position, previous work experience in child care, including the reason for leaving previous positions, and the name, address, and telephone numbers of persons to be notified in an emergency. 2. Documentation from the department, either paper or electronic, that indicates a child care background check was completed in compliance with the timelines and requirements specified in s. 48.686 , Stats., and ch. DCF 13 and the person is eligible to work in a child care program. 3. a. A report on a physical examination that was completed not more than 12 months prior to nor more than 30 days after the person was hired. The physical examination report may be a printout of an electronic record from a medical professional or on a form provided by the department. The report shall be signed and dated by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or other EPSDT provider. The report shall indicate that the person is free from illnesses detrimental to children, including tuberculosis, and that the person is physically able to work with young children. b. The health examination requirement in subd. 3. a. does not apply to a provider who requests an exemption based on the provider’s adherence to religious belief in exclusive use of prayer or spiritual means for healing in accordance with a bona fide religious sect or denomination. 4. a. A certificate from the Wisconsin Registry documenting that the person has met the educational qualifications for the position under sub. (3) if the person has worked as a teacher, director, or administrator at the center for at least 6 months. A copy of an educator’s license issued by the department of public instruction as a teacher may substitute for a certificate from the Wisconsin Registry. b. For school-age administrators, school-age directors, and school-age program leaders who have been in the position for 6 months or more, a certificate from the Wisconsin Registry. d. For persons not required to have a certificate from the Wisconsin Registry, including assistant child care teachers, program aides, school-age group leaders, school-age program aides, meal preparation personnel, substitutes, volunteers, and student teachers and a child care teacher, center director, administrator, school-age administrator, school-age director, or school-age program leader who has not worked for the center for more than 6 months, documentation of the person’s educational qualifications. 5. For persons required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent, documentation of a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by the Wisconsin department of public instruction. 6. Documentation of days and hours worked, and in which classroom, when the person was included in the staff-to-child ratio shall be maintained by the center. 7. Documentation of compliance with continuing education requirements under sub. (4) (c) . 8. Documentation of compliance with orientation requirements under sub. (4) (a) . (b) A licensee shall maintain a file on each student teacher and each adult who works at the center and is compensated for their work from a source other than the center. The file shall contain the information specified in par. (a) 1. , 2. , and 3. (3) Qualifications of staff. (a) Competency. A child care worker, center administrator, center director, and volunteers counted in staff-to-child ratio shall be physically, mentally, and emotionally able to provide responsible care for all children, including children with disabilities. (b) Training on preventing abusive head trauma. Each child care worker, center administrator, center director, volunteer counted in staff-to-child ratio, or substitute who provides care and supervision to children under 5 years of age shall document completion of department-approved training in abusive head trauma, and appropriate ways to manage crying, fussing, or distraught children prior to beginning to work with children under 5 years of age. (c) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. All employees in regular contact with children shall obtain, maintain and place in the employee’s file a current certificate of completion for infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use from an agency approved by the department within 3 months after beginning to work with children in care. Volunteers included in determining staff-to-child ratios shall obtain a certificate of completion in infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation after volunteering for 240 cumulative hours. The time spent obtaining or renewing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training may be counted towards the required continuing education hours. (cm) Training on child abuse and neglect reporting requirements. Within one week after beginning work at the center and at least every 2 years thereafter, each employee or volunteer who comes in contact with children in care shall complete training in all of the following: 1. Child abuse and neglect laws. 2. How to identify children who have been abused or neglected. 3. The procedure for ensuring that all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect are immediately reported to the proper authorities. (d) Administrator. 1. The licensee may act as administrator of a group child care center. If the licensee does not act as administrator, the licensee shall designate a person or persons to be the administrator or administrators of the center. The administrator shall be responsible for the center’s management, including personnel, finance, physical plant, and the day-to-day operation of the center. 2. An administrator, including a licensee that is an administrator, shall meet all of the following conditions: a. Be at least 21 years of age. b. Have completed high school or its equivalent, as determined by the Wisconsin department of public instruction. 3. Before a person assumes the position of administrator, the person shall have all of the following: a. One year of experience as a manager or satisfactory completion of a noncredit department-approved course or of 2 credits in business or program administration. b. One year of experience as a center director, as a child care teacher in a group child care center or kindergarten, or as a licensee of a family child care center under ch. DCF 250 ; or satisfactory completion of a non-credit department-approved course or of 2 credits in early childhood education or its equivalent. 4. If the board of a parent cooperative is responsible for management of a center, the requirements under subds. 2. and 3. do not apply. 5. Within one year of assuming the position, each administrator shall complete at least 10 hours of training in supervision or personnel management, if the administrator has not previously received that training. The training may be counted as part of the annual continuing education requirement. (e) Center director. 1. a. A licensee with the applicable qualifications in this paragraph may act as the center director. b. If the licensee does not act as center director, the licensee shall designate a person or persons to be the center director. c. No person may act as the center director for more than 2 full-day or 4 part-day centers. 2. The center director shall be responsible for the supervision of the planning and implementation of the center’s program for children, the supervision of staff at the center, staff meetings and orientation, and continuing education for staff. 3. A center director for a program licensed to serve 50 or fewer children shall meet all of the following conditions: a. Be at least 21 years of age. b. Have completed high school or its equivalent as determined by the Wisconsin department of public instruction. c. Have at least 240 hours of experience as a teacher or assistant teacher in a group child care center or other approved setting or have at least 240 hours of experience as a licensee or provider of a family child care center under ch. DCF 250 . d. Have completed at least one of the preservice training requirements in Table 251.05A prior to beginning work as a center director, except as specified in subd. 5. a. The center director shall also complete any additional training requirements in Table 251.05A as provided. 4. A center director for a program licensed to serve 51 or more children shall meet all of the following conditions: a. Be at least 21 years of age. b. Have completed high school or its equivalent, as determined by the Wisconsin department of public instruction. c. Have at least 2 years of experience as a child care teacher or center director in a group child care center or other approved setting. d. Have completed one of the preservice training requirements in Table 251.05B prior to beginning work as a center director, except as specified in subd. 5. b. The center director shall also complete any additional training requirements in Table 251.05B as provided. one of the preservice training requirements in Table 251.05A prior to beginning work as a center director, except as specified in subd. 5. a. The center director shall also complete any additional training requirements in Table 251.05A as provided. 4. A center director for a program licensed to serve 51 or more children shall meet all of the following conditions: a. Be at least 21 years of age. b. Have completed high school or its equivalent, as determined by the Wisconsin department of public instruction. c. Have at least 2 years of experience as a child care teacher or center director in a group child care center or other approved setting.