Library: Policy

340:110-3-284. General qualifications, responsibilities, and professional development

Revised 6-1-22

(a) General. Personnel are required to meet the general requirements in this Section and those specific to his or her assigned position(s), per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:110-3-284.1 through 340:110-3-284.4, with or without reasonable accommodations.

(b) Qualifications. Personnel meet the general qualification requirements in (1) through (3) of this subsection.

(1) Skills. Personnel possess the skills to perform his or her position responsibilities.

(2) Background investigations. Personnel meet the background investigation requirements, per OAC 340:110-3-282.

(3) Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder. Prior to or within 12 months of employment, teaching personnel obtain and maintain a current Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder (OPDL) certificate, per OAC 340 Appendix FF – Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder.

(1) Complying with requirements. Personnel comply with the requirements.

(2) Caring for and educating children. Personnel:

(A) individualize the care and learning opportunities meeting each child's needs based on the child's age and abilities, including reviewing the information provided by parents while respecting confidentiality;

(B) recognize and act to correct hazards to physical safety, both indoors and outdoors;

(D) demonstrate realistic expectations for behavior based on the children's age, abilities, and needs; and

(E) work with children without physical, psychological, or emotional punishment, mistreatment, or abuse.

(3) Reporting child abuse and neglect. Personnel report suspected child abuse and neglect and human trafficking, per OAC 340:110-3-280(b).

(d) Professional development. Personnel meet the general professional development requirements in (1) through (8) of this subsection.

(1) Professional development verification. Verification of professional development is maintained, per OAC 340:110-3-281.3(b).

(2) Professional development plan. For the director and teaching personnel the program:

(A) within six months of employment, develops an individualized education plan;

(B) updates the plan annually; and

(3) Orientation. Within one week of employment and prior to having sole responsibility for a group of children, personnel obtain orientation, as documented, per OAC 340:110-3-281.3(b), including, at least a review of:

(A) Licensing requirements;

(B) prevention and control of infectious disease;

(D) injury prevention;

(E) handling common childhood emergencies, including choking;

(F) medication administration consistent with standards for parental consent;

(G) prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions;

(H) prevention and control of infectious disease and mandatory reporting;

(I) child abuse and neglect definition, identification, and mandatory reporting;

(J) appropriate use of discipline and prevention of child maltreatment;

(K) car seat and transportation precautions and safety;

(L) building and physical premise safety including identification of and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury, such as electrical hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;

(M) handling and storage of hazardous materials and appropriate bio-contaminant disposal;

(N) diaper changing;

(O) prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma;

(P) reducing the risks of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS);

(Q) use of infant safe sleep practices;

(R) child development; and

(S) program specific information, including, at least:

(i) policies and procedures;

(ii) emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster or a man-caused event addressing continuity of planning and all situations, per OAC 340:110-3-279;

(iii) confidentiality of information regarding children and families;

(iv) personnel's assigned duties and responsibilities, such as classroom schedules and lesson plans; and

(v) methods used to inform personnel of children's special health, nutritional, and developmental needs.

(4) Safe sleep. Prior to caring for infants, personnel obtain formal professional development in safe sleep practices.

(5) Entry Level Child Care Training (ELCCT) or equivalent. Prior to, or within 90-calendar days of employment, teaching personnel hired after August 1, 2003, complete an approved entry-level training listed on the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR) website, such as ELCCT. However, this training is not required when previously received, unless the individual has not been employed at a licensed program within the last five years.

(6) CPR and first aid. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid certifications are age-appropriate for the children's ages accepted into care and are from approved sources listed on the OPDR website. In addition to CPR and first aid certification requirements for individuals in (A) through (B) of this subsection, other position specific CPR and first aid certification requirements are also met, per OAC 340:110-3-284.1 through 340:110-3-284.4.

(A) At all times, at least one personnel with current CPR and first aid certification is present with children:

(i) on-site, including in each building where children are present;

(ii) off-site; and

(iii) in each vehicle during transportation. However, a volunteer with certification from any source meets this requirement, provided the volunteer does not fill another position, excluding driver, per OAC 340:110-3-284.1 through 340:110-3-284.4.

(B) At least the director and master teachers obtain CPR and first aid certifications as required, per OAC 340:110-3-284.1(b) and 340:110-3-284.2(b).

(7) Infection control. Personnel obtain infection control training at least every 12 months.

(8) Continuing professional development. Ongoing professional development is required.

(A) The director obtains at least the required number of professional development clock-hours to maintain a current Oklahoma Director's Credential, per OAC 340 Appendix EE - Oklahoma Director's Credential. However, informal professional development clock-hours are limited.

(B) Teaching personnel obtain at least the required number of professional development clock-hours to maintain a current OPDL certificate, per OAC 340 Appendix FF - Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder. However, informal professional development clock-hours are limited.

(i) a course or training event of two or more clock-hours from an OPDR approved training organization; and

(ii) OPDR approved college credit hours.

(D) Informal professional development is:

(i) a course or training event of less than two clock-hours from an OPDR approved training organization;

(ii) any number of clock-hours from an OPDR non-approved training organization; and

(iii) any training from electronic media, such as videos or DVDs.

(E) Reading and television programs do not count toward required clock-hours.

(9) Child passenger safety. When the program provides transportation for children required to be in a car seat or booster seat, per Child Passenger Restraint System, Section 11-1112 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes (47 O.S. § 11-1112), the program has at least one personnel who obtained child passenger safety training from an approved source listed on the OPDR website, unless the vehicles used are exempt, per OAC 340:110-3-305(g). When the trained personnel's employment ends, the program has three months to meet this requirement.