R400.8101 Definitions; A to I

R400.8101 Definitions; A to I

Rule 101 (1)

1. As used in these rules:
   1. “Accredited college or university” means a college or university that is accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting association recognized by the United States department of education.
   2. “Act” means 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128.
   3. “Adult” means an individual 18 years of age or older.
   4. “Ages” means all of the following:
      1. “infant” means a child from birth to 1 year of age.
      2. “toddler” means a child who is 1 year of age until 30 months of age.
      3. “preschooler” means a child who is 30 months of age until eligible to attend a grade of kindergarten or higher.
      4. “school-aged” means a child who is eligible to attend a grade of kindergarten or higher but less than 13 years of age. A child is considered a school-ager on the first day of the school year in which the child is eligible.
   5. “Applicant” means an individual who applies for a license to operate a child care center.
   6. “Biocontaminant” means bodily fluids such as urine, feces, saliva, vomit, blood, nasal discharge, eye discharge, and injury or tissue discharge.
   7. “Center” means an early childhood center, school-age child care center, outdoor nature-based child care center, or a small capacity child care center.
   8. “Certified playground safety inspector” means an individual certified by the national playground safety institute or the national program for playground safety to conduct playground safety inspections.
   9. “CEU” means a continuing education unit awarded by an accredited college or university sponsor of continuing education units or state continuing education clock hour awarded by the state board of education.
   10. “Child care administration” means educational courses in child care administration, education administration, education leadership business administration.
   11. “Child care background check system” means the database maintained by the department to document a comprehensive background check and eligibility determination pursuant to section 5n of the act, MCL 722.115n.
   12. “Child development associate credential” means a credential awarded by the council for professional recognition or a similar credential approved by the department.
       • The Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) is a nationally recognized credential that requires 480 hours of experience working with children and 120 clock hours of training. The clock hours can be obtained at the community college or higher level or through other organizations.
       • For more information about the CDA, contact the Council for Professional Recognition at (800) 424-4310 or go to their website at Council for Professional Recognition.
   13. “Child-related field” means either of the following:
       • For an early childhood program administrator and lead teacher, academic courses in elementary education, child guidance, child counseling, child psychology, family studies, environmental, outdoor education, social work or special education.
       • For a school-age program administrator, academic courses in early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, educational leadership, special education, physical education and recreation, child development, child guidance, child counseling, child psychology, family studies, environmental or outdoor education, social work, human services, or youth development.
   14. “Clean” means removing dirt, food, soil, and other types of debris by scrubbing and washing with a detergent solution and rinsing with water.
   15. “Communicable disease” means an infectious disease that is transmissible from person to person by direct contact with an infected individual or the individual's discharges, or by indirect means through a vector. Communicable disease includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
       1. Chicken pox.
       2. Hand, foot and mouth disease.
       3. Influenza.
       4. Measles.
       5. Mumps.
       6. Pertussis, which is also referred to as whooping cough.
       7. Rubella.
       8. Tuberculosis.
   16. “Comprehensive background check” means a department review of an individual pursuant to sections 5n and 5q of the act, MCL 722.115n and MCL 722.115q.
   17. “Continuously employed child care staff member” means an individual who has not been disconnected from the child care background check system for a period of more than 180 days and has continuously resided in this state as referenced in sections 5n and 5q of the act, MCL 722.115n and 722.115q.
   18. “Degrees and semester hours” means only those degrees and hours from an accredited college or university.
       • A semester hour is the unit by which a college or university measures its course work. The number of semester hours assigned to a course reflects the outcomes expected, the type of class, the amount of time spent in class, and the amount of outside of class work expected.
       • The US Department of Education website provides a listing of schools that are accredited.
         1. If a college or university is not accredited, the center must determine, in writing, whether any accredited colleges or universities will accept transfer credits from the college/university in question.
         2. Online and correspondence courses can be accepted only if from an accredited college or university or if an accredited college or university will recognize them. The center must provide documentation from an accredited college or university showing which credits would be accepted and the semester hour equivalency.
         3. Transcripts from other countries may be accepted. The center must provide written verification from a university or a private agency that determines equivalency to American credits. The following organizations evaluate international transcripts:
            • World Education Services, World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation
            • Educational Credential Evaluators, Education Credential Evaluators
         4. Transcripts from the following colleges are acceptable:
            • Bob Jones University.
            • Tennessee Temple College.
            • Maranatha Bible College.
            • Hyles-Anderson College.
   19. “Department” means the department of lifelong education, advancement and potential.
   20. Developmentally appropriate” means age appropriate and appropriate to the individual child.
   21. “Disinfect” means destroying any remaining germs on surfaces after cleaning using a stronger bleach solution or an EPA-registered disinfecting product as described on the label.
   22. “Early childhood center” means a child care center that serves children less than 13 years of age. It does not include a school-age child care center, outdoor nature-based child care center, or a small capacity child care center.
   23. “Early childhood program administrator” means a child care staff member who is the program administrator of an early childhood center and can be counted in child staff member to child ratios.
   24. “Easily cleanable” means that surfaces are readily accessible and made of such materials and finish and so fabricated that residue may be effectively removed by normal cleaning methods.
   25. “Experience” means paid and unpaid experience serving the ages and developmental abilities of children for which the center is licensed.
   26. “Field trip” means children program staff or volunteers, or both, leaving the child care center premises for an excursion, trip, or program activity.
   27. “First aid kit” means a kit containing, at a minimum, all of the following: sterile gauze pads of assorted sizes, a roll of gauze, adhesive bandages of assorted sizes, adhesive cloth tape, an elastic bandage, tweezers, and scissors. A first aid kit is prohibited from containing any non-prescription or prescription medications as described under R 400.8260.
   28. “Group size” means the specified number of children assigned to a child care staff member or team of child care staff members occupying an individual classroom or well-defined space for each group within a larger room.
   29. "Hand washing" means to cleanse the hands with soap and warm running water 7 for not less than 20 seconds.
   30. “Immediately available” means a program administrator, site administrator, parent or guardian remains onsite at the address of the child care center.
   31. “Independent service provider” individuals who are not child care staff members, but render professional, therapeutic, or enrichment services within a child care center. Independent service providers include, but are not limited to, dance instructors, gymnastic or sports instructors, computer instructors, speech therapists, nutritionists, early interventionists, nurses and other licensed health care professionals, intermediate school district staff, local school district staff, departmental staff other than those responsible for inspecting centers, non-center affiliated bus drivers, cafeteria and maintenance personnel, electricians, plumbers, photographers, and other outside service providers. Independent service providers are not considered contract employees or self-employed as described in the act as long as the independent service providers are supervised at all times by an eligible child care staff member while at the child care center when children are present.

Rule 101 (2)

2. A term defined in the act has the same meaning when used in these rules.