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Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers

R400.8121 Indoor space

Rule 121 (1)

The required square footage of indoor space per child must be at least the following:

  1. Forty-two square feet for infants and toddlers.
  2. Thirty-five square feet for preschoolers and school-aged children.
  3. Thirty-five square feet for small capacity centers, regardless of age.

Rule 121 (2)

The following indoor space is excluded from the required square footage:

  1. Hallways.
  2. Bathrooms.
  3. Reception and office areas.
  4. Kitchens.
  5. Storage areas and closets.
  6. Areas used exclusively for resting, sleeping, or eating, except for infants and toddlers.

Rule 121 (3)

A center shall provide a floor plan of all child use areas to the department at initial licensure and before making structural changes or adding any child use space. Only space that has received prior approval for child use by the department may be used for child care.

Rationale

Child behavior tends to be more constructive when sufficient space is organized to promote developmentally appropriate skills. Crowding has been shown to be associated with increased risk of upper respiratory infections and aggression. Also, having sufficient space will reduce the risk of injury when simultaneous activities are taking place.

Ensures adequate space for all children and additional space for infants and young children who require more space for their equipment such as cribs and highchairs. Ensures that children have safe and adequate space for daily activities and room to move.

Technical Assistance

Use the following guidelines to plan indoor activity space:

  • Too much storage will take away usable child care space. This may affect the capacity.
  • Space within the children's use area used to store cots is not deducted.
  • A teacher’s desk within the room, if minimal, is not deducted.
  • For a room to be counted towards capacity, it needs to be available and used during the hours of operation. This includes gyms, libraries, cafeterias, and computer rooms.
  • Extra space provided by lofts must not be counted when calculating square footage for capacity.
  • In infant areas, count the space where cribs are located when calculating square footage for capacity.

The floor plan will show:

  • all rooms approved for use (building layout),
  • the location of sinks and toilets in bathrooms, and
  • the location of exits.

Best Practice

The floor plan should show the size of rooms (dimensions) the ages each room is approved for, and the location and number of sinks and toilets.

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