Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers
Before hiring a new program administrator, a licensee or licensee designee shall submit the credentials of the proposed program administrator to the department for review and approval in the manner prescribed by the department.
A trained and qualified program administrator is essential to ensure optimal program functioning.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
| Credentials can be submitted through CCHIRP or via email to the licensing consultant. |
- All program administrators are responsible for the general management of the center, including the following minimum responsibilities:
- Developing, implementing, and
- evaluating program and center policies.
- Administering day-to-day operations, including being available to address parent, child, and staff issues.
- Monitoring staff, including annual evaluations.
Ensures that the facility, staff and program are properly administered and managed.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
Subrule (c) of this rule does not require a written annual evaluation. Documenting that an annual evaluation was done includes, but is not limited to:
If the evaluations have been updated at the time of renewal, the center will be in compliance with this rule. A program administrator may be counted in child:staff ratio as long as that role does not interfere with management and supervisory responsibilities. |
- A program administrator can oversee multiple sites if all of the following are met:
- Is immediately available for not less than 5 sessions during 30 consecutive open days within the center. Consecutive open days do not include days that are closed for holidays, planned closed days, or emergency closures.
- Maintain written documentation of visits, including dates and times.
- Appoint a site administrator when the program administrator is not on the premises.
The program administrator of a center plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning of the facility within the framework of appropriate child development principles and knowledge of family relationships. The wellbeing of children, the confidence of the parents and the high morale and consistent professional growth of staff depend largely on the knowledge, skills and dependable presence of a program administrator who is able to respond to long range and immediate needs and able to engage staff in decision-making that affects their day-to-day practice.
| Technical Assistance (a) | Technical Assistance (b) |
|---|---|
|
Per R 400.8101 Definitions; A to I, and R 400 8103 Definitions; S to Z:
|
Electronic records may be used; they must be accessible to the department at the center or central office at the time of an inspection. |
A program administrator of a single site shall appoint a staff-in-charge when the program administrator is not on the premises and is responsible for supervising the operation of the center including, but not limited to, having the authority to respond to emergencies, inspections, parental concerns, and have access to all required information.
The program administrator and staff in charge of a center plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning of the facility. Ensures that the facility, staff and program are properly administered and managed.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
| A staff-in-charge must be someone named by the program administrator who meets the definition of program staff. |
All program staff should know who was named as staff-in-charge and know the individual themselves.
A staff-in-charge shall be present at the center during all hours of operation when the program administrator, who is overseeing a single site, is not on the premises.
A substitute program administrator shall be appointed for a program administrator who has left employment or has a temporary absence that exceeds 30 consecutive workdays until return or replacement, which must not exceed the agreed-on timeframe.
The program administrator of a center plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning of the facility. Ensures that the facility, staff and program are properly administered and managed.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
A "temporary absence" is one where the program administrator plans to return to work. This includes but is not limited to:
Centers should work with the licensing consultant as soon as you know the program administrator has left employment or may have a temporary absence of over 30 consecutive days to finalize the agreed-on timeframe appropriately. The licensing consultant will review documents or interview the licensee to see:
The licensing consultant will allow up to 5 business days from when the:
for the provider to work with licensing to finalize the agreed-on timeframe for replacement or return from the temporary absence. |
- 7. The department shall be notified when a substitute program administrator is appointed.
- 8. A substitute program administrator shall at least meet the qualifications of lead teacher.
The program administrator of a center plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth day-today functioning of the facility. It is important that the department is informed when a substitute program administrator is appointed.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
| See Rule 400.8210 to be sure qualifications are met. The qualifications must be on file. |
A program administrator shall have all of the following qualifications:
- Be not less than 21 years of age.
- Have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).
- Have not less than 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
Examples of acceptable verification of age include:
Acceptable verification of compliance with subrule (b) of this rule are:
|
A program administrator is exempt from subrule (2)(c) of this rule if there is a central administrator that complies with both of the following:
- Meets the requirements of a site administrator in subrule (9) of this rule.
- Is responsible for subrules (2)(a) and (c) of this rule.
- Review documentation of how the central administrator meets the child care administration course requirement by having:
- at least 2 semester hours or a minimum of 3.0 CEUs in child care administration or
- an administrative credential approved by the department.
Documentation may include the following:
- A copy of the official transcripts.
- Written documentation of completed CEUs.
- Copy of the administrative credential.
Verify that the central administrator does the following duties:
- Develops, implements, and evaluates center policies and programs.
- Monitoring staff, including an annual evaluation of each staff member
Centers should keep the central administrator approval letter.
A program administrator of a small capacity center shall meet 1 of the following to be qualified:
- All of the following:
- A minimum of 1 year of experience.
- 3 hours of MiRegistry approved training in each of the following areas:
- Program Management.
- Observation, Documentation, and Assessment.
- Teaching and Learning.
- 6 hours of MiRegistry approved training in any of the following areas:
- Interactions and Guidance.
- Challenging Behaviors.
- trauma Informed Practices.
- Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality.
- All of the following:
- A minimum of 6 months of experience.
- 6 semester hours, 9 CEUs, or a combination to equal 90 clock hours of coursework in child care administration, early childhood education, child development, youth development, or a child-related field. Up to 30 hours of MiRegistry-approved training may be used to meet these requirements.
- Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality.
- A valid child development associate credential, Montessori credential, Michigan Youth Development Associate Certificate or Credential, Infant Family Associate Credential, or associate degree or higher in any field of study.
The program administrator of a child care center is the team leader. Both administrative and child development skills are essential for this individual to manage the facility. Research shows that when early childhood professionals are well prepared, children are likely to experience warm, safe and stimulating environments that lead to healthy development and constructive learning. College-level coursework has been shown to have a measurable, positive effect on quality child care.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
Per R 400.8101 Definitions; A through to I, "experience" means paid and unpaid experience serving the ages and developmental abilities of children for which the center is licensed. Examples of experience include but are not limited to:
Unapproved experience includes but are not limited to:
College courses can be approved if the course description has content that includes:
To convert term/quarter hours into semester hours, multiply the term or quarter hours by 0.66. The following are considered equal to the CDA credential:
Note: Self-paced courses cannot be approved, even from accredited universities. Self-paced courses have no guidelines ** Example: Penn Foster and Wisconsin Stout are listed as accredited universities that have courses program staff can take but, there are no semester or quarter hours stated because the person works on them at their own pace. Accreditation: The US Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs provides a listing of schools that are accredited. If a college, university, online course, or correspondence course is not accredited, the center must see if any accredited colleges or universities will accept transfer credits from the college/university in question. The center should get written verification from the accepting college. Official transcripts from other countries may be accepted. The center must provide written verification from:
The following organizations evaluate international transcripts:
Official transcripts from the following colleges are acceptable:
Hours of Experience: Approved hours of experience must be verifiable. Hours of Experience Equivalents
Education requirements for small capacity early childhood program administrator: Official Transcripts with course titles or descriptions that show one of the following will be accepted as meeting the rule without a course-by-course review:
Exception: Per court order, the following five churches are specifically exempt from the program staff qualification rule 400.8122(6) "by reason of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution":
Official transcripts, copies of transcripts and those stamped "Issued to Student" are acceptable. Those downloaded from a school's website are not acceptable. |
| Program Administrator Qualifications | Option A - (9) and (11)(a)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv) | Option B - (9) and (11)(b)(i), (ii), (iii) | Option C - (9) & (11)(c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Age (9)(a) | 21 years | 21 years | 21 years |
| Minimum Education (9)(b) | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). |
| Administration Training (9)(c) | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* |
| Minimum Experience | 1 year | 6 months | None |
| Training/Semester Hours/CEUs |
3 hours of MiRegistry-approved training in each of the following:
AND 6 hours of MiRegistry-approved training in any of the following areas:
|
6 semester hours, 9 CEUs, or a combination to equal 90 clock hours of coursework in:
Up to 30 hours of MiRegistry-approved training may be used to meet these requirements. |
One of the following:
|
| Center Requirements | Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality. | Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality. | None |
*A program administrator is exempt from this requirement if there is a central administrator that meets the requirements and is responsible for (a) Developing, implementing, and evaluating program and center policies. (c) Monitoring staff, including annual evaluations. Verification of the qualifications of the central administrator must be maintained on file at the center or at the central office.
A combination of training hours may be used to equal the 6 hours of training in interactions and guidance, challenging behaviors and trauma informed practices. A total of 15 training hours are needed and verification of training hours must be logged in MiRegistry.
The trainings may be in a single topic or any combination that meets the total requirement with a minimum of 90 clock hours.
The Director certificate from Washtenaw Community College consists of 30 total credit hours, with 21 credits in Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses and 9 credits in restricted business electives. All ECE courses included in this certificate are part of the Associate of Arts (AA) in Early Childhood Education transfer pathway.
The certificate also includes content to meet the administration training requirement.
Required Early Childhood Education (ECE) Courses – 21 credits
Restricted Electives – Students select three (9 credits total)
Certificate Total: 30 credits
The Child Care Center Director Certificate at Washtenaw Community College is designed to ensure that prospective child care center directors acquire both the specialized knowledge in early childhood education necessary for high-quality programming and the business and management competencies required to successfully administer and sustain a licensed child care program.
A program administrator of an early childhood center or outdoor nature-based child care center shall meet 1 of the following to be qualified:
- All of the following:
- A minimum of 3 months of experience.
ii. A valid child development associate credential, Montessori credential,
infant family associate credential, or associate degree in a child-related
field.
iii. Works in a center that participates in great start to quality.- All of the following:
- A minimum of 6 months of experience.
- An associate degree or higher in any field of study.
- 3 hours of MiRegistry approved training in each of the following areas:
- Program management.
- Observation, documentation, and assessment.
- Teaching and learning.
- 6 hours of MiRegistry approved training in any of the following areas:
- Interactions and guidance.
- Challenging behaviors.
- Trauma informed practices.
- Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality.
- A bachelor’s degree or higher in a child-related field.
The program administrator of a child care center is the team leader. Both administrative and child development skills are essential for this individual to manage the facility. Research shows that when early childhood professionals are well prepared, children are likely to experience warm, safe and stimulating environments that lead to healthy development and constructive learning. College-level coursework has been shown to have a measurable, positive effect on quality child care.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
Examples of experience include but are not limited to:
Unapproved experience includes but is not limited to:
To approve a course, the description must address:
To convert term/quarter hours into semester hours, multiply the term or quarter hours by 0.66. The following are considered equal to the CDA credential:
Note: **Self-paced courses are not approved because they have no guidelines – even from accredited universities** Example: Penn Foster and Wisconsin Stout are accredited universities. They have courses program staff can take that don’t list semester hours or quarter hours because the person works on them at their own pace. Accreditation: The US Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs lists schools that are accredited. If a college, university, online course, or correspondence course is not accredited, the center must see if any accredited colleges or universities will accept transfer credits from the college/university in question. Written verification is required from the accepting college. Official transcripts from other countries may be accepted. The center must get written verification from a university or a private agency of equivalency to American credits.The following organizations evaluate international transcripts:
Official transcripts from the following colleges are acceptable:
Hours of Experience: Approved hours of experience must be verifiable. Hours of Experience Equivalents
Note: Official transcripts, copies of transcripts and those stamped "Issued to Student" are acceptable. Those downloaded from a school's website are not acceptable. |
| Program Administrator Qualifications | Option A - (9) and (12)(a)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv) | Option B - (12)(b)(i), (ii), (iii) | Option C - (12)(c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Age (9)(a) | 21 years | 21 years | 21 years |
| Minimum Education (9)(b) | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). | High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). |
| Administration Training (9)(c) | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* | 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration within 6 months of hire* |
| Minimum Experience | 3 months | 6 months | None |
| Training/Semester Hours/CEUs |
One of the following:
|
Associate degree or higher in any field of study AND 3 hours of MiRegistry-approved training in each of the following:
AND 6 hours of MiRegistry-approved training in any of the following areas:
|
Bachelor's degree or higher in a child-related field. |
| Center Requirements | Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality. | Works in a center that participates in Great Start to Quality. | None |
*A program administrator is exempt from this requirement if there is a central administrator that meets the requirements and is responsible for (a) Developing, implementing, and evaluating program and center policies. (c) Monitoring staff, including annual evaluations. Verification of the qualifications of the central administrator must be maintained on file at the center or at the central office.
A combination of training hours may be used to equal the 6 hours of training in interactions and guidance, challenging behaviors and trauma informed practices. A total of 15 training hours are needed and verification of training hours must be logged in MiRegistry.
- 13. A program director who was qualified on the director’s date of hire remains qualified as a program administrator as of the effective date of this rule as long as the program director remains continuously employed as a program administrator at the center or at another licensed center without a break in service of more than 180 days. Any variances approved as of the effective date of this rule remain effective and timeframes required in the variance must be met. Any variance requirements not completed by 4 years after the effective date of this rule will be voided.
- 14. A substitute director who was qualified on the substitute's director’s date of hire remains qualified as a substitute program administrator as of the effective date of this rule as long as the substitute director remains continuously employed as a substitute program administrator at the center or at another licensed center without a break in service of more than 180 days. Any variances approved as of the effective date of this rule remain effective and timeframes required in the variance must be met. Any variance requirements not completed by 4 years after the effective date of this rule will be voided.
A trained and qualified program administrator is essential to ensure optimal program functioning.
| Technical Assistance |
|---|
|
If a program director was approved prior to the rule change they will remain the program administrator as long as there has not been a break in service at the center or another center for more than 180 days. If the program director was approved under a variance, the terms of the variance remain in effect, and they must complete the qualifications of the variance by the timeframes listed in the variance. If a substitute director was approved prior to the rule change they will remain the substitute program administrator as long as there has not been a break in service at the center or another center for more than 180 days. If the program director was approved under a variance, the terms of the variance remain in effect, and they must complete the qualifications of the variance by the timeframes listed in the variance. |
Verification of the qualifications of the program administrator, substitute program administrator, and the central administrator if the option in subrule (8) of this rule is used, must be maintained on file at the center or at the central office until 2 years after the effective date of this rule, after which qualifications must be reflected as verified in MiRegistry.
Documents that the program administrator meets the rule requirements.
