FAQ About Child Care Licensing

Frequently Asked Questions about Child Care Licensing

Navigating through the Nevada Administrative Code related to child care regulations can be a bit overwhelming and confusing to say the least. In an attempt to demystify the regulations, the Registry, in cooperation with statewide child care licensing offices, has created a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions we received by the Registry related to the child care regulations. Updated 5/1/2008.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!
This information is being provided for informational purposes only and is based on the minimum standards set forth by the State Bureau of Services for Child Care (State Child Care Licensing). Stricter regulations may exist under your local Licensing entity/jurisdiction (Washoe County Social Services, Clark County Licensing or City of Las Vegas Licensing). Because Child Care Licensing maintains the authority related to the verification of training and regulatory compliance, you should always contact your Licensing worker if you have any specific questions as these are generalized answers that apply in most cases.

Questions Regarding Initial Training Requirements: (CPR, 1st Aid, Signs and Symptoms of Illness (SOI) and Child Abuse and Neglect (CA/N)
	Q: How many hours will Licensing grant for CPR that is provided through the American Heart Association or Red Cross? (The cards don’t typically state the number of hours that the course was.)
	A: Up to 3 hours can be counted for CPR each year toward the total 15 hours of required training, unless the certificate indicates that the training was less than 3 hours. In that case, the actual lower number of hours will be counted.

	Q: Licensing regulations state that CPR can be counted for 3 hours. What if I take a 5 hour CPR course? Do the extra 2 hours get applied to my annual requirement of 15 or do I still need to take 12 more hours?
	A: Because no more than 3 hours of training can be in CPR, Licensing will not count the extra hours taken in a lengthier CPR course toward the annual requirement. The completion of 12 additional hours of training would be required.

	Q: Does my CPR training have to include infants if I don’t work with infants?
	A: You must be certified to administer CPR to children of all ages for which there is care provided at the facility. Example: If your facility serves infants through 12 year olds, every staff member would be required to be certified for the administration of infants, children and adult CPR. In other words, if you work in a facility licensed to care for infants, and you don’t work in the infant room, you would still need to be certified in infant CPR as well as for older children.

	Q: How often can I take CPR and have it count toward my annual requirement?
	A: *Once a licensing year, if necessary (CPR certification must remain current and some cards expire annually).*

	Q: Licensing regulations state that First Aid and Signs and Symptoms of Illness can only be counted once every three years. Do I have to take it again or is this a one-time requirement?
	A: *The completion of First Aid and SOI training is required only once.*

	Q: I took First Aid and/or SOI training two years ago. Do I have to take it again now that I’m working at a new center?
	A: These courses do not need to be taken again if you completed these trainings within the 12 months prior to employment at the facility. If the training was taken more than 12 months prior to starting a new job (or transferring to another center), you would need to take these trainings again within 90 days of your new employment.

	Q: Can I take an online CPR, First Aid or SOI class?
	A: *No. These courses must be conducted in a classroom setting and taken in person.*

	Q: CPR and First Aid training provided by the American Heart Association and the Red Cross are automatically accepted by Licensing. What if I take an online recertification class through the AHA? Will Licensing count it?
	A: *No. All CPR and First Aid training, initial or recertification, must be conducted in a classroom setting and taken in person.*

	Q: Is Bloodborne Pathogens the same as Signs and Symptoms of Illness?
	A: No. Bloodborne Pathogens is a course required by OSHA that specifically covers the safety protocols for handling all types of bodily fluids and is geared toward the protection of the employee and the person they are coming in contact with. SOI training helps child care providers understand and recognize communicable diseases and how they can be prevented. It is geared toward the identification of diseases, not the handling of bodily fluids. SOI training is required by Licensing, Bloodborne Pathogens is not (but may be required by your center).

	Q: Example: I’m new to child care and have to complete 9 hours of training within the first 90 days of employment. After I’ve done this, do I just need an additional 6 hours of training to meet my annual requirement for this year or is this initial 9 hours of training in addition to the 15?
	A: *The initial nine hours of required training counts toward the fifteen annual hours. You'll need to* complete six additional hours of training in your first year. Of the six additional hours required, three hours must be in the development of children and the other three hours must be child care related. *Check with your Surveyor if clarification of which Nevada Registry-approved training will apply to the 3 hours in Child Development.*

	Q: If I change employers mid-stream and have already taken SOI, CPR, 1st Aid and CA/N, do I have to take it again within 90 days of employment at my new employer?
	A: *Only if you took the training more than a year before you started with your new employer. If prior to 12 months, you will have to take it again within 90 days of your new employment.*

	Q: How often can I take Child Abuse and Neglect and have it count toward my annual requirement?
	A: Though it is a one-time requirement, the hours of this training can be counted once each licensing year if taken that often. However, it is recommended that you take advantage of other training opportunities rather than taking the same training every year.

	Q: Is there a limit to the number of hours Licensing will accept for Child Abuse and Neglect training? (Workshops can range between 1 and 6 hours.)
	A: No.

	Q: Can Child Abuse and Neglect training be taken online or out of state?
	A: No. Child Abuse and Neglect must be taken in Nevada to ensure that the reporting guidelines specific to the state of Nevada are covered. Online courses will only be accepted if they are approved by The Nevada Registry and provided in-state by Nevada-based trainers/organizations.

	Q: Example: I’m moving to Nevada from another state. Does my training taken in another state within the last 12 months count or do I have to get an additional 15 hours of training once I relocate? How do I ensure that my out of state training will be accepted? And, I’ve already taken First Aid, CPR and SOI in another state within the last 12 months. Do I have to take them again once I get to Nevada?
	A: In this example, if your CPR certification is current and was provided by the American Heart Association (AHA) and/or the National Red Cross (NRC), licensing will accept it. *First Aid taken through AHA or NRC within the past 12 months will also be accepted.* If CPR and First Aid were not taken from AHA or NRC, you will be required to retake the training in Nevada by a qualified instructor and/or seek approval from the Registry who will determine whether the training was provided by an instructor who meets the standards of the AHA or NRC. The same goes for SOI training; if it was taken within the last 12 months, you will need to seek approval form the Registry who will determine whether the training was provided by a licensed health care professional (the Registry will issue an approval letter in this and the previous case). Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect training must taken in Nevada and approved by the Nevada Registry to ensure you have been trained on the reporting guidelines specific to the State of Nevada. Except in Washoe County. County regulations specifically require that SOI be taken in Washoe County from the Health Department.

Questions Regarding Ongoing Training Requirements:
	Q: Example: I started at my center in October. Licensing comes in December for our annual visit. Do I have to have all 15 hours completed by December or only a portion?
	A: In this example, no. You will need to complete the four initial courses (CPR, 1st Aide, SOI, CA/N) within 90 days of hire and will have until October of the following year to obtain the additional 6 hours. In other words, if you started at your center in October, and your licensing renewal inspection is completed in December, you would not be required to have any training at that time, as you have not even been employed the 90 days that you have to complete your initial course of training.

	Q: I like to take online courses. Can I take all 15 hours this way or do I need to also obtain some community-based/in-person training as well?
	A: *If the online training is approved by The Nevada Registry, you can take all 15 hours of your training this way (this applies to ongoing not initial training. CPR, First Aid and SOI must be taken in person).*

	Q: What if the online course, module or internet class I’m interested in is approved for 20 hours? Do I have to take any other training or can I consider my annual requirements met?
	A: Licensing will count all hours so long as it is approved by The Nevada Registry but the additional hours cannot be applied to the next licensing year. Also keep in mind that you may be required to complete a course in CPR if your certification expires in that year.

	Q: If I change employers mid-stream and have already taken some training, do I have to take another 15 hours or will some of my past training count?
	A: *If the training was obtained within the last 12 months and/or during the current licensing year for your new employer, it would be counted.*

	Q: Example: I’m enrolled at my local community college and will be taking and ECE course on Guidance and Discipline. Does this count for my annual training requirement? What about a class in Psychology, Elementary Education, Sociology etc. (i.e., a course in a related discipline)?
	A: One college credit is equal to 15 clock hours of training. However, the courses are at the discretion of the licensing entity. Some courses will count towards your training requirement, and some may not. Generally, courses in the development of children will count, however it must be specific to the ages you are working with (i.e. a course in Elementary Education may not count). Please check with the licensing entity prior to enrolling in a course if you are unsure if it will count or not and note that verification of having passed the course must be kept in your employee file.

	Q: What if our center’s licensing visit is during the semester and I haven’t yet completed my ECE course that I plan to use for my annual training requirement?
	A: In order to apply a course toward the training requirement, you must have completed and passed it prior to the end of the licensing year (must be completed within the facility’s licensing year). If the end of the facility’s licensing year is during the middle of the semester, and the course is not completed, it will not be counted. Once the course is completed, it can be applied toward the following year’s training.

	Q: What do I need to show my licensing surveyor when I’ve taken a college course?
	A: *Transcripts or grade reports serve as verification in your file.* *Official transcripts are not required.* Please note that because most “Grade Reports” printed off the Internet do not show the name of the student who completed the course (only an ID number), Licensing will ask you to print out an unofficial transcript.

	Q: What if I attended a training but didn’t get a certificate and/or the certificate I received doesn’t have an approval code from the Registry?
	A: *If you do not have a certificate, or the certificate does not have a Nevada Registry approval code, the course will not be counted toward your annual training requirement.* Always be certain to verify that a training has been approved PRIOR to taking it.

	Q: Can I obtain training hours for implementing my curriculum?
	A: No, the Registry does not issue child care training hours for the implementation of curriculum. Implementing curriculum is viewed as a function of a job in Early Care and Education and outside the bounds of what is considered "training". In most cases, curriculum books and materials are discovered via the internet, the library, a store, a colleague or some other means. In most cases, the material is read through and activities are implemented. There typically is not any type of feedback offered from the author of the materials, any "assignments" or activities that assess whether the activities are being implemented correctly, and there generally isn't a standardized way to grant hours for reading/researching curriculum philosophies and ideas (a certificate isn't typically issued by anyone). Though the Registry has been made aware of several companies advertising that hours can be earned when purchasing their curriculum books, these companies and their products have not been approved by the Registry; these companies are selling a product, not offering training. This is not to be confused with training that is offered by a trainer in a traditional classroom setting. In this case, the Registry will approve training that is focused on curriculum ideas, etc.; the difference being that is it being offered in person with the intent to teach caregivers how to implement the ideas presented. The main goal is not to sell a product.

	Q: Can I obtain hours for reading a book or watching a video?
	A: No, the Registry does not grant training hours for reading a stand alone book and/or for viewing a video ("stand alone" meaning a material that is not part of a training, in not being offered by an organization as a correspondence course, etc.. Most commonly, stand alone books and videos are found at local libraries). The approval of such materials was discontinued when the Registry took on the training approval system in October 2004. Since that time, hundreds of non-traditional (self-paced, independent study) options have been posted to the online calendar of training; all of which have gone through the approval process and are tied to the issuance of a certificate for completion of a set of predetermined requirements.

General Licensing Questions:
	Q: What is the process for becoming licensed (for business license and child care license) and how much does it cost?
	A: Because each local jurisdiction varies greatly in it's requirements, you should contact the Surveyor for your area to get information on becoming licensed. Some areas have zoning restrictions, special use permits, business license requirements, fire or health restriction, etc. which may have associated costs. To learn about the Bureau of Services for Child Care's (for state-regulated centers) licensing fees and regulations, go to: www.dcfs.state.nv.us and link to Child Welfare/Bureau of Services for Child Care. In Washoe County, either call 337-4470 to discuss the requirements or visit their website at: www.washoecounty.us/socsrv/socsrv_child_childcare.html.

	Q: Do FDC providers have to have the four initial courses of training (CPR, First Aid, Signs and Symptoms of Illness and Child Abuse and Neglect) completed PRIOR to opening their doors for business or can it be within the first 90 days?
	A: Yes, home providers have to have the initial course of training prior to becoming licensed.

	Q: What qualifications do I need to become a director?
	A: For state-regulated centers, go to: www.dcfs.state.nv.us, link to Child Welfare/Bureau of Services for Child Care and then select “Forms” to see the criteria for Facility Director, Infant/Toddler Director and Preschool Director. These are also spelled out in NAC432A. 300, 420 & 430 of the Bureau’s Child Care regulations. **For Washoe County, please review section 21 of the Washoe County Regulations for Child Care on Qualifications and Requirements of a Director. You can access the Regulations on their website:www.washoecounty.us/socsrv/socsrv_child_childcare.html**

	Q: What are the requirements for hiring staff under 18?
	A: A qualified caretaker must be no less than 16 years old, able to summon help and emotionally and physically qualified to carry out a program which places emphasis on the development of children. If under age 18, the person must have completed or be currently enrolled in a Child Development Course which is approved by The Nevada Registry. Not more that 50% of caretakers can be under age 18 and someone over age 18 must be on the premises during all hours of operation.

	Q: What is considered a “course in the development of children” for caregivers who are under 18? Do child development courses taken at regional technical institutes satisfy this requirement?
	A: The course must be approved by The Nevada Registry for the purpose of satisfying this requirement. Licensing currently accepts child development courses offered in a High School or at the Regional Technical Institute (in Washoe County). The Nevada Registry currently has two approved correspondence courses offered through "Care Courses" for students who are not able to complete the course at their High School; "Child Development and Guidance" and "Principles of Child Development and Learning". Contact Care Courses at: (800) 685-7610 to enroll.