TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
RE: Emergency change to the transportation section of the licensing and registration requirements, effective September 16, 2003
Dear Child Care Provider:
The Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education has promulgated new rules on an emergency basis regarding the transportation of children in all licensed and registered child care programs. During the past year there have been eight (8) children left unattended on child care transportation vehicles in Arkansas. These new requirements were enacted to reduce the risk to children being transported.
The changes listed below are effective immediately and are found in the following sections of the licensing and registration requirements.
Child Care Centers - Section 1201, requirements 7, 8 & 9
Child Care Family Homes - Section 1103, requirements 7, 8 & 9
Registered Child Care Family Homes - Section 1103, requirements 6, 7 & 8
Rosters, listing the date, the names and ages of all children being transported as well as the name of the driver and any other staff members on the vehicle shall be maintained. These rosters shall be used to check children on an off the vehicle when they are picked up and dropped off at home, school, etc. and when children arrive at and leave the facility. Transportation rosters shall be kept by the facility and available for review for three years.
To insure that no children are lft on the vehicle, the driver must walk through he vehicle and physically inspect each seat before leaving the vehicle. The transportation roster must be signed by the driver , documenting that all children have exited the vehicle.
To insure that children have safely arrived in the appropriate classroom, the transportation roster shall be reviewed by the Director or designee and compared with classroom attendance records. The Director or designee shall sign off on the transportation roster to verify that all children have safely transitioned from the vehicle to the classroom.
If you have any questions regarding this regulation change, please call your Licensing Specialist or the Child Care Licensing Central Office at (501) 682-5890.
Sincerely,
David Griffin, Administrator
Child Care Licensing unit