Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 591-1-1-.25 - Physical Plant
(1) Ceilings. Ceilings shall be at least
seven (7) feet in height.
(2)
Changing Areas. For evening and night-time care, separate changing areas shall
be provided for children of the opposite sex eight (8) years of age and
older.
(3) Cleanliness. The Center
and surrounding premises shall be kept clean, free of debris and in good
repair. Hygienic measures such as, but not limited to, screened windows and
proper waste disposal procedures shall be utilized to minimize the presence of
rodents, flies, roaches and other vermin at the Center.
(4) Climate Control. A Center shall be
maintained at a temperature range of sixty-five (65) degrees Fahrenheit to
eighty-five (85) degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the season and ventilated
either by mechanical or natural means to provide fresh air and control
unpleasant odors. Facilities which do not have a functioning central heating
and air conditioning system shall make fifty percent (50%) of all required
windows operable for ventilation. Any openings used for ventilation shall be
screened.
(5) Construction and
Renovation. A person planning the construction of a new Center or planning any
structural changes to an existing Center shall obtain approval from the
Department, local zoning authorities, fire safety agencies and local building
authorities. Construction and maintenance work shall take place only in areas
that are not accessible to the children.
(6) Cubbies - Individual Storage Space. Each
child's personal items shall be kept in individually labeled cubbies, lockers
or racks separated from articles used by other children. The spaces shall be
accessible to the children to whom they are assigned.
(7) Doors and Locks. Doors to rooms not
approved for child care, other than the kitchen doors, shall be latched or
locked so children cannot wander into those areas. Except in School-age
Centers, interior Center door locks shall permit Personnel to open the locked
room from outside of the room in an emergency.
(8) Electrical Outlets. Except in School-age
Centers, all unused electrical outlets within reach of children shall have
protective caps specifically designed to prohibit children from placing
anything in the receptacle. Electrical outlets in use which the children can
reach shall be made inaccessible to the children.
(9) Exclusion from Premises. The Center shall
not allow any person to remain on the Center premises if the person does not
have a legitimate reason for being on the premises.
(10) Fire Safety. A Center must be in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations issued by the state fire
marshal, the proper local fire marshal or state inspector, including a
certificate of occupancy if required prior to receiving any children for
care.
(11) Flooring. Floor
coverings shall be tight, smooth, free of odors and washable or
cleanable.
(12) Heating and Cooling
Equipment. Heating and cooling equipment shall be protected to prevent children
from touching it. Fans, space heaters, etc. shall be positioned or installed so
as to be inaccessible to the children.
(13) Indoor Storage Areas. Potentially
hazardous equipment, materials and supplies shall be stored in a locked area
inaccessible to children. Examples of items to be stored include non-food
related products under pressure in aerosol dispensing cans, flammable and
corrosive materials, cleaning supplies, poisons, insecticides, office supplies
and industrial-sized or commercial buckets with a capacity of three gallons or
more or any other similar device with rigid sides which would not tip over if a
toddler fell into the container head first.
(14) Lighting. A Center shall be lighted with
a minimum of twenty-five (25) foot candles of illumination except during
scheduled nap or rest periods. Areas used for napping shall be lit dimly. A
Center shall provide outside lighting at entrances and exits used by children
when the Center provides evening or night-time care.
(15) Outside Storage Area. Any outside
storage or equipment area shall be locked, separated from the children by a
barrier or enclosure, and shall not be accessible to the children.
(16) Parking. Sufficient parking areas shall
be provided to permit safe discharge and pick up of children.
(17) Plants and Shrubs. The Center premises
shall be free of plants and shrubs which are poisonous or hazardous.
(18) Telephone. An operable telephone shall
be readily available in the Center and the following emergency telephone
numbers must be posted in a conspicuous place next to the telephone: physician
or hospital; county health department; regional poison control Center; all
emergency numbers or numbers of local ambulance service, fire and police
departments.
(19) Unapproved Areas.
The following areas shall not be used as activity areas for the children:
basement area in excess of twenty-five linear feet from a window; rooms with
floor levels lower than three (3) feet or more below ground level on all sides;
and any area unapproved for use by authorities having jurisdiction.
(20) Water and Sewage. All water sources, if
other than an approved city or county system, shall be approved by the proper
authority having jurisdiction. All sewage disposal systems, if other than an
approved city or county system, shall be approved by the local county health
department and specify the number of persons the system is approved to
serve.
(21) Windows. All floor
level windows or full-length glass doors shall be constructed of safety glass
with decals applied at the eye level of the children or such windows or doors
shall have protective devices covering the glass designed to prevent the
children from getting cut by the glass should it break for any reason. Except
in School-age Centers, child care rooms shall have outside windows which
receive natural sunlight and equal not less than five percent (5%) of the floor
area in each room, unless central heating and air conditioning are
provided.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.