SECTION 745.463. What are the qualifications to be a caregiver at an employer-based child care?

A caregiver must:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age;

(2) Have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and upon request verify completion of any high school equivalency program with original documentation to us. A high school equivalent is a program recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or other public educational entity outside of Texas, which offers training similar to reading, writing, and problem-solving skills taught at the high school level, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;

(3) Meet the requirements in Subchapter F of Chapter 745 of this title (relating to Background Checks);

(4) Before being counted in the caregiver-to-child ratio, complete an orientation for caregivers to include at least the following:

(A) A presentation of your operational policies including discipline, guidance, and the release of children;

(B) An overview of symptoms of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse and the responsibility for reporting these;

(C) The procedures to follow in handling emergencies, which may include, but are not limited to, fire, explosion, tornado, toxic fumes, volatile persons, and severe injury or illness of a child or adult; and

(D) The use and location of fire extinguishers and first-aid equipment;

(5) Before being counted in the caregiver-to-child ratio, complete eight hours of pre-service training, as specified in §746.1305 of this title (relating to What must be covered in the eight clock hours of pre-service training for caregivers?), unless exempted as specified in §746.1307 of this title (relating to Are any caregivers exempt from the pre-service training?);

(6) Obtain at least 15 clock hours of training each year as specified in §746.1309 of this title (relating to How many clock hours of annual training must be obtained by caregivers?), §746.1313 of this title (relating to When must annual training for my caregivers and director be obtained?), §746.1317 of this title (relating to Must the training for my caregivers and the director meet certain criteria?), §746.1323 of this title (relating to If I hire a caregiver or a director that received training at another child-care center, may these hours count towards the annual training requirement at my center?), §746.1325 of this title (relating to What is self-instructional and instructor-led training?), and §746.1327 of this title (relating to How many annual training clock hours may caregivers obtain from self-instructional materials?);

(7) Obtain first-aid and CPR training as specified in §746.1315 of this title (relating to Who must have first-aid and CPR training?); and

(8) Have a Child Development Associate, a Certified Child-Care Professional credential, or a day-care administrator's credential issued by a professional organization or educational institution and approved by Licensing based on criteria specified in Subchapter P of Chapter 745 of this title (relating to Day Care Administrator's Credential Program). These credentials require documentation and periodic renewal to remain qualified.

Source Note: The provisions of this §745.463 adopted to be effective March 1, 2008, 33 TexReg 1367; transferred effective July 15, 2019, as published in the June 14, 2019 issue of the Texas Register, 44 TexReg 2963