SECTION 746.3407. What steps must I take to ensure a healthy environment for children at my child-care center?

You must clean, repair, and maintain the building, grounds, and equipment to protect the health of the children. This includes, but is not limited to:

(1) Setting aside toys and equipment that are placed in children's mouths, or are otherwise contaminated by body secretion or excrement, to be sanitized before handling by another child;

(2) Machine washing cloth toys, if used, at least weekly and when contaminated;

(3) Machine washing all linens at least weekly, and when soiled or before another child uses them;

(4) Sanitizing sleeping equipment before a different child uses it and when soiled;

(5) Sanitizing potty-chairs after each child's use;

(6) Emptying water play tables and toys used in water tables daily, sanitizing, and ensuring children and caregivers wash their hands before using the water table;

(7) Maintaining sand boxes and sand tables in a sanitary manner;

(8) Making all garbage inaccessible to children and managing it to keep the child-care center inside and outside, free of insects, rodents, and offensive odors, and disposing of it according to local and state requirements;

(9) Keeping all floors, ceilings, and walls in good repair and clean. Paints used at the child-care center must be lead-free;

(10) Keeping all parts of the child-care center used by children well heated, lighted, and ventilated;

(11) Sanitizing table tops, furniture, and other similar equipment used by children when soiled or contaminated with matter such as food, body secretions, or excrement;

(12) Clearly marking cleaning supplies and other toxic materials and keeping them separate from food and inaccessible to children; and

(13) Using, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials as recommended by the manufacturer.

Source Note: The provisions of this §746.3407 adopted to be effective September 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 1402; amended to be effective September 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 6240; transferred effective March 9, 2018, as published in the Texas Register February 16, 2018, 43 TexReg 909