The following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
"Assistant teacher" means a staff person who works under the on-site supervision of a qualified teacher or director.
"Auxiliary personnel" means cooks, building custodians, or other individuals who provide support services to the facility.
"Auxiliary spaces" means areas that are not used for children's care or play.
"Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) credential" means a national credential awarded to an individual who has educational and experiential activities that promote skill development in professional ability areas.
"Child care center" means a facility that provides care for children and operates more than 30 hours per week.
"Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential" means a national credential awarded to an individual who has successfully completed a CDA assessment by demonstrating competence in 13 functional areas.
"Child passenger restraint system" means an infant or child passenger restraint system, for example, a car seat, that meets the federal standards for crash-tested restraint systems as set by the United States Department of Transportation.
"Child with disabilities" means a child who has a physical or mental impairment and/or emotional disturbance that results in substantial limitations in areas such as self-care, language, learning, mobility, or self-direction.
"Day camp" means a program that serves only school-age children and operates during regular school vacations for no more than 12 hours per day.
"Department" means the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS).
"Drop-in program" means a child care program that provides care for children on an occasional basis where no child attends more than six hours per day for a maximum of 24 hours a week with an allowance for six extra hours per child three times per year.
"Fall zone" means the surface under and around a piece of equipment onto which a child falling from or exiting from the equipment would be expected to land.
"Infant" means a child from birth up to 12 months of age.
"Infection control" means the policies, procedures, and techniques used to control and prevent the spread of infection, for example, hand-washing, sanitizing, personal hygiene, diapering and toileting, appropriate handling and disposal of soiled or contaminated items, sick child exclusion policies, and immunization policies.
"Limited food service" means the preparation or serving of only non-potentially hazardous foods for immediate consumption using single-service articles.
"Master teacher" means a staff person who supports other teaching staff with responsibilities such as program development, weekly lesson plans, use of space and equipment, interactions with parents, and program evaluation.
"Parent" means a child's father, mother, or other person who has legal custody or guardianship of the child.
"Permanent substitute" means a substitute teacher who has worked more than 40 hours at the child care center.
"Potentially hazardous foods" means any food that contains milk or milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, crustacean or other ingredients in a form capable of supporting rapid and progressive growth of harmful microorganisms.
"Preschool child" means a child age three to five years who has not entered kindergarten.
"School-age child" means a child who is at least five years of age and who is attending or has completed kindergarten.
"Supervision of children" means the function of observing, overseeing, and guiding a child or group of children. This includes awareness of and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child and being near enough to intervene if needed. It requires physical presence, knowledge of activity requirements and children's needs, and accountability for their care.
"Teen aide" means a 13- to 15-year-old who works under the direct supervision of a master teacher and is not considered in the staff-child ratio as a staff or as a child.
"Temporary substitute" means a substitute teacher who has worked 40 hours or less at the child care center.
"Toddler" means a child who is 12 months to 24 months of age.
"Tribal country land" means land that is tribally owned, considered trust or restricted land, and some dependent Indian communities over which the tribe has exclusive jurisdiction.
"Unitary materials" means rubber mats or a combination of rubber like materials held in place by a binder, glue, that may be poured in place at the playground site and when cured forms a unitary shock absorbing surface.
"Unsupervised access" means a person being present with children without a staff member being present.
"Volunteer" means a person who provides services to the center without cost or compensation.