In our last post, we started discussing how anyone seriously considering opening a child care center here in Minnesota must be aware of the multitude of requirements set forth by the Department of Health in order to secure the necessary licensure.
To that end, we discussed the age categories into which children must be divided, as well as some of the staffing requirements. In today’s post, we’ll take things a step further by examining the qualifications that staff members must satisfy.
As we stated earlier, all child care centers in Minnesota must be staffed by a director and the necessary number of teachers, assistant teachers and aides.
It’s important to understand that each of these positions is subject to their own set of unique qualifying conditions:
- Aides: May execute child care activities while under the supervision of either an assistant teacher or teacher, and must be at least 16 years of age. However, with the exception of napping and/or toileting/diapering, they must be subject to direct supervision at all times if under the age of 18.
- Assistant teachers: May execute child care activities while under the supervision of teacher and must be at least 18 years of age. In addition, must meet the criteria for one of nine combined experience, education and credential requirements. For example, 12 quarter credits in an area related to child care, 2,080 hours of experience as an aide and a high school diploma.
- Teachers: Execute child care activities and must be at least 18 years of age. Must meet the criteria for one of nine combined experience, education and credential requirements. For example, 24 quarter credits in an area related to child care, 4,160 hours of experience as an assistant teacher and a high school diploma.
The foregoing information was certainly not meant to dissuade, but rather to demonstrate how those looking to open a child care center will need to do their due diligence when hiring staff. Those who encounter any difficulty with this or other issues related to securing a license for their child care center may want to consider speaking with an experienced legal professional.