D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-332

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Rule 29-332 - CENTER DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS

332.1

The Center Director in a Child Development Center that serves one or more infants, toddlers, and/or preschoolers shall meet one of the following qualification requirements:

(a) A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited college or university in early childhood education or early childhood development;

(b) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, at least fifteen (15) credit hours from an accredited college or university in early childhood education or early childhood development, and at least one (1) year supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction;

(c) An associate's degree from an accredited college or university in early childhood education or early childhood development, and at least three (3) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction;

(d) At least forty-eight (48) credit hours from an accredited college or university, at least fifteen (15) credit hours from an accredited college or university in early childhood education or early childhood development, and at least four (4) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction;

(e) A District of Columbia Director Credential as approved by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, or the equivalent Director Credential awarded by another jurisdiction, plus at least five (5) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction;

(f) Employment as a qualified Center Director in a licensed Child Development Center in the District of Columbia on the effective date of these rules, provided that the Center Director achieves compliance with (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) within no more than five (5) years following said date; or

(g) A Montessori school director, shall have at least forty-eight (48) hours successful course completion from a regionally accredited or OSSE approved college or university; a Montessori certificate issued by a program accredited by any of the following: the Montessori Accreditation Commission for Teacher Education, National Center for Montessori Education, or the Association Montessori Internationale; and at least three (3) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia child development center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction.

332.2

Any person who is employed as a qualified Center Director in a licensed Child Development Center in the District of Columbia on the effective date of these rules, and who has been so employed continuously since July 1, 1975, or earlier, may apply to the Director of the Department of Health for a waiver of one or more of the qualification requirements contained within this section.

332.3

For the purposes of this section, early childhood development or early childhood education includes the following subject areas:

(a) Growth and development of infants, toddlers, and/or children;

(b) Care and education of children with special needs and/or exceptionality;

(c) Health and physical education of infants, toddlers, and/or children;

(d) Play therapy;

(e) Language development and/or early literacy;

(f) Children's literature;

(g) Arts education;

(h) Child, adolescent, educational and/or abnormal psychology;

(i) Nutrition for children;

(j) Family development;

(k) Methods of teaching;

(l) Classroom management;

(m) Curriculum programs and activities for infants, toddlers, and/or children;

(n) Educational evaluation and measurement;

(o) Early Childhood Development or Youth Development administration;

(p) Diversity; and

(q) Any other area as determined by the Director.

332.4

Each Center Director shall successfully complete, prior to or within one (1) year of employment as a Center Director, a total of no less than twelve (12) hours of training, from an accredited college or university or from another source approved by the District of Columbia government, in the following subject areas:

(a) Human resources;

(b) Management and administration;

(c) Financial management;

(d) Planning, development, and evaluation of child development programs;

(e) Curriculum of child development programs; and

(f) Evaluation and measurement of children.

332.5

Each Center Director shall attend, upon the request of the Department of Health, periodic regulatory compliance review sessions presented by or under the auspices of the Department.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-332

Regulation No. 74-34 published at 21 DCR 1333 (December 27, 1974); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 54 DCR 3793 (April 27, 2007); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 12384 (August 30, 2013)

Authority: The Child Development Facilities Regulation Act of 1998, effective April 13, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-215, D.C. Official Code § 7-2031 et seq. (2008 Repl.)), Mayor's Order 2009-130, dated July 16, 2009, Sections 2(a), 5 a, and 6 of the Day Care Policy Act of 1979, effective September 19, 1979, as amended (D.C. Law 3-16; D.C. Official Code §§ 4-401, 404.01, and 4-405 (2008 Repl. & 2012 Supp.)), and Mayor's Order 2009-3, dated January 15, 2009.