W. Va. Code R. § 78-20-14

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 78-20-14 - Guidance and Discipline

14.1. Guidance.

14.1.a. The caregiver shall use guidance that helps the children understand appropriate behavior and is appropriate to their ages.

14.1.b. An informal or relative family child care home shall have rules that are fair, consistent, and relevant to the children's ages.

14.1.c. An informal or relative family child care home may use a time-out that lasts no more than one minute for each year of a child's age and only for the purpose of helping a child regain control.

14.1.d. The caregiver and parents shall discuss and agree upon positive methods of guidance that encourage a child's acceptable behavior.

14.2. Discipline -- A caregiver, household member, or substitute shall not use any of the following harmful forms of discipline:

14.2.a. Punishing a child physically including spanking, hitting, kicking, biting, shaking, swatting, thumping, pinching, popping, shoving, spitting, or other cruel treatment;

14.2.b. Punishing or threatening a child in association with food, sleep, rest, or toilet training;

14.2.c. Putting anything in or on a child's mouth as punishment;

14.2.d. Confining a child in a closet or locked room or using physical restraints for confinement;

14.2.e. Using loud, profane, or abusive language or threats of physical punishment;

14.2.f. Punishing a child psychologically including public or private humiliation, shaming, and negative remarks about the child or child's family;

14.2.g. Punishing a child emotionally including rejecting, terrorizing, ignoring, or isolating the child; and

14.2.h. Allowing a child or other adult to punish the children in care.

14.3. A caregiver shall not seek or accept parental permission to use any punishments or acts prohibited in this rule.

W. Va. Code R. § 78-20-14