Table 1.
Benchmarks and Examples for 13 Coding Dimensions Used in Child Care Licensing Regulation Analysis, 50 US States and the District of Columbia, January-April, 2006
| Regulation Benchmarksa | Example From State Licensing Regulations |
|---|---|
| Nutrition | |
| Meals and snacks should follow federal CACFP or similar meal pattern requirements (12,14,15,17)b | "Menus shall comply with the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program guidelines." (Utah) |
| Meals and snacks should be consistent with Dietary Guidelines for Americans (13,15) | "A center shall provide children with meals and snacks that are consistent with the United States Department of Agriculture's current Dietary Guidelines for Americans." (West Virginia) |
| Specify the proportion of children's daily nutrition needs to be offered per meal or by length of time in care (12,15) | "Each meal must provide one-third of the child's daily nutritional needs as specified by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, in Code of Federal Regulations, title 7, section 226.20." (Minnesota) |
| Specify no. of meals and snacks to be served in comprehensive increments of time in care, up to a full day (14,17) | "Nutritional and appropriately timed meals and snacks meeting nutritional requirements . . . shall be served in accordance with the following schedule which indicates number of hours child is present at the Center: A. 2 hours to 4 hours, 1 snack. B. 4 hours to 6 hours, 1 meal and 1 snack. C. 7 hours to 11 hours, 2 meals and 1 snack or 2 snacks and 1 meal based on time of child's arrival. D. 12 or more hours, 3 meals and 2 snacks." (Delaware) |
| Have policy prohibiting or limiting foods of low nutritional value (12-15,17)c | "Foods and drinks with little or no nutritional value, i.e. sweets, soft drinks, etc. shall be served only on special occasions and only in addition to the required nutritious meals and snacks." (Georgia) |
| Have policy on vending machinesd | "Vending machines shall be prohibited in areas used by the children." (Alabama) |
| Physical activity | |
| Require that activity program of child care facility provide large muscle or gross motor activity, development, and/or equipment (12,14,27) | "The program of activities shall be planned to provide . . . daily indoor and outdoor activities in which children use both large and small muscles." (Oregon) |
| Require that children have daily outdoor activity time, weather and health permitting (14) | "Daily supervised outdoor play is required for all children in care, except during inclement or extreme weather or unless otherwise ordered by a health care provider." (New York) |
| Quantify required minimum length of time for daily outdoor activityd | "Daily activities for preschool and school-age children shall include . . . a total of at least one (1) hour of outdoor play for children in attendance a full day unless prevented by weather or special medical reasons." (Missouri) |
| Specify that children shall be engaged in vigorous or moderate physical activity (13) | "Activities which promote physical development shall include daily opportunities for running, climbing, and other vigorous and varied physical activities."(Hawaii) |
| Quantify required no. of minutes of physical activity per day or by length of time in care (13,15,27) | "A child care facility shall provide structure and daily activities designed to promote a child's individual physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development. Satisfactory compliance with this subsection requires that . . . opportunities be provided for a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity for every 3 hours the facility is open between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm." (Alaska) |
| Media usee | |
| Define appropriate inclusion of media in child care program of activities, in a nonquantified manner (13,15,34)f | "Television viewing, including videos, should not be permitted without the approval of a child's parents, who must be advised of the center's policy regarding television and video viewing." (Colorado) |
| Quantify maximum amount of time for media use each day or week (34) | "Children will not watch television, videotapes, or play video games for more than one (1) hour a day." (New Mexico) |
Abbreviation: CACFP, Child and Adult Care Food Program; USDA, United States Department of Agriculture.
Benchmarks/references indicate select national organizations that recommend this dimension for young children.
Also included if they had similar language but did not refer to the federal CACFP by name. In this case, the regulations had to provide guidance for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks; use CACFP food components; provide nutrition guidance by defined child age categories; and specify quantities for the various types of foods to be offered to children. This dimension does not indicate providers' formal enrollment in the CACFP.
The following items were coded: specific foods and beverages of low nutritional value listed (eg, soft drinks, candy); general statements about limiting foods and beverages high in fat, sodium, and sugar; and statements about the permissibility of foods not meeting the state's nutrition regulations for special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays. Examples of specific foods and beverages mentioned in state regulations include sweetened drinks, fruit drinks, soft drinks, imitation milk drinks, carbonated drinks, potato chips, popcorn, Jell-O, candy, cookies, cakes, pies, doughnuts, pastries, croissants, sweets, and desserts.
No national organizations were identified as having this recommendation.
Specific types of media mentioned in state regulations include television, digital video discs (DVDs), videocassette recorder (VCR) tapes, movies, computers, computer games, video games, and electronic games.
This coding dimension captures state regulations in nonquantified terms about the appropriate role of media in a child care program of activity (eg, "media use shall meet a defined educational objective, shall be limited, and shall not be used as a substitute for planned activity").