What can put your childcare license at risk?
Working with children can serve as a fulfilling and interesting job for many individuals. However, the moment you apply for a childcare license, it is easy to see the stringent nature of the laws revolving around childcare.
Because it is such a delicate position with so many requirements, it is possible to lose your childcare license or end up with it suspended. But what are the most common ways in which this may happen?
Violation of government requirements
As ChildCare.gov states, licensing for childcare positions have strict regulations and requirements before receipt. Though quality is not guaranteed through licensing, it at least sets minimum requirements for a childcare professional or childcare facility to meet and ensures monitoring for compliance.
First, it is possible to lose a childcare license if you violate any of the requirements set by the government. This can include:
- Going over the child-to-staff ratio, i.e. having more children than one staff member can legally watch over
- Having a larger class or group size than legally allowed
- If the facility lacks the means to stop the spread of disease (i.e. lacks immunization requirements, soap, safe diaper handling, etc.)
- If the nutrition program does not meet standards
- If staff members do not meet requirements for training, health and various other matters
Acts of negligence or abuse
It is also possible to lose your license for negligence, putting children in risky situations or intentionally harming a child psychologically or physically. This can include spanking a child for misbehaving or even accidentally forgetting a child in the bathroom when you take a class on a potty break.
Due to how complex the law can get when it comes to children and how complex childcare licensing is, it is easy to see how so many things can put it all at risk.