Reference no: EM132293483

Project Instructions:

The Florida Department of Children and Families Child Care Program's mission is to "ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the children of the state while in care through licensing and regulatory activities. The purpose of this program is to ensure that children are well cared for in a safe, healthy, positive, and educational environment by trained, qualified child care staff."

Early Childhood Education students will review and apply the licensing rules and regulations of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). Each student will respond to an incident related to one of the following topics; transportation, fire drill, or child abuse. The student will include each of the following steps:

Read the scenario and cite the existing rules and regulations, 65c-22,

List the steps to be followed during the situation.

Identify the protocol/responsibilities of the teacher and the director for this situation based on the identified regulation.

Identify the DCF form to document the steps followed by the teacher and the director (Sample Incident Form, Sample Fire Drill Form, and Sample Travel Form).

Describe the center's process for notifying parents and obtaining the appropriate signature needed on the incident report.

Evaluate the situation to determine if the procedures in the center need to change. If so, list the necessary changes.

Identify the possible licensing penalty for not following the rule in 65c-22.

Scenarios

Museum Trip

Teachers at Sunshine preschool decide to take a field trip to the local museum because it can be a good way to learn about animals. The children will learn about animals and their habitats and how to take care of our environment. The group arrives at the museum and the children get off the bus.

Fifteen minutes after they arrive the teacher realizes one of the children is missing. She returns to the bus and finds the child sleeping. It happens to be a cool day and a window was open on the bus so the child is fine but the teacher realizes there has been a breach of DCF and the Sunshine preschool protocol.

Fire Drills

Fire drills are an important part of monthly activities at Sunshine preschool. Directors should organize monthly drills to teach children the proper way to get out of the building quickly. School fire drills should include staying low to the ground to prevent smoke inhalation.

Children should also learn an alternate exit route, and the teachers and students should agree on a meeting place at a safe distance from the building. During the monthly fire drill the director realizes the class log has been left in the building and this is a violation of the DCF fire drill protocol.

Child Abuse

Recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse is an important responsibility of the child care center Director. The preschool environment may offer the only opportunity for intervention in a child abuse case.

A child in your center comes to school with bruises and is somewhat withdrawn. When the teacher asks the child what happened she says; "daddy did it." The teacher tells you she is afraid to report the abuse because the father might retaliate against her.