Rule 5101:2-14-10 | Sleeping, napping and overnight requirements for an in-home aide.
(A) What are the sleep and nap requirements for a certified in-home aide (IHA)?
(1) Sleep time and nap time are to be in accordance with the developmental needs of the child.
(2) Infants under twelve months old are to be placed on their backs to sleep unless the parent provides written authorization on the JFS 01235 "Sleep Position Waiver Statement for Child Care" signed by the child's physician. The JFS 01235 is to be maintained on file for review and is valid for one year. Infants who are able to roll from back to front and front to back are to be placed initially on their back for sleeping but allowed to remain in a position they prefer.
(3) Sleep or nap areas are to be lighted to allow for visual supervision of all children at all times.
(4) Any child who does not fall asleep during a designated nap time is to have the opportunity to engage in quiet activities.
(5) An evacuation route is not to be blocked by sleeping or napping/resting children. Each child is to have a free and direct means of escape and the IHA is to have a clear path to each child.
(6) Rest time is to be treated in the same manner as nap time.
(B) What are the sleeping arrangements in the child's home?
(1) Children living in the home are to sleep in their own beds or cribs.
(2) The IHA's children being cared for in the home are to be assigned their own bed, crib, couch, cot, playpen or mat.
(3) No child is to be permitted to rest, nap or sleep on the floor without a mat, pad or cot.
(4) A mat is a pad that is at least one inch thick and at least as wide and long as the child using the mat.
(5) A cot is to stand at least three inches and not more than eighteen inches off the floor. The cot is to be firm enough to support the child, but is to be resilient under pressure. Each cot is to be at least thirty-six inches in length and at least as long as the child using the mat is tall.
(6) An air mattress designed for overnight sleeping may be used. All manufacturer's warnings are to be followed. Air mattresses designed for use as flotation devices are not to be used for sleeping or napping.
(C) What are the crib and playpen requirements for the child's home?
(1) Unless the infant meets the requirements of paragraph (E) of this rule, each infant being cared for in the home is to have a separate crib or playpen that meets the following requirements:
(a) Any crib manufactured before June 28, 2011 is to have a certificate of compliance (COC) on file. The IHA may have to contact the manufacturer of the crib to receive a COC if they do not request one from the retailer when they purchase the crib.
(b) Cribs with a documented manufacture date after June 28, 2011 have to meet the new federal standards to be sold, so they do not require a COC. The date of manufacture is to be attached to the crib.
(c) Cribs and playpens are to be used according to manufacturer's instructions.
(d) Each crib and playpen are to be of sturdy construction and have:
(i) Closely spaced bars with corner posts that do not exceed one sixteenth of an inch above the top of the end panel.
(ii) Spaces between the bars of the crib or playpen and between the bars and end panels of the crib or playpen are not to exceed two and three-eighths inches.
(iii) Playpen mesh openings are to be less than one quarter inch.
(e) Cribs and playpens are to be used with the mattress supports in their lowest positions and the sides in the highest positions.
(f) Each crib is to have a firm mattress that is at least one and one half inches thick.
(g) Each playpen is to have a firm mattress or pad that does not exceed one inch in thickness.
(h) The space between the mattress and the side or end panels of the crib or playpen are not to exceed one and one-half inches.
(i) Each mattress is to be securely covered with a waterproof material which can be thoroughly sanitized and is not dangerous to children. The waterproof cover is to be free of rips or tears.
(D) What safety measures for cribs are to be followed by an IHA?
(1) Cribs are not to be stacked.
(2) Bumper pads are not to be used.
(3) Items are not to be placed or hung over the side that obstructs the IHA's view of the infant.
(4) Infants are not to be placed in cribs with bibs or any other items which could pose a strangulation or suffocation risk.
(5) No blankets are to be in the crib or playpen for infants under twelve months old. A one-piece sleeper or wearable blanket is permitted. Only children who are not yet able to roll-over are permitted to be swaddled using a wearable swaddling blanket.
(6) Infants are to be placed in their cribs or playpens for sleeping, and are not to be allowed to sleep in bassinets, swings, car seats or other equipment. If a medical condition exists where a child needs to sleep in equipment other than a crib or playpen, written permission is to be obtained from a physician and is to be maintained on file.
(7) Cribs or playpens assigned to a child are not to be used for storage of toys and other materials.
(E) When are children to stop using cribs or playpens?
(1) When the child is able to climb out of the crib or playpen.
(2) When the child reaches the height of thirty-five inches.
(3) An infant twelve months or older may use a cot, pad or mat with written permission from the parent.
(4) If the use of a crib or playpen is considered hazardous for a child, regardless of age, the infant may use a cot or mat with written permission from the parent.
(F) What are the requirements for evening and overnight care?
(1) Evening and overnight care is any time between the hours of seven p.m. and six a.m.
(2) The IHA is to remain awake until all children are asleep. When children sleep in the evening or overnight, the IHA is to have a monitoring device that ensures sight or hearing at all times.
(3) Children are to only sleep during evening and overnight care in areas that have been approved for sleeping.
(4) Children under the age of five are to sleep on the same floor as the IHA.
(5) Bedtime routines are to be developed and followed in consultation with the parents of the children.
(6) All indoor areas of the home are to have adequate lighting, including bathrooms, hallways and sleeping rooms to ensure that children can be seen by the IHA.
(7) The IHA is to have written permission from the parent prior to allowing the child to bathe.
(8) Ensure each child has clean, comfortable sleeping clothes, and a clean, individual washcloth, towel and toothbrush, as appropriate for the child.
(9) Assist children during washing and changing clothes according to children's developmental needs.
(10) All children are to bathe separately unless the parent has provided written consent that the children can be bathed together.
Last updated November 13, 2023 at 8:22 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 5104.019
Five Year Review Date: 11/12/2028
Prior Effective Dates: 4/1/1982, 5/20/1983, 9/1/1986, 2/15/1988, 5/1/1989, 11/1/1991 (Emer.), 1/20/1992, 3/15/1996, 10/15/1996, 10/1/1997 (Emer.), 12/30/1997, 4/1/2003, 8/14/2008, 7/1/2011, 8/3/2013, 1/1/2014, 12/31/2016, 10/29/2017, 10/29/2021