Rule 5180:2-12-19 | Supervision of children and child guidance for a licensed child care center.
(A) What are the requirements for supervision by child care staff members?
The program is to ensure that child care staff members provide supervision of the children in care. Each child care staff member shall:
(1) Leave no child unsupervised. Supervision means:
(a) Being aware of the physical, developmental, and behavioral needs, as well as parental preferences, of the child(ren) they are caring for.
(b) Maintaining situational awareness of the children in care at all times. Maintaining situational awareness may include the use of analog or digital technology (including mirrors) to supplement direct observation of the children in care but may not be the sole means of observation. It also includes, but is not limited to, being:
(i) Aware of the activity a child is engaged in and being near enough to protect children from harm, meet their basic needs and respond to emergent circumstances.
(ii) Near enough to observe, respond, and anticipate reasonably foreseeable hazards and threats.
(iii) Able to summon another adult for assistance in an emergency.
(2) Not be under the influence of any substance that impairs the child care staff member's ability to supervise children and/or perform duties.
(3) Always have immediate access to a working phone on the premises which is available and capable of making outgoing calls and receiving incoming calls. A backup method of communication, including but not limited to email, text messaging services or an additional phone, is to be accessible when the primary phone is in use.
(4) Only release a child to the parent or to a person who has been previously approved by the parent.
(5) Limit children's exposure to inappropriate language, media, or behavior. This includes inappropriate actions by the following, but not limited to, non-staff adults, parents, and other children.
(6) Supervise outdoor play.
(a) The child care staff member shall remain outdoors with the children at all times.
(b) The child care staff member shall be able to summon another adult without leaving the group unsupervised.
(c) When the outdoor play space is not on the premises, child care staff members shall accompany and supervise all children in transit and at the outdoor play space.
(B) What are the requirements for supervision of school-age children?
(1) School-age children may run errands inside the building, use the restroom, or engage in a short term activity which poses no physical risk to their safety alone or in groups of no more than six children without adult supervision as long as the following conditions are met:
(a) Children are within hearing distance of a child care staff member, without the use of electronic equipment.
(b) The child care staff member checks on the children who are in kindergarten through third grade at least every five minutes until they return to the group.
(c) The child care staff member checks on the children in fourth grade or higher at least every ten minutes until they return to the group.
(d) The center has exclusive use of the child care space being used by the children.
(2) With written parent permission, school-age children may leave the center for specific activities.
(a) These activities include:
(i) Walking to and from the center or school.
(ii) Walking home or to another destination.
(iii) Participation in activities inside the building that are sponsored by another group.
(b) The written permission shall specify:
(i) Child's name.
(ii) Location of the activity.
(iii) Arrangements for going to and from the activity.
(iv) Start and end time of the activity.
(v) Time period for when permission is given.
(vi) Parent's signature and date.
(C) What are the child guidance techniques and behavior management practices to be used in the licensed child care center?
(1) All employees shall follow appendix A to this rule regarding guidance techniques to be used with children, and prohibited techniques in the appendix will not be used by any child care employee as a means to control or discipline children.
(2) The center shall communicate and consult with the parent prior to implementing a specific behavior management plan. This plan shall be in writing and signed by the parent and shall be consistent with the requirements of this rule.
(3) When a child is expelled from the center for a behavioral reason, the expulsion is to be reported in the Ohio statewide licensing system in accordance with paragraph (G) of rule 5180:2-12-16 of the Administrative Code.
(D) What are the child abuse and/or neglect reporting requirements?
The owner, administrator, employee or child care staff member who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected is to immediately make a report in accordance with section 2151.421 of the Revised Code.
Last updated July 1, 2026 at 8:29 AM
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