Rule 5180:2-9-03 | Staff development and evaluation.
(A) How many hours of orientation training is a residential facility to provide to each child care staff person within the first thirty days after the date of hire?
(1) New child care staff are to complete a minimum of twenty hours of initial orientation.
(2) Initial orientation is to include but not limited to:
(a) Familiarization of the employee with emergency and safety procedures of the residential facility.
(b) The principles and practices of child care.
(c) Administrative structure, procedures, and overall program goals of the residential facility.
(d) Familiarization of the employee with the discipline policy restrictions outlined in rule 5180:2-9-21 of the Administrative Code, the discipline and behavior intervention policy required by rule 5180:2-5-13 of the Administrative Code, and any additional requirements the agency may have.
(e) Procedures for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect pursuant to section 2151.421 of the Revised Code.
(f) The emergency medical plan of the residential facility.
(g) Universal precautions for infection control.
(h) A review of Chapters 5180:2-5 and 5180:2-9 of the Administrative Code, as applicable, to the functions of the agency.
(i) The implementation of the community engagement plan as described in division (B) of section 5103.051 of the Revised Code.
(j) The procedures for responding to incidents involving a child at the facility and neighbors or the police as described in division (B) of section 5103.051 of the Revised Code.
(k) The reasonable and prudent parent standard as described in division (C) of section 5103.162 of the Revised Code.
(l) The trauma informed approach implemented by the agency, as required by rule 5180:2-9-42 of the Administrative Code, if the individual does not have a current "Level 2 Trauma Informed" or "Level 3 Trauma Competent" certificate.
(m) Appropriate techniques of behavior management, including behavioral intervention and de-escalation techniques, as required in section 5103.0520 of the Revised Code.
(n) Techniques and methodologies of crisis management including acceptable physical restraint or acceptable alternatives to restraint, if restraint is prohibited by agency policy.
(o) Independent living skills and adolescent development.
(B) Can an agency provide more than twenty hours of initial orientation for child care staff?
A residential facility may provide additional orientation hours beyond the minimum of twenty hours.
(C) Do extra hours of orientation training count toward the total hours of training for the first year of employment?
Any additional orientation hours may be counted toward the total training hours for the first year.
(D) Can orientation training provided by someone other than the residential agency or DCY be used to meet orientation requirements?
As long as the orientation training includes a transfer of learning component like a post-test, or discussion before or after the training as documented in the personnel file.
(E) How many total hours of training is a child care staff person to complete during their first year of employment?
A total of fifty-two hours, which includes an additional thirty-two hours of training beyond orientation within the first twelve months of employment.
(F) Can regular ongoing duties count towards the training requirement?
Regular ongoing duties of an employee, including casework supervision and consultation, cannot be counted toward the requirements of training.
(G) How many hours of training are child care staff to complete each year after their first year of employment?
Twenty-four hours of training related to agency policy, procedure, rules and the population that the agency serves including training on behavioral intervention and de-escalation techniques.
(H) Can a child care staff member continue working if they have not completed their training requirements?
If a child care staff person fails to complete their continuing training timely:
(1) The employee shall not be left alone with residents until all of the incomplete training hours are met.
(2) Document in the employee file reason the training hours were not met.
(3) The employee shall complete the missed training within sixty days of returning to work.
(4) The employee is responsible for completing their ongoing annual continuing training in addition to any training they failed to complete.
(I) What preparation is required for child care staff working with youth aged fourteen and older?
A child care staff person who provides care to a youth age fourteen or older shall be adequately trained in adolescent development and independentliving skills. The staff person shall possess the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the issues faced by adolescents preparing for independence and shall provide all services that are appropriate to support the youth's transition to independent living. Such services are to be coordinated with the life skills services outlined by rule 5180:2-42-19 of the Administrative Code.
(J) What certification is child care staff to obtain within six months of hire?
Each residential facility is to assure that all child care staff hired possess a current American red cross, American heart association, or equivalent first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification at the time of hire or within six months following the date of hire.
(1) Child care staff of a group home for children or children's residential center shall be certified in the type applicable to the age and size of the children to be served in the facility.
(2) Child care staff of a residential parenting facility and a children's crisis care facility shall be certified in infant, adult and child CPR.
(3) The first aid and CPR certifications are to be maintained current at all times unless the employee meets one of the following exceptions:
(a) An extended leave.
(b) Separation of employment for less than one year.
(c) An extended illness.
(d) A critical emergency.
(e) Cancellation of training classes.
(K) Can child care staff work independently if their first aid and CPR certification has expired?
Child care staff are to have an active certification to work independently and if certification has expired the child care staff cannot work in the residential facility until certification is renewed.
(L) How many certified child care staff are to be on duty in a living unit?
There is to be at least one staff person with first aid and CPR certification on duty at all times in a living unit.
(M) Who is permitted to use physical restraint on a child?
Physical restraint of a child can only be utilized by a child care staff person who has received specific training and annual review in acceptable methods of restraint. Prone restraint is not permitted pursuant to rule 5180:2-9-22 of the Administrative Code. Documentation of such training is to be contained in the employee's personnel record.
(N) What happens if a child care staff member does not complete their training on time?
(1) The employee cannot be left alone with residents until all the incomplete training hours are met.
(2) The personnel record is to contain documentation of the reason the training hours were not met.
(3) The employee is to complete the missed training within sixty days of returning to work.
(4) The employee is responsible for completing their ongoing annual continuing training in addition to any training they failed to complete.
(O) If a child care staff person leaves the agency and returns within one year, does the returning employee need to complete orientation training again?
If the employee returns within one year of separation, they are not required to complete the new orientation training.
(P) What happens if a residential facility revises a policy regarding children or staff?
The staff is to receive training on the revised policy within thirty days.
(Q) What is to be documented in training records?
(1) Each residential facility is to document the completion of the training activities outlined by this rule in the personnel record maintained, pursuant to rule 5180:2-5-09 of the Administrative Code.
(2) Each residential facility is to ensure completion of initial and annual training for all employees, volunteers, and independent contractors within the facility in trauma-informed care, or the individual must have a current "Level 2 Trauma Informed" or "Level 3 Trauma Competent" certificate.
Last updated October 15, 2026 at 12:00 AM
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