Program Standard 9 — Physical Environment

Final Draft Accreditation Performance Criteria

Approved June 15, 2004 by Program Standards/Criteria Commission

Performance Category: Physical Environment

Program Standard: The program provides appropriate and well-maintained indoor and outdoor physical environments, including facilities, equipment, and materials, to facilitate child and staff learning and development. To this end, a program structures a safe and healthful environment.

Rationale: The program’s design and maintenance of its physical environment support high- quality program activities and services and allow for optimal use and operation. Well-organized, equipped, and maintained environments support program quality by facilitating the learning, comfort, health, and safety of those who use the program. By also creating a welcoming and accessible setting for children, families, and staff, program quality is enhanced.

Please note: When a state rule/regulation prohibits the performance expectation outlined in the draft criterion, the state rule/regulation takes precedence. When a state rule/regulation exceeds the performance expectation outlined in the criterion, the state rule/regulation again takes precedence. When state rules or regulations differ in other ways, or mandate a lower threshold of performance, NAEYC’s criteria take precedence.

The following criteria were approved – contingent on receipt of additional public comment – at the March 2004 Commission meeting.

Number	Strand	FINAL DRAFT CRITERIA
Indoor and Outdoor Equipment, Materials and Furnishings
9.1	U	Staff select and use materials, equipment, and furnishings to support the curriculum, meet program goals, and foster the achievement of desired outcomes for children.
9.2	U	Program staff arrange the environment to be welcoming and accessible. A welcoming and accessible environment contains elements such as · multicultural materials that promote appreciation for diversity while being respectful of the cultural traditions, values, and beliefs of families being served · clearly defined places where families can gather information regarding the daily schedule and upcoming events · clearly defined places where families sign-in and sign-out and gather information about their child’s day · places for displaying children’s work · features that moderate visual and auditory stimulation
9.3	U	A variety of age- and developmentally appropriate materials and equipment are available for children throughout the day indoors and outdoors. This includes dramatic play equipment and sensory materials such as sand, water, playdough, paint, blocks. Equipment is available for, for example, pulling up; walking; climbing in, on, and over; moving through, around, and under; pushing; pulling; and riding.
9.4	U	Non-disposable materials are durable and in good repair. Equipment, materials, and furnishings are available that provide access for children with disabilities to the program’s curriculum and activities.
9.5	U	Materials and equipment are available in sufficient quantities to occupy every child in activities that meet his or her interests and facilitate focused individual play or play with peers. Duplicate materials are available as needed.
9.6	U	Staff organize and group materials on low, open shelves to encourage children to use them independently. Staff rotate and adapt materials to promote learning and extend children’s play opportunities.
9.7	U	Individual space is provided for each child's belongings.
9.8	U	The following furnishings are available: · equipment and furnishings for diaper changing and changing soiled underwear or other clothing located away from food preparation areas. Hand washing sinks within arm’s length of diaper changing tables; · for each child over the age of 1 a chair with a back and a seating height that allows the child to sit with his or her feet on the floor or ground; · tables at a height that allows a child to sit comfortably with the table between underarm and waist; · at least one cot, crib, mat, sleeping bag, or pad for each child who spends more than 4 hours a day in the program. At least 3-foot spacing or a solid barrier separates sleeping children. No child is allowed to sleep on the floor without using rest equipment. · at least one cot/mat with a blanket for an ill child; · adaptations that allow children with disabilities and other special needs to fully participate in the program’s activities.
9.9	I	Adults have a comfortable place to sit, hold, and feed infants. Staff place rocking chairs and glider chairs in locations that will avoid injury to children who may be on the floor.
9.10	I-T	Nursing mothers have a secluded place to breastfeed their children.
9.11	U	Indoor space is designed and arranged to accommodate children individually, in small groups, and in a large group. · Space is divided into areas that are supplied with materials organized in a manner to support children’s play and learning. · Semiprivate areas where children can play or work alone or with a friend are available indoors. · Adaptations have been made to provide full access for children with disabilities to the curriculum and activities in the indoor space.
9.12	U	When lofts, climbers, climbing gyms, slides, and other play units are part of the indoor environment, the program provides safety surfacing that is rated by the manufacturer for the fall height recommended for the play equipment.
9.13	U	Program staff arrange the physical space in the classroom so that staff can supervise children by sight and sound at all times without reliance on artificial monitoring devices. In semiprivate areas, it is always possible for both children and adults to be observed by an adult from outside the area.
9.14	U	Clear pathways are available for children to move from one area to another without disturbing other children’s work and play.
9.15	U	The indoor environment includes washable, soft elements that allow groups of children and/or adults and children to sit in close proximity for conversations or comforting.
Outdoor Environmental Design
9.16	U	Outdoor play areas are designed with a variety of natural and manufactured surfaces, age and developmentally appropriate equipment to accommodate motor experiences, such as running, climbing, balancing, riding, jumping, or swinging, and activities such as dramatic play, block building, manipulative play, art activities, crawling, scooting, and exploring the natural environment. Program staff clearly define areas for these outdoor activities to indicate their intended use. Semi-private areas where children can play alone or with a friend are available. Areas with natural materials, such as nonpoisonous plants, shrubs, and trees, are available. The program makes adaptations so children with disabilities can fully participate in the outdoor curriculum and activities.
9.17	U	Program staff provide an outdoor play area that is protected by fences or by natural barriers from access to streets and other dangers, such as pits, water hazards, or wells.
9.18	U	The outdoor play area is arranged so that staff can supervise children by sight and sound.
9.19	U	The center provides at least 75 square feet of outside play space for each child playing outside at one time. The program provides a minimum of 75 square feet times one-third the total enrollment of the center.
9.20	U	Sandboxes are constructed to allow for drainage. Staff cover them when not in use and clean them of foreign matter on a regular basis. Staff replace sand as often as necessary to keep the sand clean.
9.21	U	The outdoor play area includes protection from excessive wind and direct sunlight. The shaded portions accommodate multiple children at play.
9.22	U	The findings of an assessment by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector are documented and available on site. The assessment documents that · all pieces of outdoor play equipment are designed to guard against entrapment or situations that may cause strangulation. · through remedial action, the program has corrected any unsafe conditions, where applicable. · toxic materials have not been used in the manufacture of the playground equipment, · the program provides safety surfacing in areas where climbing, sliding, swinging, or other equipment from which a child might fall is located. · safety surfacing is beneath play equipment and extends 6 feet in each direction around it. · outdoor play area accommodates abilities, needs, and interests of infants and toddlers.
Building/Physical Design
9.23	U	There is a minimum of 35 square feet of usable space per child in each of the primary indoor activity areas. The primary activity area does not include diaper stations, cribs, large structures that cannot be removed or moved aside easily, toilets, sick-child area, staff rooms, corridors, hallways, stairways, closets, lockers/cubbies, laundry rooms, custodian’s rooms, furnace rooms, storage areas, and built-in shelving. Specialty areas such as computer rooms, reading rooms, and lunchrooms, where children are expected to remain seated for short periods of time may be excluded from the minimum space requirement.
9.24	U	The work environment for staff, including classrooms and staff rooms, is comfortable and clean and is in good repair. The work environment includes a place for adults to take a break or work away from children, an adult-sized bathroom, a secure place for staff to store their personal belongings, and an administrative area for planning or preparing materials that is separated from the children's areas.
9.25	U	Facilities meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements. Accessibility includes access to buildings, toilets, sinks, drinking fountains, outdoor play space, and all classroom and therapy areas.
9.26	U	The program provides children who attend for more than 2 hours at a time natural light in at least some of the indoor areas occupied during the course of the day.
9.27	U	Toilets, drinking water, and hand-washing facilities are within 40 feet of the indoor areas that children use. The hand washing sinks are accessible to staff and children and those used by children have step stools if needed for children to reach them.
9.28	U	The routine frequency of cleaning and sanitation in the facility is carried out as indicated in the Cleaning And Sanitation Frequency Table. Staff clean and sanitize toilet seats, toilet handles, toilet bowls, doorknobs, or cubicle handles and floors daily or immediately if visibly soiled. Staff clean and sanitize potty chairs, if in use, after each child’s use.
9.29	U	The program staff maintain the overall building. Walls, floors, furnishings, the outdoor play area, and equipment are kept in good repair and are safe with no sharp edges, splinters, protruding or rusty nails, or missing parts. All areas are free from glass, trash, sharp or hazardous items, and visible soil, and are in a clean condition. Staff observe all areas of the facility and correct unsafe conditions.
9.30	U	Program staff protect children and adults from hazards, including electrical shock, burns or scalding, slipping, tripping, or falling. Floor coverings are secured to keep staff and children from tripping or slipping. The program excludes baby walkers.
9.31	I-T	Program staff identify choking hazards and remove them from the proximity and reach of infants and toddlers/twos.
9.32	U	Program staff make sure that stairwells and corridors are well lighted. There is emergency lighting in all areas, with unobstructed and visible paths for entering and exiting, and clearly marked regular and emergency exits.
9.33	U	Fully equipped first-aid kits are readily available and maintained for each group of children. Staff take at least one kit on field trips and outings away from the site.
9.34	U	Programs provide fully working fire extinguishers and fire alarms that are accessible to each classroom and are tagged and serviced annually. Programs install working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each classroom. Program staff test smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire alarms monthly, and maintain a written log of testing dates and battery changes.
9.35	U	Any body of water, including swimming pools, built-in wading pools, ponds, and irrigation ditches, is enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet in height with any gates childproofed to prevent entry by unattended children. To prevent drowning accidents, staff supervise all children by sight and sound in all areas with access to water in tubs, pails, and water tables.
9.36	I-T	Bathrooms have barriers to prevent entry by unattended infants and toddlers/twos.
9.37	U	Program staff ventilate areas that have been recently painted, carpeted, tiled, or otherwise similarly maintained before they are used by children.
9.38	U	Staff inspect outdoor areas daily to identify broken or hazardous equipment and remove any hazardous material or trash.
9.39	U	To safeguard children, vehicles that programs use are held to school bus standards or are multifunction school activity buses. These vehicles are labeled with the program’s name and phone number. Program vehicle maintenance is performed according to manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedule. Documentation of maintenance is available on site for each vehicle, showing date of regular and at least quarterly inspections and preventative maintenance. Staff carry out daily pre-trip inspections of vehicles and correct any unsafe conditions, including air pressure in tires.
9.40	U	Staff use vehicles and approved child and adult safety-restraint devices in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and use the restraints at all times when transporting children.
Environmental Health
9.41	U	Documentary evidence, available on site, indicates that the building has been assessed for lead, radon, radiation, asbestos, fiberglass, or any other hazard from friable material. Evidence exists that the program has taken remedial or containment action to prevent exposure to children and adults if warranted by the assessment.
9.42	U	When the water supply source is a well or other private source (i.e., not served by a public supply), on-site documentary evidence verifies that the local regulatory health authority has determined the water to be safe for human consumption.
9.43	U	Program staff protect children and adults from exposure to high levels of air pollution from smog or heavy traffic by limits on outdoor and/or physical activity as a precaution during smog or other air pollution alerts.
9.44	U	The program has taken measures in all rooms occupied by children to control noise levels so that normal conversation can be heard without raising one’s voice.
9.45	U	All rooms that children use are heated, cooled, and ventilated to maintain room temperature and humidity level. The maintenance contractor certifies that facility systems are maintained in compliance with national standards for facility use by children.
9.46	U