Section 465IAC2-13-50. Direct care personnel; child-staff ratios

   (a) The staff members responsible for the daily direct care and supervision of the children shall:

(1) be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and

(2) have at least a high school or equivalency diploma.

  (b) The group home shall count all children who live with their parents at the group home in determining the child-staff ratio and in the licensed capacity of the group home.

  (c) While children are awake and asleep, the direct care worker to child ratio shall be determined and approved by the department based on the needs of the children being served. The approved ratio shall range between 1:6 to 1:8.

  (d) When the total number of children in residence includes three (3) or more children under eight (8) years of age, the group home shall maintain a ratio of at least one (1) direct care worker to every four (4) children, whether the children are awake or asleep.

  (e) When one (1) employee is supervising a group of children, the group home shall have a written plan for that employee to summon another adult to assist in case of an emergency without leaving the children unattended.

  (f) The same child-staff ratios shall be maintained for group off-campus activities.

  (g) To be considered in the staffing ratios, the staff must be awake. Any institution that is approved prior to January 1, 2012, to have night staff that are not awake is exempt from the requirements of this section on or after January 1, 2012. (Department of Child Services; 465 IAC 2-13-50; filed Jun 27, 1991, 12:00 p.m.: 14 IR 2054; readopted filed Jul 12, 2001, 1:40 p.m.: 24 IR 4235; readopted filed Nov 27, 2007, 6:52 a.m.: 20071226-IR-465070551RFA; filed May 25, 2011, 1:23 p.m.: 20110622-IR-465100415FRA, eff Jan 1, 2012; readopted filed Nov 26, 2013, 4:02 p.m.: 20131225-IR-465130459RFA) NOTE: Transferred from the Division of Family Resources (470 IAC 3-15- 50) to the Department of Child Services (465 IAC 2-13-50) by P.L.234-2005, SECTION 195, effective July 1, 2005.