Additional Notes for Clarification of the FDCRS

         Item                                                            Note

1.  Furnishings for routine care and learning	1.1  To score No for this indicator, there must be some arrangement made to store children’s things, such as coat hooks or a shelf for coats and diaper bags or back-packs. 5.1  To meet the requirements of this indicator, it is important that some accommodation be made so that furnishings in the home are appropriate for children’s use. For example, booster seats can be used to allow children to reach an adult-sized table more comfortably, or a small children’s table and chairs might be used to meet the requirement of this indicator. Even if the child-sized furniture does not meet the definition of child-sized required in 7.1, credit can be given for 5.1.  Also, if all furniture used for routine care and learning is child-sized, and no adaptations are needed for children, then give credit for 5.1. 7.1 & 7.3  N/A for infants (less than 12 months) and children aged 7 years or older.
2. Furnishings for relaxation and comfort	3.1  To give credit, children must have daily access to the soft furniture, for more than just one or two short periods. Cushions can be used as a substitute for one piece of soft furniture. To meet the requirements of this indicator at least 2 pillows or cushions (the size used on beds) must be present for children's comfort. Soft furnishings must be located in indoor space used by children to give credit. 5.1  Daily access for much of the day while children are awake and indoors is required to give credit. As a substitute for 2 pieces of furniture, 4 or more cushions/pillows can count to meet the requirements of this indicator. 5.2  "Stuffed toys" can be interpreted as "soft toys". Do not count soft books or blankets to meet the requirements of this indicator. Look for soft dolls, soft blocks, soft animals, cloth puppets, etc. The intent of requiring "many" soft toys is to allow children to have choice, without undue competition. To meet the requirement of "many" there should be about 10-20 soft toys and at least two per child in a group with more than 10 children. However, if only 1 or 2 children are enrolled in the home, there can be fewer soft toys as long as sufficient choice is provided and competition over the toys does not occur. To give credit, the soft toys must be accessible for at least an hour during the observation. 5.3  N/A if no children under 24 months are in care. 7.1  This indicator requires at least two child-sized soft furnishings. The padded high chair in the example counts only for infants; not for older children. Note that the child-sized rocker listed in the example must be padded to give credit.
3. Child related display	3.1, 5.1 & 5.2  N/A if only infants (less than 12 months) are in care. Note: If only infants are in care, do not count 5.1 & 5.2 in scoring, and decide whether score can be 6 or higher (i.e., all of 3 plus half or more of 7). 5.1  Some flexibility can be used in determining whether there is enough art work displayed to give credit. First, no art work is required for any child under 12 months of age. However, art work done by children in this age group should be counted if it is displayed. Second, interpret "at least 2 items per child enrolled" to mean that the total number of displayed items should be twice the enrollment (ie., if there are 6 children enrolled, there should be approximately 12 items displayed). In addition, it should be evident that most of the enrolled children over 12 months of age are represented in the display. If it is not easy to determine whether the work of most children is displayed, ask the provider to tell you about who did the various items. 5.2  "Some" means one or more pieces of children's work displayed at child's eye level.
4. Indoor space arrangement	1.2  N/A if no children under 24 months are in care. 3.2 & 5.4  Breakables and other no-no's" may include toys and materials for older children that are inappropriately accessible to infants or toddlers. If this access often causes younger children's play to be dangerous or restricted score no for 3.2. 5.4 requires that the space be set up appropriately for different ages, so if young children have access to inappropriate materials, and this causes any problem, do not give credit. 5.1  5.1 can be scored No, even if 5.3 is scored Yes. 5.1 requires an evaluation of spaces used for both play and for routines. 5.3 evaluates only the storage and space used for play activity areas. 5.2  If 5.2 is scored No (i.e., there are not 2 or more play areas clearly defined) it is unlikely that 5.3 would be scored Yes. 5.3  Adequate storage and space must be provided for the 2 or more clearly defined areas required in 5.2. Materials that are brought out occasionally, or that are not located in the areas counted as "clearly defined," are not considered here. 5.4  The intent of this indicator is for all children enrolled to be able to use the space used for child care, whether there are several age groups or just one.
5. Active physical play	Omit "walkers" from the list of materials in the original notes. 1.1, 1.3, 3.1 & 3.3  "Gross motor equipment" includes anything provided for or regularly permitted by the staff to be used for stimulating gross motor activity. This includes manufactured, custom-made and/or natural objects used for climbing, sliding, balancing or other gross motor activity. It does not include objects meant to be used for other purposes, such as benches to sit on, shade trees or shelves children are not supposed to climb. Scores should be based on observation of how the space, equipment, and supervision function. Especially with unusual, natural or innovative play opportunities, which may vary greatly, it is essential to observe carefully to see how children use these provisions and, what hazards and problems they encounter. Minor potential hazards, that do not cause any observed problems, such as tree roots, low branches, hills, benches, low outdoor stages, should not be considered as hazards. Scores below 3 should be used only in situations that are very dangerous for children. A fence is required for safety because of the hazards associated with children "wandering off," even in what appear superficially to be safe areas, or the entry into the play area of unexpected visitors, for example people who do not have the well-being of the children in mind, or animals that might be dangerous. 1.2 & 3.2  N/A if no children under 24 months are in care. 1.3  This indicator is scored Yes if there are no materials, or if some materials are in such poor repair that they are dangerous, or if most of the materials are in poor repair. A few materials may be in poor repair as long as they do not pose a serious threat to children’s safety. 7.2  N/A if only infants (less than 12 months) are in care.
6a. Space to be alone (infants/ toddlers)	Do not score N/A because only one child is enrolled. Score this item N/A if no infants/toddlers are enrolled or if the children generally get along very well and the caregiver uses other effective means of protecting a child from being annoyed by others. For example, space to be alone is not needed (score item N/A) if the caregiver successfully redirects annoying children to use other toys, rather than the toy another child is already using. However, the item must be scored if a space to be alone is used that impedes a child's ability to explore and learn for a significant amount of time during the observation or if a child is often annoyed by others, and there is no safe space for the child to escape the annoyance. 3.2  Score N/A if caregiver does not place child into an alone space that the child can not leave independently. 5.1  Omit the word "placed" from this indicator to score.
6b. Space to be alone (2 years and older)	Do not score N/A because only one child is enrolled. The primary intent of this item is to give children respite from the pressures of group care in programs where children participate in routines and play together most of the day. In a program where playing alone is enforced during much of the observation, and children are not allowed to play together, then the intent of this item is not being met at all, so score 1. In programs where there are only 1 or 2 children, there should be a space for privacy for 1 child to allow the child to have a sense of respite from interaction if wanted. 5.1  The space that is "set aside" must be observed, although children do not have to be observed using the space during the observation. The space must be accessible daily. If children are not observed using the space, look for evidence to show whether the provider is inclined to limit children from getting away from the group, for example by calling them back to the group when they try to go off to play alone. If the provider limits children so they can not access private space, then do not give credit.
7. Arriving/ leaving	If the caregiver provides transportation to the family child care home for some or all of the children, then ask questions to find out whether the requirements of this item are met under these circumstances.   3.1  Omit "but not each one individually" to score this indicator.  3.2  This indicator must be scored No to score 5 or higher.
8. Meals/snacks	Note, p. 16  Since North Carolina requires that caregivers supplement food brought in by parents if nutritionally inadequate according to USDA Standards, the note on p. 16 should be ignored, and the nutritional adequacy of the food should be scored based on the observation.   1.3 & 3.4  N/A if no infants (less than 12 months) are in care.  1.4 & 3.6  N/A if no children under 24 months are in care. 1.5  For NC assessors, the intent of this indicator is to determine whether the correct components of a meal or snack are being served to the children. No analysis of the nutritional value of foods served is necessary. Use the Food Guide to determine whether the components are present. Personal dietary preferences of the assessor (e.g., whole grain vs. white breads; fresh vs. canned vegetables, high vs. low sugar or fat content, etc.) are not to be used in determining the quality of the foods served. 3.2  "Eating area clean" means that the eating surface is sanitary. If a table itself can not be sanitized, then a place-mat (e.g. vinyl) that is sanitized may be used or a clean disposable place-mat. Highchair trays must be sanitized. 3.3  To determine whether sanitary preparation of food can be scored Yes, observe to see whether there are any severe problems (such as dropping food on the floor and then serving it to children). Also ensure that the caregiver washes her hands before preparing foods and that serving of the food is sanitary (i.e. clean dishes and utensils used, foods are not contaminated during food service). 3.5  N/A if no toddler (12-23 months of age) is in care. 5.2  If only one age group is in care (different age groups are not enrolled), score for the one group. 7.1  N/A for young infants (e.g., can not sit in high chair, can not manage finger feeding or holding own bottle).
9. Nap/rest	5.1  "Different age groups" should be interpreted as "each age group". 5.2  Due to new information on the transmission of respiratory illnesses 3 feet is required between cots/mats or unless solid barrier separates sleeping spaces.
10. Diapering/ toileting	1.2  For proper sanitary diaper change procedure, see Caring for Our Children, 2nd edition, standard 3.014, pages 94-95. If a regular practice of adequate basic sanitary conditions is observed, with only an occasional lapse, then score 1.2 No and 3.1-3.4 accordingly. 1.2 & 3.1 If the same sink is used by either children or adults for both diapering/toileting and food-related routines (including toothbrushing) or other purposes (to wash toys/other equipment; after wiping nose), it must be sanitized by spraying sink and faucets with a bleach solution after diapering/toileting use. If the facility permits sinks to be designated for specific purposes, then this should be done (for example, sinks near toilets should be used for toileting handwashing only, while sinks in kitchen are used for food-related and other purposes. The intent is to cut down on fecal-oral contamination (intestinal germs transferred on the hands). As an exception to this rule, in order to avoid requiring children to wash hands in quick succession between toileting and being fed, the following applies: If children use toilet, wash hands and then immediately sit down for meal/snack, contamination of children's hands at toileting sink must be minimized by having children/adults turn off faucet with paper towel. 3.2  Since new research has shown that waterless washes are an inadequate sanitary measure, it is required that caregivers wash with soap and water during diapering or toileting. Therefore, disregard the statement about waterless washes in the note for this item. 3.4  Add the words “or after being diapered.” 5.2  N/A if only infants (less than 12 months) are in care. 5.3  N/A if no toddlers or children being toilet trained are in care. 7.2  N/A if only young infants (e.g. less than 6-7 months) are in care.
11. Personal grooming	1.2 & 3.1  These indicators refer only to whether the children can reach the sink easily while standing at the sink. These indicators apply to children who can stand. Younger children will need assistance if steps are used to reach sink. 5.1  N/A if only young infants (e.g. less than 6-7 months) are in care. 5.2  N/A if no children under 24 months are in care. 7.1  N/A for infants under 12 months. This indicator requires that a toothbrush be used for each child. Score Yes if this is true, whether or not toothpaste is used.
12. Health	5.1  Handwashing is considered under this indicator. "Cutting down on the spread of germs" means that avoiding contamination is obviously an important part of the program that is practiced consistently, with relatively few (3-4) lapses during the observation (such as sneezing without washing hands, forgetting to ensure that a child's hands have been washed, not wiping a nose immediately). However no major problems (such as using the same sink for both diapering and other needs without sanitizing in between, animal contamination in space used by children, contents of potty chair accessible to unsupervised children, or much handwashing ignored) can exist to give credit for this indicator.
13. Safety	1.2 & 3.6  Bleach and water solution, used to sanitize surfaces, do not have to be locked, but must be stored out of reach of young children. Cabinets that contain hazardous materials must be locked (i.e. lock and key, magnetic lock). Safety latches are not sufficient. 3.4  "Official fire safety inspection" means that there is a signed report from the fire inspector. In North Carolina counties where Fire Inspectors will not complete fire safety inspections on family child care homes ask the caregiver whether the fire extinguisher is charged, the smoke alarm is working, and monthly fire drills are completed, to meet the requirements of this indicator. 3.6  If adults pick up infants/toddlers by hand or arm, putting children at risk for joint injuries, then this indicator must be scored No. The same is true if infants under 6 months of age are put to sleep on their stomachs, putting children at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  5.2  N/A if family child care provider never transports children. 5.4  Change “last 2 years” to “last 3 years”. 7.1  CPR training must be renewed yearly.
14a. Informal use of language (infants/ toddlers)	1.1, 3.1 & 3.2  1.1 is scored Yes when the caregiver does little or no talking of any type to infants/toddlers. 3.1 is scored Yes when there is some, or even much, talking throughout the observation, but the talking that occurs is used mainly to control children. 3.2 is scored Yes when there is some social talking (not necessarily much) throughout the observation in addition to that used for controlling children. 3.1  This indicator must be scored No to get a score of 5 or higher. To give a score of 3 or 4, this indicator may be scored Yes. 5.1  Interpret "infants" as "infants and toddlers". This requirement applies to both age groups. 7.2 & 7.3   N/A if only infants (less than 12 months) are in care.
14b. Informal use of language (2 years and older)	3.2  Remove the word “primarily”.   7.2  Interpret "preschoolers" as children 3 years or older. N/A if children are less than 3 years of age.
15a. Helping children understand language (infants/ toddlers)	1.1  Interpret "picture games" as "pictures" for this age group. Games are not required for this age group, but pictures are. 3.3  For this indicator, pictures can include those in books. 5.1  To give credit for this indicator, the books must be accessible to the children and appropriate for the age group. Violence or other frightening content in books and pictures is not appropriate for infants, toddlers. If there are any books accessible to children that show violence in a graphic or frightening way, or that glorify violence, then credit cannot be given for this indicator. 5.2  To give credit for this indicator, many of these types of interactions must be observed, but not all that are listed in the indicator. For example, credit will be given for 5.2 when the provider does not say nursery rhymes with the children, but she has many of the other types of required interactions.
15b. Helping children understand language	3.1 & 5.1  Any children's books for age 2 and older are acceptable for this indicator. Books do not have to exactly match ages of children in care. 5.1  There needs to be several (3-5) different picture games to give credit. Multiples of the same game do not count as several. Different versions of the same type of game are counted, such as 3 different sets of flash cards, 3 different versions of a memory game. 5.2  This indicator requires that both books and picture games be appropriate for all age groups considered in this item (i.e., all age groups enrolled). Some materials may be appropriate for more than one age group. Violence or other frightening content in books and pictures is not appropriate for preschoolers/young elementary school-aged children because they can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. Older children are more likely to be able to handle this type of content. However, if there are any books accessible to younger children that show violence in a graphic or frightening way, or that glorify violence, then credit cannot be given for this indicator. The number of books required for each age group will depend on the number of children in each of the different age groups enrolled, and how widely the age groups differ from one another. At a minimum, 5 or more books appropriate for each age group are required, but some books might be appropriate for more than one age group. At least 2 picture games should be accessible for each age group, understanding that there might be overlap in the games that can be used by children of different ages.
16. Helping children use language	3.1  This indicator must be scored No to get a score of 5 or higher. 3.2, 5.2  To give credit for these indicators, the activities must be adult-initiated.
17. Helping children reason	5.1  Since a wide range of children may be in a family child care home, the requirement for "games” is only applicable if there are children over two years of age in care. However, the requirement for materials refers to all ages. Developmentally appropriate materials for infants and toddlers are required. Variety requires 3-5 different materials for each age group, including at least 1 game per age group when children over 2 years of age are enrolled. In a very large family child care group, more would be needed.
18. Eye-hand coordination	3.2 & 5.2  As long as there is variety, there can be duplication  in the number of materials required for these indicators. For example, a family child care home may have two different busy boxes, a pegboard with big pegs, and two different simple puzzles to meet the requirement for 3.2 for toddlers. In addition, there can be some overlap of materials for the different age groups. For example, both toddlers and younger preschoolers may enjoy using large interlocking plastic blocks, and so the blocks would count for each age group. 5.1  The variety in this indicator requires at least 3-5 different types of materials for each age group to be accessible during the required time, so children have different experiences.
19. Art	7.1  For this indicator, preschoolers include children aged 2 years or older. N/A if no children aged 2 or older are in care.
20. Music and movement	5.1 & 5.3  To give credit, musical experiences in addition to informal singing (given credit in 5.2) must be provided. 5.2  At least one instance must be observed. 5.3  If all age groups participate in any of the musical experiences observed, give credit for this item. 7.2  For this indicator, only musical toys are required for children under 24 months of age. Dance props can include scarves, hats, musical instruments that can be held, and generally anything a child is allowed to use while dancing.
21. Sand and water play	1.1  This indicator means that neither sand nor water is available to children. If one of these is present, a higher score will be given. 5.2  Interpret "toys for sand and water play" as "toys for sand and/or water play". 7.1  This does not mean sand 3 times a week and also water 3 times a week. However, each must be provided weekly, and between the two, this should happen 3 times a week.
22. Dramatic play	3.2  For this indicator, interpret "few" as "some". 5.1  Change the word "available" to "accessible" in this indicator. "Variety" requires materials for acting out family roles, such as dolls, doll beds, pots & pans, dress-ups, etc. The variety required will vary by age group in care, with less variety needed to meet the needs of toddlers, but more will be required for preschoolers to act out more complicated roles. 5.2  The accessible materials must be sufficient for meaningful play, both indoors and outdoors. For example, an outdoor playhouse must be accompanied by something to use as furniture, a toy farm building must have toy animals or people, a baby carriage must have a doll). 5.3  This requirement is for dramatic play props for more than just housekeeping. Examples of such props include dress-ups for various roles, plastic carpentry tools, doctor kit, things to use to play store, small trucks or plastic zoo animals.
23. Blocks	3.1  Enough blocks must be present for simple block building, such as stacking blocks or putting blocks in a line to make a road. Interlocking blocks (such as Lego, Duplo) are acceptable for this indicator. For toddlers, at least 6 blocks must be present to score Yes, while for older children at least 20 blocks are required. Lincoln Logs are not counted for this item, as they are small building materials considered under the Fine motor item. 5.1  Change the word "available" to "accessible." 5.2  Credit can be given if blocks are used on a table or in a corner of the room where block play will not be interrupted (i.e., a place that is not in traffic). It must be obvious during the observation that blocks are generally used in the protected space, rather than in traffic. If 2 or more spaces are used for blocks, only 1 must meet the requirements of this indicator.
24. Use of T.V.	Note: If caregiver does not use TV while children are in care, score 7.4 Yes, and mark N/A for all other indicators. If caregiver uses TV while children are in care, 7.4 is N/A, and all other indicators must be scored.  3.1 & 3.3  Must be No to score 5 or higher. (However, a score of 4 can still be considered). 3.1 is "true" (score Yes) when no other activities are provided when the TV is used with the children. 3.2  If 3.2 is No, give a score of 2. 5.1  All programs must be appropriate.
25. Schedule	1.1 & 3.1  This indicator is not true when there is only a small problem (e.g., one infant’s diaper not checked for 2 hours) while all other routines are managed appropriately. However, 3.1 would not be given credit in this circumstance. 5.1  In order to meet the requirement "for children's choice", a variety of play activities must be provided simultaneously, so children can choose from among a variety of play options. The adult may make selections of the materials offered, but children must have a variety from which to choose. 5.2  The 2 special activities do not have to be completed during the observation. Look for evidence of 2 activities (e.g., on schedule or activity plan) and ask caregiver to get more information. "Special activity" means something that the caregiver initiates that goes beyond what is regularly accessible to the children. This is not intended to mean an overly controlled or adult-directed activity. 5.3  Determining whether there is a balance of indoor and outdoor activities will depend on a number of factors, including the ages of the children in care, the mood and needs of the children, and the weather. The balance will change somewhat from day to day, so no specific amount of time can be applied to this indicator. However, it is expected that most very young babies would get to go outdoors for some time during the day, and as children get older, this time would increase. If the weather is especially nice, the balance would require that more time is spent outdoors. At least an hour of outside activity would be expected for all except the very youngest babies, in a full-day program (6 or more hours). This does not have to be provided all at one time but rather in several shorter periods. For this item, "outdoor activities" can include both active physical play or more quiet activities, such as riding in a stroller or having a picnic.
26. Supervision of play indoors and outdoors	Since the intent of this item is to evaluate general supervision of children, omit the word "play" from the item title. 3.1 In family child care, it is usually necessary for providers to leave children for short periods of time for example to use the toilet, prepare food, answer the door or phone, etc. To meet the requirements of 3.1, the provider is only allowed limited momentary lapses in supervision (2-4 minutes), and when children are out of sight, they must be within hearing range. In addition, children must be in a safe place, involved in low-risk activities (eating is a higher risk activity) while not within view, and checked on frequently. Children under the age of 6 generally can not be left outdoors unsupervised, and older children must be checked regularly. Flexibility is allowed in determining the amount of supervision children require, based on how safe the environment is, the ages of the children and their abilities. 3.2  Replace the word "mainly" with the word "given" when scoring this indicator.
27. Tone	3.1, 3.2 & 3.3  A score of 3 is given when nothing in the 1 is scored Yes, and all indicators in the 3 are scored Yes (even though the indicators listed in the 3 represent minimal or less than good practices). All indicators in 3 must be scored No to consider a score of 5 or higher because of the negative nature of the indicators in the 3. However, if 2 of the Minimal indicators are scored No, give a score of 4 (because more positive practices are being used, but not enough to give credit for the 5), This is to recognize the more positive practices (even if nothing in the 5 can be scored Yes). The rationale for this scoring decision is that scores of No, on the negative indicators in 3, represent better practice than if all of 3 are scored Yes. 5.1  To give credit for this indicator, physical contact to show affection must be observed for each child present during the observation. For some older children this can be shown through something as simple as a hand on the child's back or shoulder, while for infants/toddlers, it should be more substantial and frequent.
28. Discipline	3.2  Both social/emotional and physical hurting of others is included in this indicator. If children persistently tease, harass, or show discrimination against others and the care provider ignores this behavior, score No on this indicator. 7.3  N/A if only children under 24 months are in care.
29. Cultural awareness	3.1  Interpret "dolls" broadly to include small figures such as Lego or Playmobile figures, doll house figures, or even paper dolls being used by older children. To give credit materials must be accessible for at least 1 hour daily. 5.1  "Many" requires 3-5 examples of each (dolls, pictures and books). To give credit materials must be accessible for at least 1 hour daily. 5.2  Interpret "included" broadly, so that if provider acknowledges children's holidays and customs rather than celebrating them, for example by talking about them, credit can be given. 5.4  To give credit for pictures, they must be where children can easily see them, although not necessarily on the child's eye level. Consider the size, clarity and placement of pictures. To give credit for "people of all ages" at least 1 example of the following must be observed in a book and a displayed picture: baby or toddler, older child, teen-ager, younger adult, senior adult.
31. Balancing personal and caregiving responsibilities	3.1, 3.2 & 3.3   These indicators must be scored No to score 5 or higher.
32. Opportunities for professional growth	3.1  Interpret the word “limited” as “some”.
35. Adaptations for other special needs	Note: Omit the word “other” from the title of this item, and consider all special needs under this item. Include needs of children with physical handicaps in scoring, as well as all others.

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