Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Social Services
 
Board
State Board of Social Services
 
chapter
Minimum Standards for Licensed Child Caring Institutions [22 VAC 40 ‑ 100]
Previous Comment     Back to List of Comments
12/29/08  7:58 pm
Commenter: Kimberly P Nolte, Courthouse Academy

Re: Periodic Review of Regulations Dept. of Social Services
 

To Whom it May Concern:

The regulations are not clearly written or organized.  For instance there are different regulations for Monessori, residential, preschool, religious entities, etc.  However, to find all the information that pertains to a certain type of facility it is necessary to search throughout the standards.  It is very difficult for new staff to read over the standards and understand what is perfinent and what is not.  I have resorted to going through the standards and highlight what they must know.  One should be able to go to a separate sections in the standards, each covering regulations for that type of facility.

Many of the standards are difficult to put in to practice.  While they are all understandable, they are not practical.  An example being the changing table mats.  Of course they need to be cleaned and sanitized after each use, but air dry them?  When you have a room full of two year olds needing to be changed, air drying is not really reasonable.  Should a clothes line be installed in the classroom so that the staff  can hang 10 mats?

I agree with most of the standards, but at times I feel that the standards are created by people who do not spend a great deal of time in a classroom.  I also feel that some of the standards are put in place because some foolish person has jeapordized the children in her care. 

One of the most outlandish of the standards is the requirement to keep activated charcoal.  EMT's no longer administer it,  it is administered when the individual arrives at the hospital.  Still, I am required to spend over $20.00 on a bottle of medicine that I am not allowed to use is ridiculous.  I will be written up if I don't comply with an outdated standard!  How long will I have to wait until something this ridiculous is removed from the stardards?

Overall I think the standards are good and reasonable, but I feel some are so difficult that it becomes nearly impossible to avoid being written up. 

Sincerely,

Kimberly P Nolte

 

CommentID: 6634