North Dakota

Staff-child ratios

Requirements

Annual training

Staff working 30+ hours/week must certify 13 hours of department-approved training annually (prorated to 11, 9 or 7 hours for part-time staff). Also required: a department-approved basic child care course within 90 days of hire, infant/pediatric CPR-AED and pediatric first aid certification within 90 days, 1 hour of safe sleep training before caring for infants, and annual mandated-reporter training.

Lead teacher

Staff counted in ratios may be as young as 14 (with parental consent under 16) and must complete the basic child care course, CPR/AED and pediatric first aid. Classroom supervisors must additionally hold an associate degree in early childhood, a CDA or approved diploma, Montessori certification, or a high school diploma plus 1 year of experience in child care.

Director

A director must be an adult with management knowledge or experience and one of several credentials: e.g., a bachelor's degree in ECE/child development; a bachelor's or associate degree plus 8 semester hours of ECE coursework, 120 hours of approved early childhood training, or a director's credential, with 6-12 months of experience; an elementary teaching certificate plus 6 months of experience; or a CDA/approved diploma plus 1 year of experience.

Worth knowing

'Infant' is defined as under 12 months, but the ratio band runs to 18 months. Mixed-age groups use a weighted decimal staffing calculation, and any group containing children under 18 months is capped at 10.