Lesson 7
Staff-Child Ratios

Compliance
Indicator

The applicable staff-child ratios are met for each age group & program.

Regulations/Reference

EED Program Instrument: III. Program Quality EED 12
Education Code: 8240 & 1841
Title 5: 17713 - 17715, 17775 & 17776

Monitoring Review Evidence

Watch Video Lesson ❯

 

Sample Forms/Tools ❯

Review Sketch Pad Notes ❯

Ratios

Title 5 sets stricter adult to child ratios in comparison to the Title 22 licensing regulations. Ratios of adult to children vary depending on the age of the children currently present or in attendance & the number of trained staff members present. The ratios in this lesson are based on Title 5 regulations.

 
 

Preschool Ratios

 

For state funded programs, a preschooler is defined as a child who is from 3 years old to enrollment in kindergarten.

There must be 1 adult for every 8 preschoolers. This is called a 1 to 8 adult child ratio.

For every 24 preschoolers, 1 of the adults must be a qualified teacher. Making it a 1 to 24 teacher-child ratio.

 

SPECIAL RATIO NOTES:

 

Serving 2-year-olds in a CSPP: CSPP Contractor may use a 1:8 adult-to-child ratio and a 1:24 teacher-to-child ratio, provided no more than 8 children, or 30% of the classroom, are 2 years old—whichever is less.

If a CSPP contractor enrolls more two-year-olds, a 1:4 adult-to-child ratio and 1:16 teacher-to-child ratio must be applied for two-year-olds.

 

Staffing Ratio Variance: The program may exceed teacher-child & adult-child ratios by 15% of the total number of children in attendance for a period of time not to exceed 120 minutes in any one day.

 

Nap Time: The ratio for full-day CSPP during a scheduled nap period may be a 1:24 teacher-child ratio, provided that the remaining staff necessary to meet the adult-child ratio are immediately available at the center. If one child gets up, additional staff need to be called in immediately to meet the required adult-child ratio.

 

Commingling of Age Categories: (Except when operating a classroom with Transitional Kindergarten & CSPP children commingled, or when operating through a family childcare home)

  • YOUNGER AGE GROUP EXCEEDS 50%: Whenever groups of children from 2 age categories are commingled & the younger age group exceeds 50% of the total number of children in attendance, the ratios for the entire group must meet the ratios required for the younger age group.

  • YOUNGER AGE GROUP DOES NOT EXCEED 50%: If the younger age group does not exceed 50% of the total number of the children in attendance, the teacher-child & adult-child ratios shall be computed separately for each group.

 

Staff-Child Ratio Schedule

 

To ensure the applicable staff-child ratios are met for each age group & program agency must have a staff/child ratio schedule completed at all times.

The department provides the Child Ratio Schedule: Form CD-3705 to plan for ratios based on the composition of a classroom. 

Contractors may develop their own Child Ratio Schedule form.

No matter what format is used, the ratio schedule can serve as your documentation to show that applicable staff-child ratios are met for each age group.

Reminder: The ratio schedule must be maintained & updated when there are changes in enrollment.

 

Head Start Note:

Contractors that also receive funding to operate a federal Head Start program may follow Head Start staffing ratios. If a contractor chooses to follow Head Start staffing ratios, they must also follow Head Start group sizes

 

Complete Knowledge Check ❯

After reviewing the video lesson & sketch pad notes, it’s time to check for understanding by completing a Knowledge Check. Note that Individual Knowledge Checks will conclude with a Certificate.

Individual Knowledge Check (ProProfs) >


Group Knowledge Check (Kahoot) >