Overview

Early educators provide children with physical care, reassurance, social support, and safeguard their well-being. Several professional organizations such as the American Public Health Association; American Academy of Pediatrics, and NAEYC provide recommendations for group size, and child–staff ratio.  See  the Teacher-Child Ratios within the Group Size Chart 

Continuity of personnel is important for children to establish emotional connections with educators. When the turnover rates among personnel is high, it is difficult for programs to provide the care children need. Studies suggest that the child–staff ratio is associated with children’s peer interactions (Deynoot-Schaub & Riksen-Walraven, 2006; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999, 2006, 2008), but not in a consistent manner. Some studies have suggested that across a range of child–staff ratios, a larger number of children per caregiver is associated with more peer interactions (Deynoot-Schaub & Riksen-Walraven, 2006; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2008). Yet other studies have suggested that with a large number of children per caregiver, the number of interactions and their quality decreases (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999; Vandell & Powers, 1983).

Initiatives to enhance quality encourage programs are to lower child–staff ratios in order to achieve greater quality in children’s services. However, lowering the ratio standard is expensive to implement.  A recent study defines optimal ratios as:

“Optimal child–staff ratios across the child care period are associated with a higher frequency of peer interactions, especially positive interactions, for children ages 3 and 4.5 years and with higher quality play with a friend at age 4.5 years. Furthermore, the mid-range (optimal) child–staff ratio is associated with better peer skills.”

Reli Iluz, Esther Adi-Japha & Pnina S. Klein (2016) Identifying Child–Staff Ratios That Promote Peer Skills in Child Care, Early Education and Development, 27:7, 1077-1098, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2016.1175240

We should strive for optimal child-staff ratios.  We are required to meet the licensing regulations which can be difficult to read and interpret.  I pulled out some of the relevant regulations regarding Group size and Ratio for center-based group care.  There are differences in the regulations for family child care homes or in an out of school time programs. Please read the regulations for more information.

• At least one qualified administrator below must be on the premises full time during the hours of program operation.
• The program must maintain documentation of appropriate staffing at all times, including when regularly assigned educators are absent due to illness, personal business or vacation.

7.10 Ratios, Group Sizes and Supervision of Children.

The following requirements apply to all programs, including family child care, small group and school age and large group and school age child care.

• The program must maintain sufficient numbers of qualified staff to promote the health, safety, growth and development of each child. Assignment of staff must take into account the physical environment, requirements of the activities children are engaged in, and the developmental levels and behavioral traits of children in care.
• Ratios: The program must have the number of educators necessary to:

(a) ensure adequate supervision of the group at all times;

(b) provide individual attention to children; and

(c) promote their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

Staff Included in Ratios.

• For purposes of calculating staff: child ratios, staff shall include only those EEC-qualified persons who are assigned to care for children for specific hours of the day.
• Volunteers and student interns shall not be included in staff: child ratios unless they are at least 16 years of age (in Small and Large Group and School Age Child Care) or at least 18 years of age (in Family Child Care) and are assigned to the program for at least three months.

Group Assignment of Children

• All group assignments must be developmentally appropriate for the individual child.
• The group size must be appropriate for the activities planned and for the characteristics of children assigned to the group.
• Each child must be assigned to a consistent group with consistent staffing.

Fixed Age Grouping

Children may be assigned to groups with others within their same age range, as specified by EEC. The fixed age group ratios and groupings below may be used by large group and school age child care programs.

Putting on your administrator’s hat, how will you cross the bridge between regulations and best practices?  To guide you across the bridge read Area 6 of the Early Childhood Program Standards For Three and Four Year Olds Early Childhood.

What aspects of group size and ratio do I look at?

To write the narrative about group size and ratio, you will need to collect the staff schedule and review the Employee Handbook for information such as vacation and break policies from employee handbook. The staff schedule will look something like this:

Consider these questions as you examine the schedule:

• How does your program handle days when the number of children at the program vary hour to hour and day to day?
• Does the program have and fund substitute educators in cases of illness?
• What happens when educators leave their job?
• When do educators set up classrooms, develop activities or prepare materials?

EEC provides forms to use for group size and ratio.   Make sure to review:

• Staff Information Form   
• Staff Records Checklist and Instructions  
• Educator and Staff Schedule   

 Summary

Challenges

GROUP RATIO AND SIZE SAMPLE