Mandatory Sexual Abuse Curriculum and Family Daycare

[Pestle]

So, now that I'm licensed, I am required to take a sexual abuse curriculum course from the state, then present the pertinent portions of the 182-page curriculum to all children age 3 and up in my daycare, once a year. It's 34 different 15-minute lessons, and I have to buy a specific puppet and act out the curriculum as it is written and, as well, "younger children must not be included" in the instruction. I also have to meet with the parents in advance and inform them that I will be teaching their children the medical terms for genitalia. While not presenting any of this to the other children in the day care.

Dude, this is a family daycare. I can't do 15 minutes of anything; the age spread means that somebody is crawling off in a different direction. And I definitely can't present a curriculum to the one 3-year-old in my program without also presenting it to all the other kids.

Does this mean that, effectively, family daycare in the state has to either end at age 2 or begin at age 3 or be in violation of licensing requirements? I have a technical call today and I'd like to know how all of you handle this if your state has a similar requirement.

[Cat Herder]

I have never heard of that. We only have to take sexual abuse recognition and reporting training. Talking about it with kids is a parental thing. They don't want us messing up investigations and prosecutions by putting words in the kids mouths.

[Annalee]

Pestle, You are talking about the 'keeping kids safe' curriculum, correct?

[Pestle]

For TN providers,

(8) Personal Safety Curriculum Components and Guidelines. (a) For ages three (3) years through school age, a personal safety curriculum shall be provided at least once a year. (b) The personal safety curriculum shall include a Department-recognized component for the prevention of child abuse. (c) For children four (4) years of age and older, a child sexual abuse prevention component shall be included. (d) The child care agency may choose terminology and instructional methods for this curriculum that provides clear, effective and appropriate instruction to the children in personal safety, including the prevention of all forms of child abuse. (e) Personal Safety Instruction Requirements for School Age Children. 1. For school-age children, the curriculum shall include instruction for reporting physical, sexual or verbal abuse. 2. School-age children shall not be required to receive personal safety instruction from the child care agency if they annually receive the personal safety instruction required under this paragraph (8) from their school or other educational setting, as approved by the Department. 3. Documentation of Personal Safety Instruction in Educational Settings. (i) Written documentation that annual personal safety instruction as required by this paragraph (8) is being provided in a public educational setting to each child enrolled in the child care agency shall be maintained on file with the Department. (ii) For children who do not attend public schools, the child care agency shall maintain documentation that each school-age child enrolled in the child care agency is receiving annual personal safety instruction as required by this subparagraph (e). (f) The personal safety curriculum used shall be made available to parents/guardians for review. The child care agency shall use a notification form developed by the Department to document that the parents/guardians have been notified of the curriculum and of their opportunity to review. (g) The record of each enrolled child shall include a copy of the signed notification form. (h) If requested, child care agency staff shall meet with the parents/guardians to discuss the curriculum.

Just for fun, they also have it so you can't have the radio or classical music or anything, and I think it's unintentional and comes from people who don't know what words mean writing these rules:

1. For children less than two (2) years of age, use of electronic media and other electronic devices is prohibited.

Literally, that means no CDs, no Christian radio for those who are doing that, no more putting on Tchaikovsky and letting the kids spin around in tutus--if one is to follow the actual regulations instead of assuming that the regulations don't mean what they say. So I think I need to ask my licensing consultant for an e-mail confirming that it is fine for me to continue to use electronic media in the program.

They also accidentally say that redirection is not a permitted method of discipline, again, because whoever put this together needed a second set of eyes on their work:

When awake, child not left in crib or on cot for unreasonable length of time/not forced to nap or lie down or stay on cot/mat
No child under thirty-six (36) months shall be placed in time out/redirection or other similar approach used.

I think that mistake is so obvious that we'd get into trouble for following the letter of the law. But those nitpicky issues are just over bad phrasing, whereas the program requirement to both provide a sexual abuse curriculum while excluding the kids who need close supervision is a nonstarter.

[Pestle]

Pestle, You are talking about the 'keeping kids safe' curriculum, correct?

Yes, that's the one! Did you already buy your Dalmatian puppet, or will you be using a substitute?

[Annalee]

I'm in your state but the electronic media is TV and ipads and the like? Redirection is the only form of discipline. New rules are coming out first of next year. the keeping kids safe curriculum has paper puppets to be colored and placed on popsicle sticks or that's what I did. The topics can be as in depth or vague as you wish. The keeping kids safe curriculum comes with a form to be signed by the parents to go in their file.

[Pestle]

Unfortunately, term "electronic media" refers to media that is electronic. I know that's being pedantic, but that's what is written into the regulations and they do not specify that non-visual forms of electronic media are accepted. I assume this is just a matter of someone not knowing what the term means and thinking that it's a term that only encapsulates certain types of electronic media. But I do want my licensing consultant to give me written permission for music.

The redirection is just something that I'm complaining about because whoever wrote it wasn't paying attention to what they were actually saying.

The "keeping kids safe" curriculum does state to follow the script, and it specifically states that you cannot present it to children under three years old. I'm wondering how you handle that.

[Annalee]

I follow the script but choose my own terminology teaching the same concept. Make sense?

[Pestle]

I am specifically asking how you can fulfill the requirement to present 34 individual lessons to kids ages three and up without allowing the kids under age 3 to also experience the presentation.

[Annalee]

The same way I read a book to a few kids at a time while the others are playing on the opposite side of the room...or in another activity.....It doesn't have to be long periods as their attention span isn't long anyways....just small intervals with small groups. It doesn't have to be real formal! Make sense?

[flying_babyb]

Unfortunately, term "electronic media" refers to media that is electronic. I know that's being pedantic, but that's what is written into the regulations and they do not specify that non-visual forms of electronic media are accepted. I assume this is just a matter of someone not knowing what the term means and thinking that it's a term that only encapsulates certain types of electronic media. But I do want my licensing consultant to give me written permission for music.

The redirection is just something that I'm complaining about because whoever wrote it wasn't paying attention to what they were actually saying.

The "keeping kids safe" curriculum does state to follow the script, and it specifically states that you cannot present it to children under three years old. I'm wondering how you handle that.

Oh now I wanna go look at wi's and see if ours says anything like that! We listen to electronic music all the time (my coworker links her phone to the cd player and we listen to kids bop, disney and a WHOLE LATTA country!)

[Cat Herder]

(a) For ages three (3) years through school age, a personal safety curriculum shall be provided at least once a year. (b) The personal safety curriculum shall include a Department-recognized component for the prevention of child abuse.

I read it as 1 lesson per year, 15 minutes, tops.Does not have to discuss sexual abuse.Share a copy with parents, get permission first. Keep copy in file. Just like fire safety.

(c) For children four (4) years of age and older, a child sexual abuse prevention component shall be included. (d) The child care agency may choose terminology and instructional methods for this curriculum that provides clear, effective and appropriate instruction to the children in personal safety, including the prevention of all forms of child abuse.

Add some good touch/bad touch. Ages 5 and up get it at school, so nothing needs to be done.

My state does not consider music to be electronic media and recently rolled back the 20 minute rule to 2 hours. I was shocked, but glad movie day and online preschool can make a comeback. They are referring to screen time.

"Media Activities. The use of entertainment media, such as television, videotaped programs or movies and video or computer games shall be limited to: no more than two (2) hours daily per child or group and shall be provided only at times when alternative activities are available for children who choose not to participate. Entertainment media shall be age appropriate in accordance with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)"

[Annalee]

CH, I think we have to do all the lessons per year but when your divide that up, it's less than one lesson a week and it can be divided into multiple discussion throughout the day....as long as the message is delivered to the children in a way they can get the gist of it.

[Cat Herder]

CH, I think we have to do all the lessons per year but when your divide that up, it's less than one lesson a week and it can be divided into multiple discussion throughout the day....as long as the message is delivered to the children in a way they can get the gist of it.

Ok. So it could be pushed in during daily activities and story times, too. I think it would have more effect emergently. I pulled up the program, pretty good stuff. I downloaded it for my group, it certainly can't hurt. (activities start on page 42, easy to print.)

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/hu...raft_cover.pdf

[Annalee]

Ok. So it could be pushed in during daily activities and story times, too. I think it would have more effect emergently. I pulled up the program, pretty good stuff. I downloaded it for my group, it certainly can't hurt. (activities start on page 42, easy to print.)

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/hu...raft_cover.pdf

Yep that's it....I have mine in slip covers in a binder so it's easily accessible....