[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of
Ridley 6-18-1986 by Ord. No. 1602. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
The name of this chapter shall be the "Ridley Township Day-Care Home
Ordinance."
The following words have special meanings for the purpose of this chapter:
A dwelling which is also used to provide care for no more than six
nonresident children for part of the day and is licensed or registered with
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for that purpose.[1]
A child who does not ordinarily reside in a dwelling which is used
as a day-care home.
No person shall maintain or operate a day-care home in the Township
of Ridley unless and until he has obtained a day-care home license from the
Township Manager.
Upon receipt of an application for a day-care home license, the Manager
shall order an inspection of the facility to be used for the day-care home
to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
Before granting an application for a day-care home license, the Manager
shall be satisfied of the following:
A.
That the applicant has received a license or been registered
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B.
That the location and facilities of the proposed day-care home comply with Chapter 325, Zoning, of the Code of the Township of Ridley in connection with such a use.
C.
That the building and equipment comply with the provisions
of this chapter.
D.
That the operator of the proposed day-care home has received
a copy of this chapter.
E.
That neither the operator nor any employee has a criminal
record.
No more than six children may receive care at one time.
The operator of the day-care home shall maintain a working smoke alarm
and at least one working fire extinguisher.
The interior play area shall have a minimum of 40 square feet of space
for each child, measured wall to wall, and including space occupied by cupboards,
shelves, furniture and equipment, but excluding halls, bathrooms, kitchens
and related areas. The play area shall be located on a floor with two separate
doors to the exterior.
The exterior play area shall be located within the rear yard of the
dwelling and must be completely enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches high.
Furthermore, it must contain a minimum of 65 square feet of accessible play
space for each child. Outdoor play space is considered accessible if it is
contiguous to the dwelling.
During the time when children are receiving care or at any time when
there are nonresident children on the premises of the day-care home, there
shall be an adult person in charge of the home and care of said children.
An adult person is a person who is at least 18 years of age.
At no time shall the number of children receiving care at the home exceed
six in number, excluding relatives of the operator of the day-care home.
There shall be no more than four infants and/or toddlers in a day-care
home at any one time. For the purpose of this chapter, an "infant" is a child
under the age of two years, and a "toddler" is a child over the age of two
years but under the age of four years.
A.
All medicines, drugs, cleaning materials, detergents,
aerosol cans and other poisonous and toxic materials must be kept in a place
inaccessible to the children and separate from the child-care areas.
B.
Hot-water pipes, fixed and portable space heaters, wood-burning
stoves and other sources of heat, exceeding 110° F., which are accessible
to children, must be equipped with protective guards or insulated to prevent
children from coming in direct contact with a heat source. Fireplaces must
be securely screened or equipped with protective guards while in use.
C.
Fixed and portable space heaters and wood-burning stoves
are permitted to be used while children are in care, only if they are inspected
and approved, in writing, by the Township Fire Marshal.
A.
All floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces, including
any outdoor play area must be kept clean and in good repair.
B.
There must be at least one indoor flushing toilet and
one sink with hot and cold water available at the sink.
C.
All windows and doors used for ventilation must be screened.
D.
There must be one operable telephone.
E.
All stairways, hallways and exits from rooms and from
the day-care home must be unobstructed.
F.
Protective receptacle covers must be placed in all electrical
outlets accessible to children under five years of age.
G.
Toys, play equipment and other indoor and outdoor equipment
used by the children must be kept clean, in good repair and free of rough
edges, sharp corners, pinch and crush points, splinters and exposed bolts.
All ladders on slides or any other apparatus must have guards along the sides.
Outdoor equipment, such as climbing apparatus, slides and swings must be anchored
firmly and in good repair. Outdoor equipment may not be located on either
concrete or asphalt surfaces.
H.
Toys and objects with a diameter of less than one inch,
objects with removable parts that have a diameter of less than one inch, plastic
bags and Styrofoam objects must not be accessible to infants and/or toddlers.
The operator of the day-care home and any other adult in charge of the
children shall not use any form of physical punishment. Disciplinary methods
should not humiliate, frighten or shame the children. Children may be released
from the day-care home only to the parent, the person designated, in writing,
by the child's parent to receive that child or to any person designated
by telephone by the parent.
The annual license fee for a day-care home shall be as set from time
to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
The operator of a licensed day-care home shall permit inspection by
authorized Township officials at any time, without notice, when children are
in care. Other inspections may be made periodically within 24 hours'
notice. In the event that any such inspection reveals conditions which violate
any provision of this chapter, the operator may be given a period not to exceed
48 hours to correct said condition, otherwise to suffer a suspension of the
day-care home license until said condition is corrected. If, in the opinion
of the Township Manager, a condition found in a day-care home presents a clear
and present danger to children receiving care, the license may be suspended
immediately until said condition is corrected to the satisfaction of the Manager
and other appropriate Township officials. Upon receipt of proof of the conviction
of an operator of a day-care home of any violation of this chapter or any
violation of the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relating to the care
of children or of any crime involving children, the Township Manager shall
have the authority to suspend or revoke the day-care home license.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates any of the provisions of
this chapter shall, upon conviction before a District Justice, be sentenced
to pay a fine not exceeding $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, and in default
of payment of such fine and costs shall be imprisoned for a period not to
exceed 30 days. Each day such a violation is committed or permitted to continue
shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder.
