Staff Qualifications
Child Care Centers
Director
Each school or center is required to have a Director. The Director must be a certified teacher, trained in early childhood education, with a minimum of two year’s experience teaching young children. If the center enrolls more than 40 children, the Educational Director may not have any teaching duties.
Group Teacher For Infants
(Children under 2 years of age)
A group teacher must be a mature person, 19 years old or older, who has either an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education OR Child Development Associate Certification and study plan leading to an Associates degree OR High School Diploma/GED with nine credits in Early Childhood Education study plan leading to an Associate degree and one year of experience working with infants or toddlers.
Group Teacher For Preschool
Any teacher who is in charge of a group of children ages 2-6 years is required to have a New York State Teaching Certificate or be enrolled in a study plan approved by the Department of Health, leading to certification.
Assistant Teacher
An assistant teacher must be a mature person, 19 years of age or older, who has a High School Diploma, 60 college credits or a Child Development Associate’s credential, approved by the Council For Professional Early Childhood Recognition.
Licensing Information: New York City
Staff-Child Ratios and Maximum Group Size |
||
Children’s Ages |
Ratio
|
Maximum
|
| 2 months – 12 months | 1:3 | 8 |
| 12 months – 2 years | 1:5 | 10 |
| 2 years – 3 years | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3 years – 4 years | 1:10 | 15 |
| 4 years – 5 years | 1:12 | 20 |
| 5 years – 6 years | 1:15 | 25 |
For more detailed information on staff qualifications, visit the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Childcare.