Does South Carolina regulate how long child care centers require children to nap? If not, are there guidelines? And do those guidelines change with the age of the child?
South Carolina Child Care Licensing has two center regulations regarding napping. Regulation 114-506A(9) of the child care center regulations states napping expectations and time periods shall be developmentally appropriate and meet the needs of the individual child and regulation 114-506B(4) states withholding, forcing, or threatening to withhold or force food, sleep or toileting is prohibited.
Additionally, child care centers are required to have a written, planned, daily program of activities for all children which includes nap times as stated in regulation114-506A(1). Therefore, currently the regulations are not age specific for napping but child care centers are required to have developmentally appropriate nap times and centers are prohibited from forcing or withholding napping for the children.