Child Discipline and Guidance Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to establish clear, developmentally appropriate discipline and behavior guidance procedures that promote children’s social-emotional development while ensuring their safety, dignity, and well-being. This policy ensures compliance with Florida licensing regulations and prohibits any form of abusive, humiliating, frightening, or inappropriate discipline.

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2. Policy Statement

The child care facility maintains a positive discipline approach that:

• Supports children’s emotional and behavioral development

• Uses guidance and redirection as learning opportunities

• Prohibits all forms of corporal punishment, abuse, or neglect

• Is consistently applied by all staff, volunteers, and operators

Spanking or any form of physical punishment is strictly prohibited.

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3. Responsibilities

3.1 Facility Operator / Director

• Ensure written discipline and expulsion policies are current and compliant

• Train staff annually on discipline expectations and prohibited practices

• Monitor classroom practices for compliance

• Ensure parents receive and acknowledge discipline policies at enrollment

3.2 Staff and Volunteers

• Follow all written discipline and expulsion policies

• Use developmentally appropriate guidance techniques

• Report any observed violations immediately to administration

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4. Parent Notification and Documentation

1. A written copy of the discipline and expulsion policies shall be provided to each parent or legal guardian at enrollment.

2. The custodial parent or legal guardian must sign the enrollment form acknowledging receipt of these policies.

3. Signed documentation must be maintained in the child’s enrollment file.

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5. Approved Discipline and Guidance Practices

Staff shall use preventive and instructional strategies that:

• Model appropriate behavior

• Redirect children to acceptable alternatives

• Use calm verbal guidance and problem-solving

• Support emotional regulation and social skills development

5.1 Time-Out Procedures

• Time-outs may be used as a teaching strategy

• Time limits must be age-appropriate

• The child must remain visible and supervised at all times

• Time-out may occur indoors or outdoors but must never involve isolation

5.2 Active Play

• Indoor and outdoor active play must not be completely withheld as punishment.

• Children may not be removed from group play for extended periods (e.g., remaining in an office while peers play outside).

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6. Prohibited Discipline Practices

The following practices are strictly prohibited at all times:

6.1 Corporal Punishment

Including, but not limited to:

• Hitting, spanking, slapping, shaking, twisting, pulling, squeezing, biting

• Forcing excessive physical exercise, rest, or unnatural postures

• Compelling a child to eat or place soap, food, spices, or foreign substances in their mouth

• Exposure to extreme temperatures

• Rough or harsh handling, including:

  • Lifting or jerking by arms

  • Pushing or forcing movement

  • Grasping clothing to move a child

  • Covering a child’s head

6.2 Isolation and Restraint

• Isolating a child in any unsupervised or unobservable space

• Binding, tying, restricting movement, or taping a child’s mouth

6.3 Food, Toileting, and Sleep Misuse

• Using or withholding food or beverages as punishment

• Punitive toilet training practices

• Placing a child in a crib or portable crib for discipline or time-out

6.4 Emotional and Verbal Abuse

• Rejecting, terrorizing, extended ignoring, isolating, or corrupting a child

• Abusive, profane, sarcastic, or threatening language

• Derogatory remarks about the child or the child’s family

6.5 Abuse or Maltreatment

• Any form of abuse, neglect, or maltreatment is prohibited and subject to mandatory reporting laws.

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7. Infant-Specific Safety Requirements

1. All programs caring for infants must maintain a written policy to identify and prevent:

   • Shaken Baby Syndrome

   • Abusive Head Trauma

2. All child care personnel caring for infants must complete Safe Sleep Training as required.

3. Compliance with training requirements must be documented in personnel files.

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8. Policy Availability

• A current copy of the discipline and expulsion policies must be:

  • Available for parent or guardian review

  • Accessible to licensing authorities upon request

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9. Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with this SOP may result in:

• Disciplinary action up to and including termination

• Mandatory retraining

• Reporting to licensing authorities, as required by law

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10. Review and Updates

This SOP shall be reviewed:

• Annually

• Upon changes to state or local regulations