Your child care facility design should combine your knowledge of child care regulations and of appropriate environments for young children. Child care facilities have specific design requirements that must be applied when you build or renovate. Remodeling your facility could be very costly if you overlook or ignore the basic design requirements. The following is a basic child care center design checklist which can help you to understand the space needed to care for children. This will be of great assistance to you as you work with your architect or contractor.

ADA ACCESSIBILITY

  • Federal legislation and the Americans with Disabilities Act have established guidelines that impact facilities. These guidelines apply to your facility, its entrances and its parking area(s). Use these guidelines in the planning phase of your facility. Your facility should be accessible to all individuals of all ability levels.

BUILDING DESIGN

  • Consider the traffic patterns between classrooms and outdoor areas. Children should be able to move directly from the classroom to the outdoors. It is preferrable that every room have windows.
  • Children's area should be designed for ready supervision by adults.
  • Classrooms which provide meals throughout the day should have tables and chairs for all children and adults.

BUILDING MATERIALS

  • Fire-resistant building materials are required for walls, counters, and doors.
  • Building materials selected should be highly durable and easy to maintain.
  • Dual flooring is recommended for classrooms. Carpeting will absorb sound, and is ideal for many activities. A hard or tile floor is appropriate for eating areas, art areas, and water sources, such as sinks.

BUILDING SIZE

  • Your center enrollment determines your income; therefore, plan adequately for your classrooms. The number of square feet per child is determined by the state. The NAEYC-recommended footage per child is 35 sq. ft., to provide adequate spaces for each child's activities.
  • Support areas such as hallways, kitchens, storage, and bathrooms, are not included in the square footage required for children.
  • Most regulations do not allow two-story buildings due to the need for quick evacuation in case of fire.

FACILITIES

  • Regulations call for specific requirements for children's bathrooms. There is a ratio for the number of children per toilet, and toilets are usually child-size.
  • Children's bathrooms should be inside or beside each classroom. You may want to consider having two classrooms share bathroom facilities of adequate size to accomodate the total number of children in both classrooms, thus reducing the number of separate bathrooms needed.
  • Separate bathrooms for boys and girls may be required.
  • Child-size sinks adjacent to bathroom areas are highly desirable, allowing for appropriate supervision and activities.
  • The water temperature for children's bathrooms is required to be regulated.
  • An adult-height sink with both hot and cold water is highly recommended for each classroom.

SUPPORT AREAS

Sick Child Area:

  • Many states require a designated area for a sick child in order to isolate the child from other children until a parent can come to get him or her.
  • The sick child area is usually located near the administrative office so the child can be supervised.
  • The sick child area should be furnished with a cot and a chair so the child can rest comfortably.
  • The sick child area should be near a bathroom.

Kitchen/Food Preparation Area:

  • Meal service should be located near the classrooms.
  • Your choice of on-site food preparation or catering will determine what equipment your center will require.
  • Be sure to check with the regulatory agencies for what is required for on-site food preparation, as there are additional requirements for centers offering this service.
  • The kitchen/food preparation area will require additional storage areas for food.

Staff Loung and Work Areas:

  • Staff need a place to relax, plan, and work alone or together. Consider a room large enough to serve these purposes.
  • The location of the Staff Loung/Work Area should be between the administrative areas and classrooms. Recommended furniture for the area: comfortable chairs, work tables, book shelves, and cabinets.

Parent Library/Resource Room:

  • This area is an added value to your center and will be an excellent service to parents.
  • The Parent Library should be located near the entrance of your building for eacy access to families.
  • The Parent Library can be a great place to hold parent-teacher conferences.
  • The Library should be comfortable, with tables and chairs for both adults and children. You will also need child-size book shelves for the library books.

CLASSROOMS

  • Children who spend their days in your care will need appropriate environments that foster positive learning and social interaction. For that reason, classrooms that exceed the minimum footage required are highly recommended.
  • Classrooms should have space for children to meet as a large group, work in small groups, and have time alone with adequate supervision.
  • Child-size furniture and equipment are essential to the classroom. Chairs, tables, cabinets, and shelving should be of appropriate heights for preschool children.
  • Each learning center should have at least two areas for storing materials. Cabinets and open shelving units can be used to define the center areas.
  • Learning center materials that children use each day should be kept in storage bins, and easily accessible.
  • If children eat meals in classrooms, consider tables large enough to accomodate 6 to 8 children, instead of long, cafeteria-type tables.
  • Classrooms should be light with neutral walls.
  • Natural light provides an inviting area and gives a nice atmosphere to classrooms.
  • Some states require minimal lighting levels; check with licensing regarding any regulations.
  • Each classroom should have bathrooms available for children and one conveniently located for adults.
  • Fire regulations may require two exits; one is your entrance to the classroom, and the other may lead to the outdoor play area. Check with your local fire department for requirements.
  • Patios adjacent to classrooms provide additional areas for messy water activities.

NAEYC Academy of Early Childhood Programs provides excellent guidelines for early childhood environments. The academy has established appropriate child/adult ratios and group sizes that can guide the number of classrooms needed for your facility as you consider size. Call 1-800-424-4620.