This form provides the required information per 26 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) minimum standards §744.501(7), $746.501(a)(7), and §747.501(5).
Directions: Parents will review this policy upon enrolling their child. Employees, household members, and volunteers will review this policy at orientation. A copy of the policy is provided in the operational policies.
Discipline must be: 1) Individualized and consistent for each child; 2) Appropriate to the child's level of understanding; and 3) Directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. A caregiver may only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control, and self- direction, which include at least the following: 1) Using praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon unacceptable behavior; 2) Reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements; 3) Redirecting behavior using positive statements; and 4) Using brief supervised separation or time out from the group, when appropriate for the child's age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child's age. There must be no harsh, cruel, or unusual treatment of any child. The following types of discipline and guidance are prohibited: 1) Corporal punishment or threats of corporal punishment; 2) Punishment associated with food, naps, or toilet training; 3) Pinching, shaking, or biting a child; 4) Hitting a child with a hand or instrument; 5) Putting anything in or on a child's mouth; 6) Humiliating, ridiculing, rejecting, or yelling at a child; 7) Subjecting a child to harsh, abusive, or profane language; 8) Placing a child in a locked or dark room, bathroom, or closet with the door closed or open; and 9) Requiring a child to remain silent or inactive for inappropriately long periods of time for the child's age.
A program must take the following steps if it uses disciplinary measures for teaching a skill, talent, ability, expertise, or proficiency: • Ensure that the measures are considered commonly accepted teaching or training techniques; • Describe the training and disciplinary measures in writing to parents and employees and include the following information: (A) The disciplinary measures that may be used, such as physical exercise or sparring used in martial arts programs; (B) What behaviors would warrant the use of these measures; and (C) The maximum amount of time the measures would be imposed; • Inform parents that they have the right to ask for additional information; and • Ensure that the disciplinary measures used are not considered abuse, neglect, or exploitation as specified in Texas Family Code §261.001 and TAC Chapter 745, Subchapter K, Division 5, of this title (relating to Abuse and Neglect).
Title 26, Chapter 746 Subchapter L https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=26&pt=1&ch=746&sch=L&rl=Y Title 26, Chapter 747 Subchapter L https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=26&pt=1&ch=747&sch=L&rl=Y Title 26, Chapter 744 Subchapter G https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=26&pt=1&ch=744&sch=G&rl=Y
