75-03-09-09 · . Staffing requirements-2. a. A provider may provide early childhood services for no more than seven children at any one time, which includes no more than three children under twenty-four months of age. A provider may also provide early childhood services to two additional school-age children; or b. A provider may elect to staff according to the following minimum ratio of staff members responsible for caring for or teaching children to children in group child care: (1) For children younger than eighteen months of age, a ratio of .25 in decimal form is assigned; (2) For children eighteen months of age to thirty-six months of age, a ratio of .20 in decimal form is assigned; (3) For children thirty-six months of age to four years of age, a ratio of .14 in decimal form is assigned; (4) For children four years of age to five years of age, a ratio of .10 in decimal form is assigned; (5) For children five years of age to six years of age, a ratio of .08 in decimal form is assigned; (6) For children six years to twelve years of age, a ratio of .05 in decimal form is assigned; and (7) When there is a mixed-aged group, the number of children in each age category is multiplied by the corresponding ratio number, converted to decimal form, and carried to the nearest hundredth. To determine the number of staff members responsible for caring for or teaching children necessary at any given time, numbers of staff members for all age categories are added, and any fractional staff member count is then rounded to the next highest whole number whenever the fractional staff member count amounts to thirty-five hundredths or more. If lower than thirty-five hundredths, the fractional amount is dropped. No more than four children under the age of eighteen months per staff member are allowed in any mixed-aged group.