Assistants are persons age 18 and older who assist the licensed provider on a regular basis. Providers are required to keep copies of training certificates for their assistants on hand. Assistants must complete the Background Study Form and the Physician's Form and send them by mail to: Dakota County Social Services, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley, MN 55124. You can also scan the forms and
email them to your social worker.
The following training is required for assistants:
- If children under 12 months old are enrolled, the assistant must obtain a minimum of one-hour combined training for SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) before they can assist with the care. If children are under 5 years of age but older than 1 year of age, the assistant must obtain a Shaken Baby Syndrome training course of one hour. This training must be updated every five years.
- Each year, the assistant must obtain eight hours of training (SIDS/Shaken Baby Syndrome training counts toward the eight hours). Of this eight hours, two hours must be Basic Early Childhood Development training within the first year, if employed after Aug. 1, 2006.
- If the assistant is alone in the residence for more than 30 hours in a year, they must have CPR and First Aid training (CPR training must be updated every three years and a copy of the certificate kept on hand).
- To transport children, you must take the 3-hour State-approved Child Passenger Restraint System Training