Washington Administrative Code

Licensees must:(1) Store dangerous chemicals in a place that is inaccessible to children ages birth through six years old or others who might be endangered based on their developmental capabilities. This includes, but is not limited to:(a) Cleaning supplies;(b) Toxic or poisonous…

(1) Licensees must not use:(a) Location tracking for:(i) Department children or youth, except when:(A) The court approves the use of location tracking; and(B) They maintain a copy of the approval.(ii) Community children or youth, except when:(A) Approved by their parents or guard…

Licensees may use time-delay mechanisms on windows and doors except for SRHs licensed for five or fewer children or youth, if:(1) Approved by the department;(2) They meet the fire codes and are approved by the state fire marshal;(3) There is an exterior door that provides escape …

(1) Licensees must:(a) Maintain adequate sewage and garbage facilities;(b) Not allow running water to exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit; and(c) Provide individual drinking cups or glasses, paper cups, or drinking fountains.(2) Licensed buildings must:(a) Be connected to a public sewe…

Licensees must meet the following requirements for laundry and clothing:(1) Provide children and youth in care access to appropriate clean clothing that fits;(2) Store soiled and clean laundry separately;(3) Either:(a) Maintain adequate equipment for washing and drying laundry th…

Licensees must:(1) Provide:(a) Toilets and handwashing sinks appropriate to the height for children and youth in care or have a safe step stool or platform that is water-resistant and easy to clean;(b) Soap and clean towels, disposable towels, or other approved hand-drying device…

(1) Licensees must provide each child and youth a single or shared bedroom with privacy and space that adequately meets their developmental capabilities and is in their best interest, except:(a) Interim facilities may use common sleeping areas for children and youth in care inste…

(1) Licensees using shared bedrooms:(a) Must:(i) Consider input received from the following when considering what bedroom placement is in the best interest of a child or youth:(A) The child or youth; and(B) Their representative;(ii) Evaluate children's or youth's requests to move…

(1) Licensees must provide appropriate-sized separate beds that are in good condition for all children and youth in care, with a:(a) Mattress;(b) Bed frame, unless the bed frame is not appropriate because of the child's or youth's preference or medical or cultural needs; and(c) C…

(1) Licensees must have a room or area inside the facility that is suitable for recreational and informal educational activities appropriate to the developmental capabilities of the children and youth in care. The size of the room or area must:(a) Be appropriate for the licensed …

Licensees must develop and follow policies and procedures approved by the department for providing appropriate supervision and a safe outdoor recreation space that meets the children's and youth's age and developmental capabilities.[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.15.030. WSR 25-23-1…

Licensees must complete the following if there are swimming pools or other bodies of water on the premises:(1) Keep them fenced with a locking gate or other safety device approved by LD;(2) Lock hot tubs when not in use;(3) Make all potential water hazards, including wading pools…

(1) Licensees must:(a) Care for all animals housed on the premises in a safe and sanitary manner;(b) Comply with city, county, state, and federal statutes and regulations regarding:(i) Animal safety;(ii) Vaccinations; and(iii) Standard veterinary care;(c) Verify interactions betw…

Licensees must:(1) Evaluate their risk for emergencies;(2) Develop written emergency plans based on the evaluation in subsection (1) of this section that includes:(a) At a minimum, responses to the following types of emergencies:(i) Hostile individuals on the premises;(ii) Fires;…

Licensees must:(1) Keep adequate first-aid supplies on hand for immediate use;(2) Have first-aid supplies available to personnel and children or youth as appropriate to their developmental capabilities for immediate use at all times including, but not limited to:(a) Protective no…

(1) Licensees licensed as SRHs for five or fewer children and youth must meet fire safety regulations in WAC 110-148-1465.(2) Licensees, except SRHs for five or fewer children and youth, must:(a) Comply with the local building and fire codes and the state fire marshal regulations…

Licensees:(1) Licensed as SRHs for five or fewer children and youth must meet smoke detector regulations in WAC 110-148-1465;(2) Licensed as GCFs, except SRHs for five or fewer children and youth, must:(a) Meet the state fire marshal regulations for smoke detectors and have opera…

Licensees must install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms that comply with UL 2034:(1) In or near each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms;(2) On each story of the facility; and(3) Per NFPA 72 and the manufacturer's instructions.[Statutory Authority:…

(1) Licensees must:(a) Have at least one 2A10BC-rated five pound or larger all-purpose ABC fire extinguisher readily available at all times;(b) Mount fire extinguishers in:(i) The area of the normal path of exiting; and(ii) A bracket or a fire extinguisher cabinet so that the top…

Licensees must:(1) Conduct a monthly fire drill at varying times of the day and night so that children, youth, and personnel on all shifts practice the procedures;(2) Have a written record on the premises of the date and time that all drills were completed; and(3) Consult with an…

(1) Licensees must follow these requirements for their personnel:(a) Demonstrate competency, good judgment, and self-control in the presence of children and youth in care and when performing duties;(b) Know and comply with rules established in this chapter as well as all other ap…

(1) Executive directors or administrators in GCFs must:(a) Manage the financial, administrative, and service operations of the agency;(b) Be available by phone during the regularly scheduled business hours of the facility and on-site as needed;(c) Verify the agency complies with …

(1) Licensees must meet the following program manager requirements in GCFs:(a) Have at least one full-time program manager; and(b) Identify the key time periods when the program manager is expected to be on-site at the facility in either their:(i) Policies and procedures approved…

(1) Licensees must have at least one care coordinator in GCFs who coordinates services for individual children and youth in care, except for:(a) Interim facilities;(b) GRCs; and(c) Children and youth whose care and services are coordinated by DDCS.(2) Licensees may require more t…

(1) Licensees must meet the following requirements for direct care staff and direct care volunteers in GCFs:(a) Maintain sufficient numbers of direct care staff and direct care volunteers for the health, safety, and well-being of children and youth in care; and(b) Develop and fol…

Licensees that have nondirect care staff and nondirect care volunteers who assist personnel in GCFs must verify they meet the following requirements:(1) Are at least:(a) Eighteen years old; or(b) Sixteen years old, only at ERCs licensed to care for children or youth younger than …

Licensees must maintain a file for each personnel that contains the following records:(1) An application or resume that demonstrates the individual meets the experience requirements of the position;(2) Transcripts, diploma, or degree that demonstrates the individual meets the pos…

The same individual may fulfill the roles of multiple positions in GCFs, with LD approval, as long as:(1) They meet the qualifications and training requirements for each position;(2) They fulfill and conduct the duties of only one role at a time; and(3) Licensees verify required …

Licensees must have sufficient:(1) Clerical, accounting, and administrative services to maintain proper records and carry out their program; and(2) Support and maintenance services to:(a) Maintain and repair the premises; and(b) Prepare and serve meals.[Statutory Authority: RCW 7…

(1) Licensees must meet the following preservice training requirements:(a) Train all personnel on the agency's policies and procedures, job responsibilities, and facility administration; and(b) Verify personnel complete preservice training requirements in addition to the required…

(1) Licensees must meet the following in-service training requirements:(a) Offer all personnel providing direct care in-service training programs for developing and upgrading skills;(b) Create a written training plan;(c) Share any updates to policies, procedures, and rules in thi…

Licensees must meet the following requirements for bloodborne pathogens training:(1) Verify all personnel have completed training on bloodborne pathogens that includes infection control standards prior to working with children and youth in the facility;(2) Use infection control r…

(1) All personnel, except nondirect care staff and nondirect care volunteers, must be certified in basic standard first aid and age-appropriate CPR within the first 90 calendar days of working in the facility.(2) The first-aid and CPR training must be approved by the department a…

Licensees must:(1) Report the following incidents involving children and youth in their care to the:(a) Department intake and the child's or youth's representatives immediately, but no later than 48 hours after the following type of incidents:(i) Death;(ii) Injuries or health con…

(1) This section does not apply to OYSs and other GCFs that provide residential services for runaway or homeless children or youth, which must follow the requirements in WAC 110-145-2800.(2) Licensees must:(a) Develop and follow policies and procedures approved by the department …

Licensees providing services to homeless or runaway youth who learn that a community child or youth staying in their facility does not have permission from their parents or guardians to be there must:(1) If they are licensed as a CRC:(a) Follow the notification requirements in RC…

Licensees must immediately report to the LD licensor changes in the original licensing or renewal application, including the following:(1) Physical location, phone number, or email or mailing address;(2) Program description or the population served, including the maximum number, …

Licensees must:(1) Meet the staffing ratios in this section unless:(a) Their contract for services requires a more stringent staffing ratio for the health, safety, and well-being of the children, youth, and personnel;(b) The department requires a more stringent staffing ratio, pe…

(1) Licensees must meet the supervision requirements listed in this section unless their contract for services requires more stringent supervision requirements for the health, safety, and well-being of the children, youth, and personnel.(2) Licensees and their direct care staff a…

Licensees and their direct care staff and direct care volunteers must:(1) Provide enhanced supervision when children and youth in care participate in high-risk activities based on their developmental capabilities, unless there is a supervision plan approved by their representativ…

Licensees must complete the following as part of the admission process:(1) Provide orientation to:(a) Children and youth over the age of six based on their developmental capabilities. This must be provided both verbally and in writing and must include a:(i) Tour of the licensed p…

Licensees must obtain and document the following information in the child's or youth's well-being file as outlined in WAC 110-145-2890:(1) At the time of admission:(a) The date they were admitted;(b) The name and phone number for their representatives;(c) Legal authority to place…

(1) Licensees have the right to refuse to admit or retain a child or youth in their facility, unless that decision: (a) Is prohibited by their contract; or(b) Discriminates against children and youth as outlined in WAC 110-145-2320.(2) A joint decision may be made by the licensee…

Licensees must meet the following requirements for children's and youth's personal belongings:(1) Handle and store children's or youth's belongings with care and respect at all times;(2) Complete the following steps when tracking inventory of children's and youth's personal belon…

Licensees must meet the following requirements for children's and youth's files:(1) Retain any identifying and personal information about children or youth and their families:(a) Confidential as outlined in chapter 26.33 RCW; and(b) In a secure place inaccessible to children, you…

Licensees must keep information about children, youth, and their families confidential and only share their information, including their well-being files, when conducting official duties with:(1) Representatives of the department;(2) For department children or youth:(a) Represent…

Licensees must obtain and document the following medical records and information in the children's and youth's well-being files as outlined in WAC 110-145-2890:(1) Written consent, if applicable, for providing medical care and emergency surgery, unless that care is authorized by …

Licensees upon termination or expiration of their license or contract must:(1) Notify their LD licensor about the closure of the facility and where they will store children's and youth's files;(2) Keep all client information up to six years after the termination or expiration dat…

(1) Medical consent.(a) The department is the legal custodian for department children and youth and has the authority to consent to emergency and routine medical services on behalf of these children and youth when they are under 18 years old;(b) Youth in care ages 18 to 21 years …

(1) Licensees must obtain immediate medical care for a medical emergency, per WAC 110-145-2930.(2) Obtaining health history information. Licensees must attempt to obtain all information relevant to children's or youth's emergent medical needs upon admission:(a) This information m…