Washington Administrative Code

(1) An early learning provider must comply with the state building code, as now and hereafter amended, pursuant to RCW 19.27.031.(2) An early learning provider must arrange for a fire safety inspection annually. A provider must arrange a fire safety inspection with a local govern…

To prevent injury or drowning and ensure the health and safety of children, an early learning provider must comply with the requirements described in this section.(1) The following bodies of water must be inaccessible to children in care by using a physical barrier with a locking…

(1) An early learning provider must serve meals and snacks to children in care as follows:(a) Meals and snacks must be served not less than two hours and not more than three hours apart unless the child is asleep;(b) Children in care for five to nine hours:(i) At least one meal a…

To ensure proper nutrition of children in care, an early learning provider must comply with the child nutrition requirements described in this section.(1) Meals, snack foods, and beverages provided to children in care must comply with the requirements contained in the most curren…

(1) An early learning provider must obtain written instructions (the individual care plan) from the child's health care provider and parent or guardian when caring for a child with a known food allergy or special dietary requirement due to a health condition. The individual care …

(1) A written food plan must be developed by the provider and a child's parent or guardian, signed by all parties, and followed when accommodating a child's:(a) Special feeding needs;(b) Special diets;(c) Religious or cultural preferences;(d) Family preference; or(e) Other needs.…

(1) An early learning provider preparing or serving food must comply with the current department of health Washington State Food and Beverage Workers' Manual and supervise services that prepare or deliver food to the early learning program.(2) Snacks and meals must be prepared an…

(1) Food prepared and served from an early learning program must not be tampered with or spoiled.(2) Food prepared and served from an early learning program must be obtained from an approved source licensed and inspected by the local health jurisdiction, the Washington state depa…

(1) Early learning providers must wash their hands, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0200.(2) Early learning providers must store, prepare, cook, hold food, and wash dishes, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0195.(3) For all foods offered by the provider or given to an enrolled child by a parent or…

(1) An early learning provider or staff must clean and sanitize food preparation areas and eating surfaces before and after each use, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0241 (1)(a).(2) In an early learning program's food preparation area, kitchens must:(a) Have walls, counter tops, floors, …

(1) Early learning providers must comply with the following handwashing procedures or those defined by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and children should strongly be encouraged to:(a) Wet hands with warm water;(b) Apply soap to the hands;(c) Rub hand…

(1) An early learning provider must observe all children for signs of illness when they arrive at the early learning program and throughout the day. Parents or guardians of a child should be notified, as soon as possible, if the child develops signs or symptoms of illness.(2) If …

(1) On or before their children's first day of attending an early learning program, the parents or guardians of enrolled children must give to early learning providers proof of vaccination or acquired immunity for the vaccine-preventable disease, required under RCW 43.216.690 and…

(1) Managing medication. A medication management policy must include, but is not limited to, safe medication storage, reasonable accommodations for giving medication, mandatory medication documentation, and forms pursuant to WAC 110-300-0500.(2) Medication training. An early lear…

(1) An early learning provider must provide at least one indoor bathroom in the licensed space that has the following:(a) One working flush toilet.(i) Toilets must be an appropriate height and size for enrolled children. A platform may be used to accommodate the height and size o…

(1) Center early learning providers must have a designated diaper changing area, including stand-up diapering, for each classroom or for every age grouping of children who require diapering. Only one diaper changing area is required for family home early learning programs.(a) Dia…

(1) An early learning provider may have pets or other animals on the early learning program premises.(2) If an early learning provider keeps pets or animals on the early learning program premises:(a) The provider must have and follow a pet and animal policy; and(b) Provide writte…

(1) Family home licensees, center directors, assistant directors, program supervisors, lead teachers, assistant teachers, and any other early learning providers counted in staff-to-child ratio, or who could potentially be counted in ratio, must have a current pediatric and adult …

(1) Hot and cold running water must be directly plumbed to the early learning program premises.(2) An early learning provider must use a Washington state certified water laboratory accredited by the department of ecology to test the program water supply for lead and copper.(a) Al…

(1) An early learning program's drinking water must:(a) Be offered multiple times throughout the day and be readily available to children at all times;(b) Be offered in outdoor play areas, in each classroom for centers, and in the licensed space for family homes;(c) Be served in …

(1) Early learning program premises and program equipment must be clean and sanitary.(2) Hard surfaces in early learning programs including, but not limited to, floors (excluding carpet), walls, counters, bookshelves, and tables must be smooth and easily cleanable.(a) A cleanable…

(1) An early learning provider must develop and follow a cleaning schedule that includes:(a) Food preparation areas, tables and chairs, high chairs, and food service counters, which must be cleaned and sanitized before and after each meal and snack with single use paper towels or…

(1) Laundry and laundry equipment at an early learning program must be inaccessible to children and separated from areas where food is prepared to prevent cross contamination.(2) Dirty or soiled laundry must be:(a) Kept separate from clean laundry;(b) Cleaned with laundry soap or…

(1) If an early learning program is served by a private septic system, the septic system must be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with state and local health jurisdiction requirements.(a) A private septic system must be inspected by a septic system maintenance …

(1) An early learning provider must take appropriate steps to safely prevent or control pests that pose a risk to the health and safety of adults and children in and around the licensed space. Pest control steps must include:(a) Prevention. A provider must take steps to prevent a…

(1) An early learning provider must ensure all poisonous or dangerous substances including, but not limited to, fuels, solvents, oils, laundry, dishwasher, other detergents, sanitizing products, disinfectants and items labeled "keep out of reach of children" are stored:(a) In a l…

(1) An early learning provider must offer a supervised daily rest period for children preschool age and younger who remain in care for more than six hours per day, or who show a need for rest.(2) An early learning provider must provide quiet activities for children who do not req…

(1) An early learning provider must be approved by the department to provide overnight care between nine o'clock at night and five o'clock in the morning when any enrolled child sleeps for three or more hours at the program.(2) If approved by the department to provide overnight c…

(1) An early learning program may care for infants if the department inspects the program space and approves care for infants:(a) Prior to issuing the program its license; or(b) Prior to caring for infants if the program has not previously done so.(2) An early learning provider w…

(1) An early learning provider may allow parents to bring from home filled bottles clearly labeled with the date and infant's first and last name for daily use. Bottles must be immediately refrigerated.(2) A bottle preparation area must:(a) Include a sink; and(b) Be located at le…

(1) When a parent or guardian provides breast milk, an early learning provider must:(a) Immediately refrigerate or freeze the breast milk;(b) Label the breast milk container with the child's first and last name and the date received;(c) Store frozen breast milk at zero degrees Fa…

(1) An early learning provider must have and follow written policies on providing, preparing, and storing breast milk or infant formula and food.(2) After consulting a parent or guardian, an early learning provider must implement a feeding plan for infants and toddlers that inclu…

(1) For infants, an early learning provider must supply a single level crib, playpen, or other developmentally appropriate sleep equipment. Providers must not use sofas, couches, or adult-sized or toddler beds for infant sleeping.(2) For toddlers, an early learning provider must …

(1) An early learning provider must follow safe infant sleep practices when infants are napping or sleeping by following the current standard of American Academy of Pediatrics concerning safe sleep practices including SIDS/SUIDS risk reduction, including:(a) Actively supervising …

(1) An early learning provider must support each infant and toddler's culture, language, and family.(2) An early learning provider must ensure an adequate supply of age and developmentally appropriate program materials and equipment for infants and toddlers. Materials and equipme…

(1) An early learning provider must expose infants and toddlers to a developmentally appropriate curriculum.(2) Developmentally appropriate curriculum may include, but is not limited to:(a) Developing infant and toddler language and communication by:(i) Talking and listening to c…

(1) An early learning provider must develop an individual care plan for each child with special needs and must notify the department when a child with special needs is enrolled or identified in the early learning program. Plans and documentation required under this section must:(…

(1) An early learning provider must have a written curriculum philosophy that describes the program of planned daily activities related to early childhood or child development.(2) The curriculum philosophy must address all age groups being served, be informed by the Washington st…

(1) An early learning provider must facilitate activities to support child learning and understanding.(2) An early learning provider may facilitate child learning and understanding through a variety of techniques such as:(a) Using a variety of teaching strategies (different techn…

(1) An early learning provider must be aware of and responsive to children's developmental, linguistic, cultural, and academic needs.(2) An early learning provider must be aware of and responsive to children's needs by engaging in activities such as:(a) Asking developmentally app…

(1) An early learning provider must work to maximize children's interests, engagement with developmentally and culturally responsive activities, and ability to learn from play.(2) An early learning provider must maximize children's interests, engagement, and abilities by using te…

(1) When communicating or interacting with children, an early learning provider must maintain a climate for healthy, culturally responsive child development such as:(a) Using a calm and respectful tone of voice;(b) Using positive language to explain what children can do and give …

(1) An early learning provider must work to maintain positive relationships with children by using consistent guidance techniques to help children learn. Guidance techniques must adapt an early learning program's environment, routines, and activities to a child's strengths, devel…

(1) An early learning provider, staff member, or household member is prohibited from using the following behaviors and discipline of children:(a) Profanity, obscene language, "put downs," or cultural or racial slurs;(b) Angry or hostile interactions;(c) Threats of physical harm o…

(1) An early learning provider must have written physical restraint protocols pursuant to WAC 110-300-0490, and implement such protocols only when appropriate and after complying with all requirements of WAC 110-300-0330 and 110-300-0331.(2) Physical restraint must only be used i…

(1) To promote consistent care and maximize opportunities for child development and learning, an early learning provider must develop and follow expulsion policies and practices, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0486.(2) An early learning provider may expel a child only if:(a) The child e…

(1) An early learning provider must only allow the following persons to have unsupervised access to a child in care:(a) That child's own parent or guardian;(b) Licensees or early learning program staff authorized by the department in chapter 110-06 WAC;(c) A government representa…

(1) During water activities, an early learning provider must meet all supervision requirements of this section and WAC 110-300-0345.(2) During water activities, an early learning provider must:(a) Ensure a one-to-one (1:1) staff-to-child ratio for infants;(b) Hold or have continu…

(1) To define capacity, licensed indoor early learning program space must have a minimum of thirty-five square feet per child in attendance and further comply with the requirements of this chapter.(a) Center early learning program space must provide fifteen additional square feet…

(1) The department issues initial or nonexpiring family home licenses for up to 12 children. The department will not issue a family license to care for more children than permitted by the rules in this chapter but may issue a license to care for fewer than the maximum allowable e…