Washington Administrative Code › Title 170 - Early Learning, Department of › Chapter 170-300 - FOUNDATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDS FOR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS › ENVIRONMENT › Space and Furnishings › Section 170-300-0145 - Outdoor early learning program space

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1)
				  An early learning provider must visually inspect outdoor program space and
				  equipment daily to ensure outdoor areas and equipment are free of
				  hazards.
(2) Outdoor play space
				  must contain a minimum of seventy-five square feet of licensed usable space per
				  child accessing the play space at any given time. An early learning provider
				  may develop an alternate plan if an early learning program does not have enough
				  outdoor play space to accommodate all enrolled children at once (for example,
				  rotating groups of children to play outdoors or using an off-site play area).
				  The department must approve alternate plans to use off-site play
				  spaces.
(3) An early learning
				  program must have shaded areas in outdoor play space provided by trees,
				  buildings, or shade structures.
(4)
				  Outdoor play space must promote a variety of age and developmentally
				  appropriate active play areas for children in care. Activities must encourage
				  and promote both moderate and vigorous physical activity such as running,
				  jumping, skipping, throwing, pedaling, pushing, pulling, kicking, and
				  climbing.
(5) When the licensed
				  outdoor play space is not immediately adjacent to the early learning program
				  site, an early learning provider must use a safe route when moving to and from
				  the licensed outdoor play space.
(6) Licensed outdoor play areas must be
				  enclosed with a fence or barrier that is intended to prevent children from
				  exiting and discourages climbing. If the outdoor play area is enclosed by a
				  barrier that is not a fence, the barrier may be a wall constructed with brick,
				  stone, or a similar material.
(7)
				  Licensed outdoor play areas must be enclosed to deter people without permission
				  from entering the area.
(8) Fences,
				  barriers, and gates must be in good condition, have no gap through which a
				  sphere with a diameter of three and one-half inches can pass, and have a
				  minimum height of forty-eight inches or conform in height to applicable local
				  codes.
(9) The opening between a
				  fence post and gate or fence post and building must have no gap through which a
				  sphere with a diameter of three and one-half inches can pass.
(10) An early learning provider must not
				  install any wooden fence, playground structure, or furniture if it contains
				  chromated copper arsenate (CCA), creosote or pentachlorophenol. If wooden
				  fences, structures, and furniture are suspected of having CCA, they must be
				  tested. If CCA is present, fences, structures, and furniture must be removed or
				  sealed with an oil-based outdoor sealant annually or as needed within six
				  months of the date this section becomes effective.
(11) Within six months of the date this
				  section becomes effective or prior to licensing, exiting mechanisms on gates
				  from a licensed outdoor play area to unlicensed space must be equipped with a
				  self-closing and self-latching mechanism (shuts automatically when released
				  from an individual's control). A gate that is not an emergency exit must be
				  locked or self-closing and self-latching.
(12) Outdoor play areas must have two exits
				  that must not be partially or entirely blocked, with at least one exit located
				  away from the building.