(c) All bath, toilet rooms and hand washing areas; (d) Hallways, diaper changing areas (includes the changing table, sink and twenty-four inches of floor space around the changing table and sink), stairways, closets, offices, staff rooms, lockers and custodial areas; (e) Furnace rooms, hot water heater rooms, storage rooms, or mop sink rooms; and (f) Cabinets, storage, and fixed shelving spaces unless accessible to and used by children (for example, cubbies, shelves for storing toys and puzzles, bookshelves, etc.). If the children do not have access to their cubbies or toy storage areas, it is not included in the square footage. (3) You can use a multipurpose room and gymnasium for multiple purposes such as playing, dining, napping, and learning activities, and before and after school programs when the room: (a) Meets the square footage requirements for the now and hereafter amended. Weight #4 Early learning program space must include pathways for children to move between areas without disrupting another child’s work or play. Weight #4 A Family Home Licensee must provide a signed and dated declaration form, (found at ) if the early learning program meets any of the following requirements in unlicensed space: Furnace area safety, or smoke or carbon monoxide detector requirements under WAC Guns, weapon, or ammunition storage under WAC Medication storage under WAC x x x x
least weekly for injury hazards, broken parts, or damage. Unsafe equipment must be repaired immediately or must be made inaccessible to children until repairs are made. (2) Play equipment must be arranged so that it does not interfere with other play equipment when in use. (3) The licensee must install or assemble new play equipment acquired after March 31, 2012, according to manufacturer specifications, and keep specifications on file for review by the licensor. (4) For used or play equipment, or for play equipment acquired and installed prior to March 31, 2012, the licensee must assemble the equipment in a manner that provides a safe play experience for the children. quantity to implement the centers program and meet the developmental needs of children in care. (2) Have a current daily schedule of activities and lesson plans that are designed to meet the children's developmental, cultural, and individual needs. The toys, equipment and schedule must be: (a) Specific for each age group of children; and (b) Include at least one activity daily for each of the following (you can combine several of the following for one activity): (i) Child initiated activity (free play); (ii) Staff initiated activity (organized play); (iii) Individual choices for play; (iv) Creative expression; (v) Group activity; (vi) Quiet activity; (vii) Active activity; (viii) Large and small muscle activities; and (ix) Indoor and outdoor play. children in care. Tables must not be bucket style. Weight #4 Furniture and equipment must be: Maintained in a safe working condition; Developmentally and age appropriate; Inspected at least weekly for hazards, broken parts, or damage. All equipment with hazardous, broken parts, or damage must be repaired immediately or must be made inaccessible to children until repairs are made according to the manufacturer’s instructions, if available; Arranged in a way that does not interfere with other play equipment; Installed and assembled according to manufacturer x x
(3) You must ensure the lesson plan, daily schedule of events, available toys and equipment contains a range of learning experiences to allow each child the opportunity to: (a) Gain self-esteem, self-control, and decision-making abilities; (b) Develop socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically; (c) Learn about nutrition, health, and personal safety; and (d) Experiment, create, and explore. (4) Post the daily schedule and lesson plan in each room for easy reference by parents and by caregivers; (5) Keep the daily schedule of events and lesson plans for the past six months on site for inspection; (6) Maintain staff-to-child ratios and group size during transitions from one activity to another during the day; (7) Plan for smooth transitions by: (a) Establishing familiar routines; and specifications. An early learning provider must keep manufacturer specifications on file for review by the department; Stored in a manner to prevent injury; and Accessible to the child’s height so that he or she can find, use, and return materials independently. Weight #6 Indoor handmade play structures must be maintained for safety or removed when no longer safe. The department must review and approve construction plans and a list of materials to be used to construct indoor handmade play structures before construction begins. Weight #5 An early learning provider must provide soft furnishings in licensed space accessible to children. Soft x x x x
Space and Furnishings – Room arrangement, child-related displays, private space and belongings Family Home WAC Center WAC Proposed WAC Satisfactory/Minor/Major revisions; Concerns; Suggested Alternate Language Conflicts with ECEAP, Head Start, Schools District Standards and Practices WAC 170-296A-4750 Storage for each child’s belongings The licensee must provide separate storage for each child’s belongings. Belongings of children from the same family may be stored together No current Family Home WAC regarding specific privacy WAC 170-295-5140 Are there any requirements for storage space provided for children? You must provide accessible individual storage space for each child’s belongings that prevents the spread of diseases or parasites such as scabies or lice. WAC 170-295-4140 (1) You are required to have extra clothing available for the children who wet or soil their clothes. (2) You may require the parent to provide the clothing, but you must have clothing available for use in case the parent forgets the change of clothing No current Center WAC regarding specific privacy 170-300-0140 Room arrangement, displays, private space, and belongings. Early learning materials and equipment must be visible and accessible to children in care, and must be arranged to promote and encourage independent access by children. Weight #3 An early learning provider must display age and developmentally appropriate early learning materials. Materials must be posted at enrolled children’s eye level and related to current activities, themes, or lessons plans. Weight #1 An early learning provider must provide, or allow a child to create, a place for privacy. This space must: x x x x x x
Family Home WAC Center WAC Proposed WAC Satisfactory/Minor/Major revisions; Concerns; Suggested Alternate Language Conflicts with ECEAP, Head Start, Schools District Standards and Practices WAC 170-296A-4925 Space for gross motor play (1) The licensee must provide a safe outdoor play area on the premises. (a) The outdoor play space must contain seventy-five square feet of usable space per child for the number of children stated on the license. (b) If the premises does not have seventy-five square feet of available outdoor space per child, the licensee may provide an alternative plan, approved by the department, to meet the requirement for all children in care to have daily opportunities for active outdoor play. (2) The licensed outdoor play space must be securely enclosed with a fence of a minimum height of four feet. When a fence has slats, openings between the slats must be no wider than three and one-half inches. WAC 170-295-2130; 5090 (1) You must provide an outdoor program that promotes the child's coordination, active play, and physical, mental, emotional, and social development based on their age. The play area must: (a) Adjoin the indoor premises directly or be reachable by a safe route or method; (b) Have adequate drainage and be free from health and safety hazards; (c) Contain a minimum of seventy-five usable square feet per child using the play area at any one time. If the center uses a rotational schedule of outdoor play periods so only a portion of the child population uses the play area at one time, you may reduce correspondingly the child's play area size. 170-300-0145 Outdoor early learning program space. An early learning provider must inspect outdoor play areas daily to ensure outdoor program space is safe and free of hazards. Weight #6 Outdoor play space must contain a minimum of 75 square feet of licensed 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 plans to use X X X X
(3) When the licensed outdoor play space is not adjacent to the home the licensee must: (a) Identify and use a safe route to and from the licensed outdoor space that is approved by the department; and (b) Supervise the children at all times when passing between the licensed outdoor space and the home. (4) The licensee must provide a written plan, approved by the department, to make roadways and other dangers adjacent to the licensed outdoor play space inaccessible to children. WAC 170-296A-5025 Outdoor physical activities. The licensee must have an outdoor play area that promotes a variety of age and developmentally appropriate active play for the children in care. (2) If you provide full-time care, the activity schedule must provide the child daily morning and afternoon outdoor play; 170-295-5090 What are the fence requirements? (1) You must fence the outdoor play area to: (a) Prevent unauthorized people from entering; and (b) Prevent children from escaping and having access to hazardous areas. (2) At a minimum fences and gates must: (a) Be safe, and maintained in good repair; and (b) Be designed to discourage climbing and prevent entrapment. off-site play spaces. Weight #5 “Usable space” means the areas that are available at all times for use by children in an early learning program and meets licensing requirements. Weight NA An early learning program must have shaded areas in outdoor play space provided by trees, buildings, or shade structures. Weight #1 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 and pulling, kicking, and climbing. Weight #1 When the licensed outdoor play space is not immediately adjacent to the X x X X X X x x
assemble the equipment in a manner that provides a safe play experience for the children. WAC 170-296A-5050 Bouncing equipment prohibited The licensee must not use or allow the use of bouncing equipment including, but not limited to, trampolines, rebounders and inflatable equipment. This requirement does not apply to bounce balls with or without handles for use by individual children. WAC 170-296A-5075 Playground equipment—Ground cover—Fall zones (1) The licensee must not place climbing play equipment on concrete, asphalt, packed soil, lumber, or similar hard surfaces when being used by children. (2) The ground under swings and play equipment intended to be climbed must be covered by a shock absorbing material. Grass alone is not an lumber, or similar hard surfaces; (b) The ground under swings and play equipment must be covered by a shock absorbing material. Grass alone is not an acceptable ground cover material under swings or other play equipment. Weight #6 An early learning provider must comply with the standards in the CPSC’s guidelines including, but not limited to installing, arranging, designing, constructing, and maintaining outdoor play equipment. Weight # Permanently outdoor play equipment must not be placed over septic tank areas or drain fields, and must be installed according to the manufacturer’s directions. Weight #6
acceptable ground cover material under swings or play equipment intended to be climbed. Acceptable ground cover includes: (a) Pea gravel - At least nine inches deep; (b) Playground wood chips - At least nine inches deep; (c) Shredded recycled rubber - At least six inches deep; or (d) Other department approved material. (3) A six-foot fall zone must surround all equipment that has a platform over forty-eight inches tall that is intended to be climbed. (4) The fall zone area must extend at least six feet beyond the perimeter of the play equipment. For swings, the fall zone must be the distance to the front and rear of the swing set equal to or greater than twice the height of the top bar from which the swing is suspended. (5) Swing sets must be positioned further away from structures to the front and rear of the swing set. The distance Handmade playground equipment must be maintained for safety or removed when no longer safe. The department must review and approve construction plans and a list of materials to be used to construct handmade playground equipment before construction begins. Weight #6 Bouncing equipment including, but not limited to, trampolines, rebounders and inflatable equipment must be inaccessible and not in early learning program space. This requirement does not apply to bounce balls designed to be used by children individually. Weight #7
constructed, installed, and made available to the intended users in such a manner that meets CPSC guidelines and ASTM standards, as warranted by the manufacturers’ recommendations.” DEL’s proposal around homemade equipment provides a balanced approach to permitting homemade equipment within a framework of a commitment to child safety. Finally, the proposal addresses making bouncing equipment inaccessible while not in use, and barring it from indoor learning space. Washington proposes greater permissibility than Caring for Our Children, 3rd Edition which says STANDARD 6.2.4.4: Trampolines states, “Trampolines, both full and mini-size, should be prohibited from being used as part of the child care program activities both on-site and during field trips.” This proposal permits this type of equipment but only under controlled, specified conditions in order to reduce hazards. Space and Furnishings - Weather conditions and outdoor requirements Family Home WAC Center WAC Proposed WAC Satisfactory/Minor/Major revisions; Concerns; Suggested Alternate Language Conflicts with ECEAP, Head Start, Schools District Standards and Practices WAC 170-296A-5125 Daily outdoor activity. The licensee or staff must provide outdoor activities at least thirty minutes each day unless conditions pose a health and safety risk to the children. Conditions that may pose a health and safety risk include, but are not limited to: (1) Heat in excess of one hundred degrees Fahrenheit; (2) Cold less than twenty degrees Fahrenheit; (3) Lightning storm, tornado, hurricane, or flooding, WAC 170-295-5150 (2)(b) Not take children outdoors during extremes temperatures that put children at risk for physical harm. 170-300-0147 Weather conditions and outdoor requirements. An early learning provider must observe weather conditions and other possible hazards. The provider must not take or leave children outside if conditions exist that may pose a health or safety risk. Conditions that pose a health or safety risk include, but are not limited to the following: Heat in excess of 100 degrees
if there is immediate or likely danger to the children; (4) Earthquake; (5) Air quality emergency ordered by a local or state air quality authority or public health authority; (6) Lockdown order by a public safety authority; or (7) Other similar incidents Fahrenheit or less for children under five years old, or pursuant to advice of the local sources; Cold less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or pursuant to advice of the local sources; Lightning storm, tornado, hurricane, or flooding if there is immediate or likely danger to children in care; Earthquake; Air quality emergency ordered by a local or state authority on air quality or public health; Lockdown ordered by a public safety authority; and Other similar incidents. Weight #7 (2) An early learning provider must appropriately dress children for weather