DCYF will work with these facilities to ensure compliance with state child care laws

OLYMPIA – The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has issued Declarations of Unlicensed Care to five child care facilities in the Anacortes area following formal complaints that the facilities were providing unlicensed care.

The first unlicensed care complaint was received on Oct. 19, 2018. The next four complaints were received on Nov. 2, 2018. DCYF child care licensors visited the sites and provided paperwork for the facilities to determine whether they are exempt from licensing laws. None of these providers has been reported or investigated for safety concerns.

All five of these sites have been issued paperwork explaining the state laws and requirements for providing child care, as well as exemptions to these laws. None of these programs has been instructed by DCYF to stop serving children and their families. Rather, the programs must submit paperwork to the agency to determine whether they are exempt from licensing laws. If they are not exempt, DCYF will work with the facilities to help them comply with state laws regarding child care.

One program has notified the department that it will shorten its hours to comply with state laws exempting them from licensing requirements. Another program has started the licensing process. DCYF is reaching out to the other three programs to determine how they will comply with the state’s child care laws.

Although it is unclear how many children and families are served by these five child care providers, DCYF hopes to work with each of these providers so they can continue to serve families while working to meet Washington’s legal requirements.

In Washington state, child care providers offering preschool-aged services for more than 4 hours per day must be licensed by DCYF. Providers offering services to children under 2 ½ years of age must be licensed, regardless of how many hours they are providing care.

By licensing child care and early learning facilities, DCYF can help ensure the safety and quality of early learning environments. The licensing process includes thorough background checks of child care operators and safety inspections of facilities. Through regular licensing visits, licensors are able to monitor the ongoing safety and quality of the child care being provided.

If affected families wish to find alternative licensed care in the Anacortes area, Child Care Aware of Washington can help them find programs to meet their needs. Families can begin their child care search online by visiting www.findchildcarewa.org or by calling 1-800-446-1114.