June 15, 2022
Beginning July 1, 2022, child care licensors from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will conduct all monitor visits unannounced and on-site. The visits will use a baseline checklist that focuses on the highest risk Washington Administrative Codes (WAC) and those that are necessary to meet federal requirements. This is another step to recovery and to ensure children are in healthy and safe environments.
This process will continue at least through June 30, 2023. We hope to shorten child care licensing staff’s time at each facility through several ways:
- The baseline checklist will be the same for each site requiring a monitor visit during this timeframe; however, some site-specific and expansion items will not appear, depending on the facility (e.g., infant care WAC will not appear if you are not licensed for infants).
- The link to the sample basic checklist will be available on the DCYF Child Care Licensing Forms Page by July 1, 2022.
- Child care licensing staff will determine compliance through visual observation, discussion, or other documentation.
- After conducting the unannounced on-site monitor visit, child care licensing staff will reach out to you via phone or other virtual platforms to discuss the inspection report, review the talking points of the inspection, and provide technical assistance as needed.
Please contact your child care licensor if you have questions.