Rule Making

Rule making is when the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) proposes and adopts rules focused on the well-being of children and youth in Washington state.

The Washington State Legislature guides all state rulemaking through a law known as the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Chapter 34.05 RCW. All state agencies must follow the requirements of the APA. The Regulatory Fairness Act requires DCYF to analyze the impact of its rules on small businesses.

DCYF offers the following services to inform the public about current DCYF rule making:

  • How to participate in DCYF rule making
  • Information about the DCYF rule-making process 
  • Rules under development (CR-101) 
  • Public hearing schedule (CR-102)
  • Expedited rule making (CR-105)
  • Final and emergency rules (CR-103)
  • Electronic notification of DCYF rule making

Interpretive and policy statements are used by agencies to advise the public of their current opinions, approaches, and likely courses of action. When DCYF issues an interpretive or policy statement, the statement is submitted to the Office of the Code Reviser for publication in the Washington State Register describing the subject matter of the interpretive or policy statement. The statement also contains the name of the person at DCYF you may contact to receive a copy of the interpretive or policy statement.