The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) licenses about 6,800 early learning programs and school-age sites in the state of Washington. Licensed providers follow foundational quality standards, the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), set by the state to ensure children in licensed care are in safe, healthy, and nurturing programs.
Families use different kinds of child care to fit their needs. If you take care of children regularly, you may need a license. Some caregivers do not need a license. Some examples are:
- Informal parent co-ops.
- Care by family members, friends, or neighbors who only watch children once in a while, not on a regular basis.
DCYF Licensing Rules
The child care rules are the Washington Administrative Codes (WAC). These rules explain what licensed or certified child care programs must do. DCYF makes rules when state law tells them to, or when laws need clearer details. The rules help organize what programs need to do to follow state and federal laws.
- Center and Family Home Child Care Licensing Rules – WAC 110-300
- School-Age Child Care Licensing Rules – WAC 110-301
- Outdoor Nature-Based Child Care Licensing Rules - WAC 110-302
- DCYF Background Check Rules – WAC 110-06
Who Needs a License
Washington state has different kinds of licensed early learning programs:
- A Family Home early learning program is child care provided in someone’s home. The provider lives there and can care for 12 or fewer children from birth to age 13.
- A Child Care Center early learning program is child care provided in a building or facility for groups of children from birth to age 13. Children are in care for less than 24 hours per day.
- A School-Age child care program is for children ages 5 to 13 and provided when they are not in school. Children are in care less than 24 hours per day.
- An Outdoor Nature-Based child care program provides child care for preschool and/or school-age children, mostly outdoors. Children are in care less than 24 hours per day.
