Background: Child Care Licensing.
Generally, any person or entity that provides child care or early learning services outside a child's own home must obtain a license from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). There are some exemptions from the general licensing requirement for:
- certain relatives;
- friends;
- neighbors;
- parents exchanging care of their own children;
- nursery schools providing early childhood education for less than four hours per day;
- schools;
- seasonal camps;
- certain facilities providing care for less than 24 hours while the parents remain on the premises;
- certain recreational or educational programs;
- government programs;
- programs within a federally recognized tribal reservation;
- military programs; and
- programs offering early learning and support services.
There are different types of licensed child care programs in Washington as follows:
- family home early learning programs that provide child care in their family living quarters for 12 or fewer children;
- child care centers that provide care for a group of children ages birth through 12 years old;
- school-age programs that provide care for children ages five through 12 when the children are not attending school; and
- outdoor nature-based programs that provide care to preschool or school-age children in an outdoor, natural space and teach a nature-based curriculum.
Child Care Licensing Fees.
The DCYF is required to charge fees for obtaining a child care license. These fees are due with an applicant's initial license application and annually thereafter. The annual fee is as follows:
- $30 for family home early learning programs; and
- $125 for center early learning programs for the first 12 children plus $12 for each additional child.
The DCYF was prohibited from imposing child care licensing fees from July 25, 2021 to June 30, 2023.