Subject of Possible Rule Making: Foster care and child care licensing, to include child-specific foster care licenses, outdoor nature-based child care licenses, the department's internal review process for child care licensing, child care licensing fees, and background check applications for child cares.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065, and 43.216.250; chapter 304, Laws of 2021.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Rules are necessary to implement chapter 304, Laws of 2021, which authorizes the department to issue child-specific foster care licenses and license outdoor nature-based child cares, places a time-specific moratorium on the department's collection of child care licensing fees, requires background check applications to be uploaded to the department's online workforce registry (MERIT), and modifies the department's internal child care review process.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Department of Children, Youth, and Families Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 40975, Olympia, WA 98504-0975, phone 360-902-7956, email dcyf.dcyfrulescoordinator@dcyf.wa.gov, website www.dcyf.wa.gov, www.dcyf.wa.gov/practice/policy-laws-rules/rule-making/participate/online.