PDFWAC 51-51-0331

Section R331Family home child care.

R331 Family home child care. For family home child care with more than six children, each floor level used for family child care purposes shall be served by two remote means of egress. Exterior exit doors shall be operable from the inside without the use of keys or any special knowledge or effort.
Basements located more than 4 feet below grade level shall not be used for family home child care unless one of following conditions exist:
1. Stairways from the basement open directly to the exterior of the building without entering the first floor;
2. One of the two required means of egress discharges directly to the exterior from the basement level, and a self-closing door is installed at the top or bottom of the interior stair leading to the floor above;
3. One of the two required means of egress is an operable window or door, approved for emergency escape or rescue, that opens directly to a public street, public alley, yard or exit court; or
4. A residential sprinkler system is provided throughout the entire building in accordance with NFPA 13d.
Floors located more than 4 feet above grade level shall not be occupied by children in family home child care.
EXCEPTIONS:
1. Use of toilet facilities while under supervision of an adult staff person;
 
2. Family home child care may be allowed on the second story if one of the following conditions exists:
 
2.1. Stairways from the second story open directly to the exterior of the building without entering the first floor;
 
2.2. One of the two required means of egress discharges directly to the exterior from the second story level, and a self-closing door is installed at the top or bottom of the interior stair leading to the floor below; or
 
2.3. A residential sprinkler system is provided throughout the entire building in accordance with NFPA 13d.
Every sleeping or napping room in a family home child care shall have at least one operable window for emergency rescue.
EXCEPTION:
Sleeping or napping rooms having doors leading to two separate means of egress, or a door leading directly to the exterior of the building.
Rooms or spaces containing a commercial-type cooking kitchen, boiler, maintenance shop, janitor closet, laundry, woodworking shop, flammable or combustible storage, or painting operation shall be separated from the family home child care area by at least 1-hour fire-resistive construction.
EXCEPTION:
A fire-resistive separation shall not be required where the food preparation kitchen contains only a domestic cooking range, and the preparation of food does not result in the production of smoke or grease laden vapors.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074. WSR 20-03-023, § 51-51-0331, filed 1/6/20, effective 7/1/20.]