PERMANENT RULES
EARLY LEARNING
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: Increasing child care center and school-age center program annual license fees, by amending WAC 170-151-070 How do I apply for a license? and 170-295-0060 What are the requirements for applying for a license to operate a child care center?
The 2010 Legislature, in adopting the 2010-2011 supplemental operating budget bill ESSB 6444 (chapter 37, Laws of 2010 1st sp. sess.), included a proviso in section 614(14) directing DEL to raise annual child care center license fees in fiscal year 2011 by slightly more than double their previous rate. With the increase, the new annual license fee is $100 for the first twelve children, plus $8 per additional child up to the center's licensed capacity. The fee is assessed at each center's annual license anniversary date for current licensees. The increase applies to approximately two thousand one hundred twenty DEL-licensed child care centers and school-age center programs. Child care license fees had not increased since 1982. The legislature did not increase family home child care license fees.
The legislature raised child care center license fees as one of several measures to close an anticipated $2.8 billion shortfall in the 2010-2011 state budget, and to offset projected future shortfalls. DEL license fees are deposited to the state general fund and are not retained by DEL.
RCW 43.215.255(3) requires that DEL set child care license fees by rule. DEL implemented the new center license fees by emergency rules filed as WSR 10-13-072 and extended as WSR 10-21-031. When these permanent rules are effective, they will replace and supersede the emergency rules filed as WSR 10-21-031.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 170-151-070 and 170-295-0060.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 43.215.255 and 43.215.070, chapter 43.215 RCW.
Other Authority: ESSB 6444 (section 614(14), chapter 37, Laws of 2010 1st sp. sess.), RCW 43.135.055.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 10-18-065 on August 30, 2010.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: November 19, 2010.
Elizabeth M. Hyde
Director
OTS-3284.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-10-041, filed 4/30/08,
effective 5/31/08)
WAC 170-151-070
How do I apply or reapply for a license?
(1) You must comply with the department's application
procedures and submit to the department:
(a) A completed department-supplied application for school-age child care center license, including attachments, ninety or more days before the:
(i) Expiration of your current license;
(ii) Opening date of your center;
(iii) Relocation of your center; or
(iv) Change of the licensee.
(b) A completed background check form for each staff person or volunteer having unsupervised or regular access to the child in care; and
(c) The annual licensing fee((. The fee)) is:
(i) For new licenses issued by the department before July 1, 2010, or for licensees whose annual licensing fees are due before July 1, 2010, forty-eight dollars per year for the first twelve children plus four dollars for each additional child over the licensed capacity of twelve children; or
(ii) For new licenses issued after June 30, 2010, or for licensees whose annual licensing fees are due after June 30, 2010, one hundred dollars per year for the first twelve children plus eight dollars for each additional child over the licensed capacity of twelve children.
(2) In addition to the required application materials specified under subsection (1) of this section, you must submit to the department:
(a) An employment and education resume of the person responsible for the active management of the center and of the site coordinator;
(b) Copies of diplomas or education transcripts of the director and site coordinator; and
(c) Three professional references each for you, the director, and the site coordinator.
(3) You, as the applicant for a license under this chapter must be twenty-one years of age or older.
(4) You must conform to rules and regulations approved or adopted by the:
(a) State department of health and relating to the health care of children at school-age child care centers;
(b) State fire marshal's office, establishing standards for fire prevention and protection of life and property from fire, under chapter 212-12 WAC.
(5) The department must not issue a license to you until the state fire marshal's office has certified or inspected and approved the center.
(6) The department may exempt a school site possessing a fire safety certification signed by the local fire official within six months prior to licensure from the requirement to receive an additional fire safety inspection by the state fire marshal's office.
(7) You must submit a completed plan of deficiency correction, when required, to the department of health and the department licensor before the department will issue you a license.
(8) You, your director and site coordinator must attend department-provided orientation training.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.215 RCW, RCW 43.43.832, 2006 c 265 and 2007 c 387. 08-10-041, § 170-151-070, filed 4/30/08, effective 5/31/08. 06-15-075, recodified as § 170-151-070, filed 7/13/06, effective 7/13/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.15.020. 01-02-031, § 388-151-070, filed 12/22/00, effective 1/22/01. Statutory Authority: Chapter 74.15 RCW. 93-02-020 (Order 3493), § 388-151-070, filed 12/30/92, effective 1/30/93.]
OTS-3283.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-10-041, filed 4/30/08,
effective 5/31/08)
WAC 170-295-0060
What are the requirements for applying
for a license to operate a child care center?
(1) To apply or
reapply for a license to operate a child care center you must:
(a) Be twenty-one years of age or older;
(b) The applicant, director and program supervisor must attend the orientation programs that we provide, arrange or approve;
(c) Submit to us a completed and signed application for a child care center license or certification using our forms (with required attachments).
(2) The application package must include the following attachments:
(a) The annual licensing fee. The fee is based on your licensed capacity, and is:
(i) For new licenses issued by the department before July 1, 2010, or for licensees whose annual licensing fees are due before July 1, 2010, forty-eight dollars for the first twelve children plus four dollars for each additional child over the licensed capacity of twelve children; or
(ii) For new licenses issued after June 30, 2010, or for licenses whose annual license fees are due after June 30, 2010, one hundred dollars per year for the first twelve children plus eight dollars for each additional child over the licensed capacity of twelve children;
(b) If the center is solely owned by you, a copy of your:
(i) Photo identification issued by a government entity; and
(ii) Social Security card that is valid for employment or verification of your employer identification number.
(c) If the center is owned by a corporation, verification of the corporation's employer identification number;
(d) An employment and education resume for:
(i) The person responsible for the active management of the center; and
(ii) The program supervisor.
(e) Diploma or education transcript copies of the program supervisor;
(f) Three professional references each, for yourself, the director, and the program supervisor;
(g) Articles of incorporation if you choose to be incorporated;
(h) List of staff (form is provided in the application);
(i) Written parent communication (child care handbook);
(j) Copy of transportation insurance policy (liability and medical);
(k) In-service training program (for facilities employing more than five persons);
(l) A floor plan of the facility drawn to scale;
(m) A copy of your health care plan reviewed and signed by an advisory physician, physician's assistant, or registered nurse;
(n) A copy of your policies and procedures that you give to parents; and
(o) A copy of your occupancy permit.
(3) You must submit to the department a completed background check form for all persons required to be authorized by DEL to care for or have unsupervised access to the children in care under chapter 170-06 WAC; and
(4) You must submit your application and reapplication ninety or more calendar days before the date:
(a) You expect to open your new center;
(b) Your current license is scheduled to expire;
(c) You expect to relocate your center;
(d) You expect to change licensee; or
(e) You expect a change in your license category.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.215 RCW, RCW 43.43.832, 2006 c 265 and 2007 c 387. 08-10-041, § 170-295-0060, filed 4/30/08, effective 5/31/08. 06-15-075, recodified as § 170-295-0060, filed 7/13/06, effective 7/13/06. Statutory Authority: Chapters 74.12 and 74.15 RCW. 04-09-093, § 388-295-0060, filed 4/20/04, effective 5/21/04; 03-14-110, § 388-295-0060, filed 6/30/03, effective 8/1/03.]