WSR 26-04-066
AGENDA
DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES
[Filed January 28, 2026, 10:27 a.m.]
Following is the department of children, youth, and families (DCYF) semi-annual rule-making agenda for January 1 through June 30, 2026. This agenda will be published in the Washington State Register as required in RCW 34.05.314 and distributed to interested parties. It is also available on the DCYF rule-making web page.
This agenda represents DCYF rule making that is anticipated or currently under development. There may be additional rule-making activities needed to implement legislative actions, comply with federal mandates, or meet unforeseen circumstances.
WAC Sections
Subject Matter
CR-101
Filings
CR-102 or CR-105 Filings
CR-103E Filings
Chapter 110-15
Working connections and seasonal child care (WCCC): Housekeeping edits.
24-15-069
Filed 7/17/24
 
 
110-15-0003
110-15-0095
110-15-0109
WCCC - Newly eligible services: Amending WAC language to implement ESSB 5752 section 15, related to revising requirements for newly eligible services. Currently, families can begin child care anytime during the 12-month eligibility period and will receive a full 12-month authorization for care from the date the care begins. However, under ESSB 5752, families will still receive a 12-month eligibility period, but the authorization for care will not be extended if care begins later in the eligibility period.
25-22-069
Filed 10/31/25
 
25-22-70
Filed 10/31/25
110-15-0005
110-15-0075
WCCC - Repealing expanded eligibility for registered apprenticeships and child care employees: Amending rules to implement child care subsidy program changes related to ESSB 5752, related to repealing expanded eligibility for registered apprenticeships and child care employees, and removing enrollment in a state registered apprenticeship as being excluded from the work requirements as a condition of receiving WCCC.
25-14-107
Filed 7/1/25
 
25-22-037
Filed 10/29/25
110-15-0205
110-15-0240
WCCC - Rates: Amending rules to align with the 2025 approved state budget increasing licensed family home provider rates to the 85th percentile of the current market, and increasing family, friends, and neighbors (FFN) provider rates to $4.50, effective July 1, 2025, per ESSB 5167.
25-14-109
Filed 7/1/25
 
25-12-039
Filed 10/29/25
110-15-0271
WCCC - Presumptive eligibility: Amending rules to align with child care development fund grant requirements to not pursue overpayments that may occur related to presumptive eligibility approvals, except in cases of fraud or intentional program violations, per ESSB 5167.
25-14-111
Filed 7/1/25
 
25-22-040
Filed 10/29/25
Chapter 110-16
FFN: Amending to clarify requirements for FFN providers providing care for children getting services through the WCCC subsidy program.
24-07-041
Filed 3/13/24
 
 
110-30-0020
110-30-0030
110-148-1305
110-300-0005 110-300-0110
110-300-0425
110-300-0450
110-300-0475 110-301-0005
110-301-0110
110-301-0425
110-301-0450
110-301-0475
110-302-0005
110-302-0110
110-302-0425 110-302-0450
110-302-0475
Child abuse or neglect definition change: Amending rules to align with the revised definition in RCW 26.44.020 for "abuse or neglect" to include "sex trafficking" and "severe forms of trafficking in persons" that will go into effect on July 1, 2025, per SB [2SSB] 6006, and "female genital mutilation," per SB [SSB] 5453, which went into effect on April 20, 2023.
25-14-104
Filed 7/1/25
25-21-118
Filed 10/20/25
25-22-031
Filed 10/28/25
110-30-0070
Responding to reports of alleged child abuse or neglect: Amending the existing rule to provide more clarity and to align with current practice on how employees respond to reports of abuse or neglect. Proposed changes include, but are not limited to, increasing the time frame for completing an investigation.
25-21-107
Filed 10/10/25
 
 
110-50-0060
110-50-0070
110-50-0090
Child welfare voluntary placement agreement (VPA): Amending WAC to align with VPA practice and reason to know requirements. The WAC must reflect the specific process when Indian Child Welfare Act applies and there is a reason to know a child has native ancestry.
Pending
 
 
110-50-0120 110-50-0130 110-50-0140 110-50-0150 110-50-0160 110-50-0210 110-50-0220
Receiving care and behavioral rehabilitative services: Amending the chapter 110-50 WAC, Child welfare, rules related to receiving care and behavioral rehabilitation services to comply with the D.S. Settlement Agreement, provide additional clarity, and align with current practice.
25-23-001
Filed 11/5/25
 
 
110-50-0375
110-50-0380
110-50-0385
110-50-0390
110-50-0395
Child welfare housing assistance: Developing rules to reflect current practice.
Pending
 
 
110-50-0900 through 110-50-0970
110-50-1000 through 110-50-1090
Foster parent liability fund and property: Amending rules to correct the address for submitting reimbursement forms, allow for reimbursement to unlicensed caregivers, and increase the reimbursement limit from $5,000 to $10,000.
24-13-013
Filed 6/6/24
 
 
10-50-1170 through
110-50-1270
Managing and using unearned income and resources for foster children and youth and state supplementary payment (SSP) program:
• Repealing the SSP program WAC in chapter 110-50 WAC and other related rules. The SSP program is administered by the department of social and health services and the eligibility requirements for children or youth in foster care are already covered under WAC 388-474-0012.
• Revising the managing and using unearned income and resources for foster children and youth rules, WAC 110-50-1170 - 110-50-1210, to reinstate the retirement, survivors, and disability insurance, also referred to as old-age, survivors, and disability insurance, which was inadvertently omitted from the most recent rules filing.
26-04-044
Filed 1/27/26
 
 
Chapter 110-80
Adoption support: Amending rules to reflect federal law requirements that prohibit states from granting exceptional cost allowances to adoptive parents for child care costs and exceptional foster care rates. These revisions will also include general housekeeping edits and other updates to align with current practice.
25-11-001
Filed 5/7/25
 
 
Chapter 110-85
Guardianship assistance program and extended guardianship assistance program: Amending rules to create equitable and consistent treatment of caregivers across state regions.
Pending
 
 
Chapter 110-145
Group care: Amending rules to be more developmentally and culturally appropriate
and flexible to meet individual child's and youth's needs. Additionally, the project will allow DCYF to best determine how these licensing WAC can better accommodate the most relevant and beneficial programming and settings as possible, all while maintaining minimum health and safety standards. WAC changes will be made using negotiated rule making.
24-11-084
Filed 5/16/24
25-23-088
Filed 11/18/25
 
Chapter 110-148
Foster care: Amending rules to be more developmentally and culturally appropriate and flexible to meet individual child's and youth's needs. WAC changes will be made using negotiated rule making.
24-19-029
Filed 9/9/24
 
 
Chapter 110-300 Chapter 110-301
Chapter 110-302
Foundational quality standards: Amending rules as the current WAC wording is a source of confusion and extra work for both licensing staff and the child care provider communities that DCYF serves. In addition, it has resulted in an inability to maintain healthy boundaries for children, families, providers, and DCYF. Some WAC changes will be made using negotiated rule making.
Additional revisions based on:
• E2SHB 1648, relating to child care provider qualifications.
• SSB 5545, relating to modifying provisions regarding family home providers overseen and certified by a federal military service.
25-15-045
Filed 7/9/25
 
25-24-018
Filed 10/21/25
110-425-0010
110-425-0020
110-425-0030
110-425-0035
110-425-0040
110-425-0050
110-425-0060
110-425-0070
110-425-0080
110-425-0083
110-425-0084
110-425-0085
110-425-0087
110-425-0088
110-425-0090
Early childhood education and assistance program (ECEAP): Amending chapter 110-425 WAC and creating a new section to comply with 2025 legislation. HB [SHB] 1351 changed the ECEAP eligibility and expanded enrollment effective July 1, 2025. In addition, there were language changes in RCW 43.216.512 and 43.216.513, regarding DCYF's required enrollment rules.
25-17-031
Filed 8/13/25
26-01-010
Filed 12/4/25
 
Chapter 110-730
Juvenile rehabilitation: Amending rules to assign security classifications to youth in juvenile rehabilitation facilities to clarify and add additional classifications as needed for increased safety and to reduce incidents.
25-09-075
Filed 4/16/25
 
 
Chapter 110-744
Chapter 110-745
Hearings and juvenile rehabilitation:
• Developing new chapter 110-744 WAC, Rule violation and response hearings.
• Amending chapter 110-745 WAC, Transfer of individual to the department of corrections.
Pending
 
 
Brenda Villarreal
Rules Coordinator