5.5 Monitoring and Enforcement of Licensing and Health and Safety Requirements

5.5.1 Inspections for licensed CCDF providers Licensing inspectors must perform at least one annual, unannounced inspection of each licensed CCDF provider for compliance with all child care licensing standards, including an inspection for compliance with health and safety and fire standards. Lead Agencies must conduct at least one pre-licensure inspection for compliance with health, safety, and fire standards of each child care provider and facility in the State/Territory. a. Licensed CCDF center-based providers i. Does your pre-licensure inspection for licensed center-based providers assess compliance with health standards, safety standards, and fire standards? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: ii. Identify the frequency of annual unannounced inspections for licensed center- based providers addressing compliance with health, safety, and fire standards: [ ] Annually. [ ] More than once a year. If more than once a year, describe: [x] Other. If other, describe: DCYF received a preliminary notice of non-compliance from OCC related to this item on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. DCYF has processes in place to conduct annual, unannounced inspections of Licensed providers, but it is possible for a supervisor to approve an unannounced visit to not be conducted. iii. Does the Lead Agency implement a differential monitoring approach when monitoring licensed center-based providers? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the differential monitoring approach is representative of the full complement of health and safety requirements. [x] No. If no, describe: Licensors use a standardized full checklist for the first license and until the facility is moved to a non-expiring license. After attaining a full, non-expiring l license, an abbreviated checklist is used. All requirements in WAC are on a checklist at least once every 4 years. The items that are higher risk to children in care are on every checklist, those that are lower risk rotate through to assure all areas and WAC are considered at least once every 4 years. In some situations, a WAC violation may cause additional WAC to be considered at this visit even though they would not usually be on this rotation. This is because the WAC may be an indicator of other risks. DCYF received a preliminary notice of non-compliance from OCC related to this item on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. DCYF is conducting inspections for Licensed providers that include shelter-in-place or lock down, but not both. Ongoing training is not included in the current (short) version of the inspection checklist, and therefore, Licensors are not inspecting providers and staff for the annual ongoing hourly training requirements. iv. Identify which department or agency is responsible for completing the inspections for licensed center-based providers. DCYF is the agency responsible for completing inspections for licensed center-based providers. Monitoring visit practice is per agency policy and procedure 10.1.8. Center rules require providers to follow other regulations or have other inspections as required by state, county, or city ordinances. See WACs 110-300-0415 and -0425. b. Licensed CCDF family child care providers i. Does your pre-licensure inspection for licensed family child care homes assess compliance with health standards, safety standards, and fire standards? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: ii. Identify the frequency of annual unannounced inspections for licensed family child care homes addressing compliance with health, safety, and fire standards: [ ] Annually. [ ] More than once a year. If more than once a year, describe: [x] Other. If other, describe: DCYF received a preliminary notice of non- compliance from OCC related to this item on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. DCYF has processes in place to conduct annual, unannounced inspections of Licensed providers, but it is possible for a supervisor to approve an unannounced visit to not be conducted. iii. Does the Lead Agency implement a differential monitoring approach when monitoring licensed family child care providers? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the differential monitoring approach is representative of the full complement of health and safety requirements. [x] No. If no, describe: Licensors use a standardized full checklist for the first license and until the facility is moved to a non-expiring license. After attaining a full, non-expiring l license, an abbreviated checklist is used. All requirements in WAC are on a checklist at least once every 4 years. The items that are higher risk to children in care are on every checklist, those that are lower risk rotate through to assure all areas and WAC are considered at least once every 4 years. In some situations, a WAC violation may cause additional WAC to be considered at this visit even though they would not usually be on this rotation. This is because the WAC may be an indicator of other risks. DCYF received a preliminary notice of non-compliance from OCC related to this item on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. DCYF is conducting inspections for Licensed providers that include shelter-in-place or lock down, but not both. Ongoing training is not included in the current (short) version of the inspection checklist, and therefore, Licensors are not inspecting providers and staff for the annual ongoing hourly training requirements. iv. Identify which department or agency is responsible for completing the inspections for licensed family child care providers. DCYF is the agency responsible for completing inspections for licensed family child care providers. Monitoring visit practice is per agency policy and procedure 10.1.8. Center rules require providers to follow other regulations or have other inspections as required by state, county, or city ordinances. See WACs 110-300-0415 and -0425. c. Licensed in-home CCDF child care providers i. Does your Lead Agency license CCDF in-home child care (care in the child’s own home) providers? [x] No. [ ] Yes. If yes, does your pre-licensure inspection for licensed in-home providers assess compliance with health, safety, and fire standards? [ ] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: ii. Identify the frequency of annual unannounced inspections for licensed in-home child care providers for compliance with health, safety, and fire standards completed: [ ] Annually. [ ] More than once a year. If more than once a year, describe: [x] Other. If other, describe: na iii. Does the Lead Agency implement a differential monitoring approach when monitoring licensed in-home child care providers? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the differential monitoring approach is representative of the full complement of health and safety requirements. [x] No. iv. Identify which department or agency is responsible for completing the inspections for licensed in-home providers. na 5.5.2 Inspections for license-exempt providers Licensing inspectors must perform at least one annual monitoring visit of each license-exempt CCDF provider for compliance with health, safety, and fire standards. Inspections for relative providers will be addressed in subsection 5.8. Describe the policies and practices for the annual monitoring of: a. License-exempt CCDF center-based child care providers i. Identify the frequency of inspections for compliance with health, safety, and fire standards for license-exempt center-based providers: [x] Annually. [ ] More than once a year. If more than once a year, describe: [ ] Other. If other, describe: ii. Does the Lead Agency implement a differential monitoring approach when monitoring license-exempt center-based providers? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the differential monitoring approach is representative of the full complement of health and safety requirements. [x] No. iii. Identify which department or agency is responsible for completing the inspections for license-exempt center-based CCDF providers. A certified license exempt center is held to all current DCYF licensing standards. The site is monitored by a DCYF licensor; visits are annual and unannounced. A differential monitoring checklist may be utilized for annual visits. Certified centers include, for example, certified programs on Tribal land. A certified for Payment Only license exempt Center is monitored by a separate entity to ensure it initially meets and maintains standards prescribed by its governing body: the federal military; a local, state or federal government; or the federally-recognized Tribe. b. License-exempt CCDF family child care providers i. Identify the frequency of the inspections of license-exempt family child care providers to determine compliance with health, safety, and fire standards: [x] Annually. [ ] More than once a year. If more than once a year, describe: [ ] Other. If other, describe: ii. Does the Lead Agency implement a differential monitoring approach when monitoring license-exempt family child care providers? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe how the differential monitoring approach is representative of the full complement of health and safety requirements. [x] No. iii. Identify which department or agency is responsible for completing the inspections for license-exempt family child care providers. A certified license exempt Family Home provider is held to all current DCYF licensing standards. The site is monitored by a DCYF licensor; visits are annual and unannounced. A differential monitoring checklist may be utilized for annual visits. Certified Family Home providers include, for example, certified programs on Tribal land. A certified for Payment Only license exempt Family Home provider is monitored by a separate entity to ensure it initially meets and maintains standards prescribed by its governing body: the federal military; a local, state or federal government; or the federally-recognized Tribe. 5.5.3 Inspections for CCDF license-exempt in-home child care providers Lead Agencies may develop alternate monitoring requirements for care provided in the child’s home that are appropriate to the setting. This flexibility cannot be used to bypass the monitoring requirement altogether. a. Describe the requirements for the annual monitoring of CCDF license-exempt in-home child care (care in the child’s own home) providers, including if monitoring is announced or unannounced, occurs more frequently than once per year, and if differential monitoring procedures are used. A certified license exempt center is held to all current DCYF licensing standards. The site is monitored by a DCYF licensor; visits are annual and unannounced. DCYF received a preliminary notice of non-compliance from OCC related to this item on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet this requirement. is not inspecting for Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning components (shelter-in-place AND lock down) or the Appropriate Disposal of Biocontaminants. DCYF offers three options for providers to meet their pre-service training requirements. One of the options does not include content on immunizations, prevention of SIDS or safe sleep practices, prevention of child maltreatment, or the appropriate disposal of biocontaminants. As the Lead Agency’s options for training do not include all of the required components, they cannot inspect for the completion of training in these areas. b. List the entity(ies) in your State/Territory responsible for conducting inspections of license-exempt CCDF in-home child care (care in the child’s own home) providers: DCYF licensor 5.5.4 Posting monitoring and inspection reports Lead Agencies must post monitoring and inspection reports on their consumer education website for each licensed and CCDF child care provider, except in cases where the provider is related to all the children in their care. These reports must include the results of required annual monitoring visits and visits due to major substantiated complaints about a provider’s failure to comply with health and safety requirements and child care policies. A full report covers everything in the monitoring visit, including areas of compliance and non-compliance. If the Lead Agency does not produce any reports that include areas of compliance, the website must include information about all areas covered by a monitoring visit. The reports must be in plain language or provide a plain language summary Lead Agency and be timely to ensure that the results of the reports are available and easily understood by parents when they are deciding on a child care provider. Lead Agencies must post at least 3 years of monitoring and inspection reports. a. Does the Lead Agency post: i. [x] Pre-licensing inspection reports for licensed programs. ii. [x] Full monitoring and inspection reports that include areas of compliance and non-compliance for all non-relative providers eligible to provide CCDF services. iii. [ ] Monitoring and inspection reports that include areas of non-compliance only, with information about all areas covered by a monitoring visit posted separately on the website (e.g., a blank checklist used by monitors) for all non-relative providers eligible to provide CCDF services. If checked, provide a direct URL/website link to the website where a blank checklist is posted: iv. [x] Other. Describe: DCYF will apply for a waiver of this provision. DCYF received a preliminary notice of noncompliance on this item issued by OCC on May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. Though DCYF posts inspection checklists and inspection reports for all Licensed, CCDF-eligible provider types to its public-facing website, there are circumstances where 3 years of reports and initial/pre-licensure reports are not posted. DCYF posts information related to substantiated complaints; however, there are instances where no information about the reason for the complaint is included within the report. Additionally, information regarding serious injuries/fatalities may be posted in the same way as a complaint, but if an injury/fatality occurs and no licensing rules were violated, this would be considered ￿invalid￿ and no associated information regarding the incident would be posted to the website. Further, there are instances where no corrective action information taken by the state or child care provider is included. b. Check if the monitoring and inspection reports and any related plain language summaries include: i. [x] Date of inspection. ii. [ ] Health and safety violations, including those violations that resulted in fatalities or serious injuries occurring at the provider. Describe how these health and safety violations are prominently displayed: iii. [ ] Corrective action plans taken by the Lead Agency and/or child care provider. Describe: iv. [ ] A minimum of 3 years of results, where available. v. If any of the components above are not selected, please explain: DCYF received a preliminary notice of noncompliance with this item date May 8, 2024. DCYF requires additional time to meet the requirement. Though DCYF posts inspection checklists and inspection reports for all Licensed, CCDF-eligible provider types to its public-facing website, there are circumstances where 3 years of reports and initial/pre-licensure reports are not posted as to license exempt providers. DCYF posts information related to substantiated complaints; however, there are instances where no information about the reason for the complaint is included within the report. Additionally, information regarding serious injuries/fatalities may be posted in the same way as a complaint, but if an injury/fatality occurs and no licensing rules were violated, this would be considered ￿invalid￿ and no associated information regarding the incident would be posted to the website. Further, there are instances where no corrective action information taken by the state or child care provider is included. c. Lead Agencies must post monitoring and inspection reports and/or any related summaries in a timely manner. i. Provide the direct URL/website link to where the reports are posted: https://www.findchildcarewa.org/ ii. Identify the Lead Agency’s established timeline for posting monitoring reports and describe how it is timely: DCYF defines timely as no later than 90 days after inspection or corrective action. However, DCYF posts reports (monitoring visit checklists) immediately upon completion and posts Inspection Reports (IR), if required due to monitoring findings, immediately after all components are documented and the provider’s 10-day period to appeal compliance findings has passed. d. Does the Lead Agency certify that the monitoring and inspection reports or the summaries are in plain language that is understandable to parents and other consumers? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: e. Does the Lead Agency certify that there is a process for correcting inaccuracies in the monitoring and inspection reports? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: f. Does the Lead Agency maintain monitoring and inspection reports on the consumer education website? [ ] Yes. [x] No. If no, describe: While DCYF removes out of date inspection information from Child Care Check, there is no written policy or procedure describing that process. 5.5.5 Qualifications and training of licensing inspectors Lead Agencies must ensure that individuals who are hired as licensing inspectors (or qualified monitors designated by the Lead Agency) are qualified to inspect child care providers and facilities and have received health and safety training appropriate to the provider setting and age of the children served. Describe how the Lead Agency ensures that licensing inspectors (or qualified monitors designated by the Lead Agency) are qualified and have received training on health and safety requirements that are appropriate to the age of the children in care and the type of provider setting. . Licensor candidates are required to have either of the following in order to become licensors: - A master's degree or higher in social work, a health or social science, public administration or a related field, and two years of professional experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering social, financial, health or chemical dependency treatment services programs; or - A bachelor's degree in social work, a health or social science, public administration or a related field, and three years of professional experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering social, financial, health or chemical dependency treatment services programs; or - One year of experience as a Social and Health Program Consultant 1. Licensors are required to complete health and safety training modules in the agency’s Learning Management System. The training is required to be completed during staff probation and is included in staff expectations. Additionally, new licensors receive hands-on training from established licensors and work one on one with their supervisor on their individual progress. The qualification requirements for the licensor position are described in the DCYF Human Resources internal Position Description document (OFM 12-0002). 5.5.6 Ratio of licensing inspectors Lead Agencies must ensure the ratio of licensing inspectors to child care providers and facilities in the State/Territory are maintained at a level sufficient to enable the Lead Agency to conduct effective inspections of child care providers and facilities on a timely basis in accordance with federal, State, and local laws. Provide the ratio of licensing inspectors to child care providers (i.e., number of inspectors per number of child care providers) and facilities in the State/Territory and include how the ratio is sufficient to conduct effective inspections on a timely basis. Licensor ratios vary based on variables including travel time, travel distance, facility capacity, the provider types in a given licensing region, and language needs of providers. Licensors have a blended caseload of family child homes, centers, and school age programs with an average of 65 cases per licensor. In one licensing region, a not unusual licensor caseload might consist of 40 centers, 20 family homes, and 5 school age programs. DCYF licensing offices carefully assemble each licensor's caseload to achieve an equitable distribution of work, based on the above variables, that best assures child health and safety. (https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/el-license/POL10.1.18.pdf) Policy and (https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/el-license/PRO10.1.18.pdf) Procedure 10.1.18 Maintaining Equitable and Effective Child Care Licensing Caseloads