Childcare-What to Know When Your Child has a Disability 

 Use this link for listings on the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF): findchildcarewa.org 

Washington State partners with Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center. The phone number for individual assistance with your childcare search is 1-800-446-1114 

How can I find out if a childcare center, program, or family home childcare is safe? 

By law, Washington State licenses certain childcare settings. Licensing sets standards that childcare programs and providers must meet. State inspections help ensure that licensed programs and providers meet the standards, which cover a wide range of topics, from the safety and cleanliness of the physical setting through number of staff per child, staff training, and age-and-ability appropriateness of activities and education. 
Links to Washington’s licensing rules are on DCYF’s page on Becoming a Licensed Child Care and Early Learning Provider. 

• Family home early learning programs: 
  An early learning program licensed by the department where a family home licensee provides childcare or education services for 12 or fewer children in the family living quarters where the licensee lives. 
• Childcare center early learning programs: 
  A facility providing regularly scheduled care for a group of children aged from birth through 12-years-old for periods of less than 24 hours a day. 
• School-age programs (might provide before and after-school childcare and school vacation care): 
  A facility providing regularly scheduled care for a group of children 5 through 12-years-old for periods less than 24 hours a day, when children are not attending school. 
• Outdoor Nature-Based program: 
  An early learning program that offers regularly scheduled care for preschool-age children, school-age children, or mixed-age children for periods less than 24 hours a day, when children are not attending school. 

• A nanny or babysitter in your family’s home 
• Informal parent cooperatives (example: “babysitting exchange”) 
• Play groups 
• Educational preschools that operate less than four hours a day 
• Parks and Recreation programs run by cities and towns 
• Family members, friends, and neighbors who provide occasional care (If friends or neighbors are providing childcare for multiple children on a regular basis, they are required to have a state license.) 

Programs operated by cities and towns may have standards set by the local government. Contact your local Parks and Recreation Departments to find out what standards their facilities need to meet, how staff are chosen and background checked, and any other questions you have about whether a program will be safe and appropriate for your child. 

Programs that operate on federal or state funding must meet Washington State licensing requirements, such as Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program 
(ECEAP). 

More on Head Start and ECEAP under “How to pay for childcare.” 

• Checking in-person to see if a license is posted  
• Use “Child Care Check: an online search tool to get information about individual child care providers and early learning programs in Washington” 

This search tool lets you search for licensing history (has the home or center ever lost its license?), state monitoring reports (did the inspectors find anything to worry about?) status of staff background checks (are they being done?) and more. The tool finds information in Washington State’s database of all licensed childcare facilities and home childcare providers. 

Here is a downloadable, printable checklist of questions to ask when you visit a childcare setting. It’s from ChildCare Aware of Washington: Child Care Quality Checklist 

Questions to ask a provider when enrolling a child with disabilities into a childcare program. It’s important for parents to ask questions to ensure the provider can meet their child’s unique needs.  

• What experience do you have caring for children with disabilities? 
• Do you have staff trained in special education or disability support? 
• What is your adult-to-child ratio, and how flexible is it for children needing more support? 
• Are staff trained in administering medications or managing medical devices (e.g., feeding tubes, EpiPens, inhalers)? 
• How do you support children with behavioral challenges? 
• What is your approach to discipline, and how is it adapted for children with developmental or emotional disabilities? 
• Can you create or follow an Individualized Care Plan or IEP? 
• Are you willing to make reasonable modifications to activities, routines, or environments? 
• Do you allow assistive technology or support items (e.g., communication devices, wheelchairs, noise-canceling headphones)? 

There are three laws that may apply to childcare settings: 

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)  
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C (Birth to Age 3) and Part B (Age 3 through high school graduation) 
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1972, usually referred to as “Section 504” or “504” 

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to: 

• Federal, state, and local government-agency programs. Examples of this are Head Start, ECEAP (preschools operated by local school districts), summer programs, and extended day school programs. 
• Privately run childcare centers such as those licensed by Washington State. “Even small, home-based centers are covered by title III of ADA”  
• Private childcare centers that operate on the property of a religious organization, leasing or renting space on that property. 

ADA does NOT apply to childcare centers that are RUN by religious organizations, such as a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue. 

ADA requires childcare providers to give both children and parents with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the provider’s programs and services. 

• Centers cannot exclude children with disabilities from their programs unless their presence poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or requires a fundamental alteration of the program. 
• Centers must make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices to integrate children, parents, and guardians with disabilities into their programs unless doing so would constitute a fundamental alteration. 
• Centers must provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services needed for effective communication with children or adults with disabilities, when doing so would not constitute an undue burden. 
• Centers must generally make their facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. Existing facilities are subject to the readily achievable standard for barrier removal, while newly constructed facilities and any altered portions of existing facilities must be fully accessible. 

This website has many examples of situations to help parents and childcare providers understand what the law requires: Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Children aged birth to 3 who have a disability or are at risk for certain disabilities may be eligible for services under IDEA. For children who qualify, Part C of IDEA authorizes services to support and promote a child’s development “in their natural environment.” This usually means the family home and often, the child’s childcare setting.  
 
Parents can request their child be evaluated (tested) to see if they are reaching expected developmental stages. If evaluators find that a child needs support, a Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) will help the family create an Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP). Family members have important roles in that plan, and professional staff provide services and help the family to use natural learning opportunities like playtime, meals, or baths to create opportunities for a child to practice and develop delayed skills. 

Services in an IFSP may include, but are not limited to:  

• Specialized instruction 
• Speech therapy 
• Occupational therapy 
• Physical therapy 

If childcare is a part of your child’s regular schedule, services may be able to be provided in the childcare setting, such as a scheduled time for a speech therapist to work with your child during childcare hours, and for childcare staff to include your family’s daily “practice time” to help your child meet their development goals. 

 If you are just beginning to look for childcare, your FRC may be a good resource to advise you on things to look for and questions to ask to find a childcare setting that can support your family’s IFSP. 

You can check out these resources for much more information on Birth-to-3 programs: 
 
Disability Rights for Littles: Key Information for Families of Babies, Preschoolers, and Primary-School Children (videos) -all the basics you need to know 

PAVE: From Birth to Three Toolkit Basics and beyond! Read online or download, includes FAQ sheet and “cheat sheets”, summaries of important information at-a-glance.  

WA State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Early Intervention Services page: Includes contact information and links to apply for an evaluation for ESIT services to find out if your child qualifies. 

IDEA Part B applies to preschool and school-age children, and exists to ensure schools, preschools, and kindergartens provide eligible children with disabilities a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). When disabilities affect how a child is doing in preschool or school, IDEA Part B states that schools and preschools are required to evaluate the child to see if they qualify for special education and related services and supports. This article from PAVE has important background on this law: IDEA: The Foundation of Special Education. 

If a child is eligible for special education, a team is brought together that includes parents, and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is created for the child, listing the goals, education, and other supports the school or preschool will provide to meet the child’s learning needs. 

For childcare settings, IDEA Part B will apply for these types of childcare settings: 

• Head Start programs 
• Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program 
  (ECEAP)  
• Transitional Kindergarten 

This PAVE resource explains the differences in services between Part B and Part C of IDEA. 

Often called “Section 504” for short, this federal law administered by the Office of Civil Rights prohibits discrimination based on disability. To be protected under Section 504, a child must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, have a record of such an impairment, or be regarded as having such an impairment. 

Section 504 applies to individuals 3-22 years of age. The law requires childcare centers, camps, and any other recreational programs that receive federal funding to provide preschool children with disabilities equal access to the program, with reasonable accommodations and modifications. 

It also includes programs like Head Start, summer programs, and extended school day programs.  

Requirements for childcare centers: 

• Non-discrimination: Childcare centers cannot refuse to admit a child with a disability.  
• Reasonable Accommodations: They must provide reasonable accommodations to enable children with disabilities to participate in the program.  
• Individualized Assessments: Childcare providers must make an individualized assessment of a child’s needs.  
• Modifications to Policies and Practices: They must make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices.  
• Accessible Facilities: Childcare centers must ensure that physical spaces are accessible.  

Federal Tax Credit: The child and dependent care credit is a tax credit that may help you pay for the care of eligible children or dependents. This credit is based on your income and the cost of caring for your children or eligible dependents to work, look for work, or attend school.  

Seattle has a Child Care Assistance Program. 

Washington State offers a program through the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF): 

Working Connections Child Care (WWCC) helps working families pay for childcare. If a family qualifies and chooses an eligible provider, Washington State will pay part of childcare costs. Parents are responsible for any copayment of childcare fees not covered by the state, and those are payable to the provider every month. 

• The child or children must live in Washington State 
• The family with whom the child lives must live in Washington State 
• The family’s income must be at or below 60% of the State Median Income 
• The family must have less than $1 million in resources 
• Parent or parents must be participating in an approved activity, such as self-employment, employment, or being in high school or post-secondary education or taking part in the WorkFirst or BFET program. 
• Families experiencing homelessness are eligible. 
• If a parent or parents are seasonal agricultural (farm) workers, and live in certain counties, they may be eligible for the Working Connections program. 

An additional up-to-date online resource is MomsRising.org. This site has brief, helpful information about the Working Families Child Care Program, especially when your child or children have a disability. It goes over issues such as: 

• How families and family size are defined for this program 
• Children with physical, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities 
• Children and families experiencing homelessness 
• Families where the parent or parents are high school or college students 
• What types of childcare are available 
• Getting financial assistance when a family member, friend, or neighbor can take care of your child or children 
• You can check details of your eligibility, including income requirements, on DCYF’s Working Connections Child Care website page.  
• Apply by calling the Child Care Subsidy Contact Center 1-844-26-8687 or online at Washington Connection.  
• Get help applying for this program and help finding childcare that meets your family’s needs through ChildCare Aware of WA. 

Head Start programs are federally funded and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a Washington State-funded program for children aged three and four, and in some locations, infants and toddlers younger than age three. Head Start offers services to pregnant women in some locations.  

Your local school district will have an ECEAP program available. 

Children are eligible for these programs based on their age and family incomes, with some children able to attend these free programs if they have multiple support needs. Visit the ECEAP & Head Start programs page on the DCYF website for more detail and contact information in English and Spanish. 

Financial help for childcare by family, friends, or neighbors: 

In Washington, this category is called Family, Friend and Neighbor Care. These settings are not required to have a license and are very common arrangements.  
Informal care for children in your home or the family’s home may involve some expenses, and Washington State recognizes this with financial assistance (subsidies). Visit the Family, Friend and Neighbor Care page on DCYF’s website for contact information to apply for subsidies.