Washington Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers

Licensing Standards for DayCare Centers

WAC 388-150-130
Behavior Management and Discipline

(1) The licensee shall guide the child's behavior based on an understanding of the individual child's needs and stage of development. The licensee shall promote the child's developmentally appropriate social behavior, self-control, and respect for the rights of others.

(2) The licensee shall ensure behavior management and discipline practices are fair, reasonable, consistent, and related to the child's behavior. Staff shall not administer cruel, unusual, hazardous, frightening, or humiliating discipline.

(3) The licensee shall be responsible for implementing the behavior management and discipline practices of the center. The child in care shall not determine or administer behavior management or discipline.

(4) The licensee shall prohibit and prevent:

(a) Corporal punishment by any person on the premises, including biting, jerking, shaking, spanking, slapping, hitting, striking, or kicking the child, or other means of inflicting physical pain or causing bodily harm;

(b) The use of a physical restraint method injurious to the child;

(d) The withholding of food as a punishment.

(5) In emergency situations, the staff person competent to use restraint methods may use limited physical restraint when:

(a) Protecting a person on the premises from physical injury;

(b) Obtaining possession of a weapon or other dangerous object; or

(6) The licensee shall document any incident involving the use of physical restraint.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.15.030. 90-23-078 (Order 3103), § 388-150-130, filed 11/20/90, effective 12/21/90.]

Director@Daycare.com