As the Child Care and Child Care Health Consultant, I provided a comprehensive range of health services tailored to the prenatal to 13 population. These services included:

Childcare Consultant Services

1. Pre-Startup Planning

• Health and Safety Assessment: Conduct on-site evaluations of potential childcare locations in WA for compliance with WAC 110-300. This includes checking for childproofing in homes, playgrounds, and classrooms. For example, during a recent assessment, I identified a need for safety gates in the entryways of a childcare center, which led to a workshop on effective childproofing strategies.
• Educational Program Planning: Collaborate closely with providers to co-create a curriculum that meets WA state standards, incorporating experiential learning activities that engage children while ensuring safety and childproofing.

2. Startup Plans

• WAC Guidance: Provide personalized, step-by-step guidance through relevant sections of the WAC (specifically WAC 110-300). During a group session, we can discuss childproofing measures, such as ensuring proper furniture arrangements and securing electrical outlets, using real-life examples from past assessments.
• Health and Safety Policy Development: Work alongside providers in workshops to develop customized health and safety policies that include childproofing measures. For instance, I once guided a provider in creating a checklist for kitchen safety, ensuring all cleaning supplies were locked away.
• Emergency Preparedness Planning: Facilitate hands-on emergency drills that include childproofing elements, like ensuring clear pathways for evacuation and secure storage of potentially hazardous materials.

3. Licensing Application and Process

• WAC Compliance: Offer personalized support in navigating health and safety requirements outlined in WAC 110-300. This includes discussing childproofing in the context of licensing, such as ensuring that playground equipment is age-appropriate and safe.
• Application Support: Assist providers in preparing the licensing application, ensuring all necessary health and safety documentation is included. I often share anecdotes about common pitfalls related to childproofing, which helps demystify the process.

4. Initial Licensing

• Health and Safety Inspections: Prepare clients for initial licensing inspections in WA with hands-on mock inspections that focus on childproofing measures. For example, I once helped a provider identify overlooked hazards, leading to significant improvements in their safety protocols.
• Staff Training: Provide interactive training sessions on health protocols and childproofing techniques in accordance with WAC 110-300-0215. Using role-playing scenarios, we can practice responses to potential hazards, reinforcing the importance of a childproof environment.

5. Permanent Licensing

• Compliance for Permanent Licensing: Ensure all WAC regulations are met to transition from provisional to permanent licensing, including comprehensive childproofing assessments. I share a success story of a provider who implemented feedback on childproofing and celebrated their successful transition with a community event.
• Ongoing Documentation Support: Help maintain accurate records for compliance, including documentation of childproofing measures taken, such as installation of safety gates or securing heavy furniture.

6. Ongoing Monitoring Support

• Regular Health and Safety Audits: Conduct hands-on audits to assess compliance with WA regulations, focusing on childproofing measures in homes, playgrounds, and classrooms. For instance, I once found that a provider had creatively organized a "safety corner" with childproofing tips that also educated parents.
• Emergency Preparedness Drills: Facilitate practical emergency drills that ensure staff and children are prepared for various scenarios, emphasizing the role of childproofing in safe evacuations.
• Continual Educational Support: Provide ongoing training and resources on best practices in health, safety, and education aligned with WAC 110-300 standards, including childproofing strategies tailored to individual environments.

Additional Services

• Parent Workshops: Organize interactive workshops in WA that focus on health and safety topics, with childproofing as a central theme. For example, we can create a "Childproofing Your Home" workshop where parents share their experiences and strategies.
• Resource Provision: Offer practical resources and materials for parents and staff on health, safety, and educational practices, including checklists for effective childproofing at home and in childcare settings.