What Are the Requirements to Be a Daycare Teacher in Washington?
A daycare teacher in a licensed Washington center — a lead or assistant teacher — must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Before working unsupervised with children, you register in DCYF's MERIT registry and complete Child Care Basics training.
Each role earns Washington's ECE Initial Certificate by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire (lead teachers: hire or promotion, whichever is later).
Staff counted in ratio also train in first aid and CPR, and staff clear a fingerprint background check renewed at least every three years.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which licenses child care under chapter 110-300 WAC.
At least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, plus the ECE Initial Certificate or an equivalent by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire or promotion, whichever occurs later.
At least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent and an ECE Initial Certificate or equivalent by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire; may act as a substitute lead teacher for up to two weeks.
MERIT registration and DCYF Child Care Basics training, both before working unsupervised with children.
10 hours of in-service training a year, after 12 months of cumulative employment.
Adult and pediatric first aid and CPR with a live hands-on component, plus infant CPR if applicable; at least one certified person per group in ratio.
A DCYF background check including a fingerprint process, renewed at least once every three years.
Classroom roles in Washington, by the rule's own titles
- Lead teacherRole
The rule's qualified classroom lead: at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, earning the ECE Initial Certificate or an equivalent by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire or promotion, whichever occurs later, then the ECE Short Certificate within two years.
- Assistant teacherRole
At least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent and an ECE Initial Certificate or equivalent by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire; may act as a substitute lead teacher for up to two weeks.
- AideRole
At least 14 years old with a high school diploma or current high school enrollment; may count in ratio only under the continuous oversight of a lead teacher, assistant teacher, director, program supervisor or family home licensee.
Who licenses childcare centers in Washington?
Washington licenses child care through the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
The rules a center and its teaching staff follow sit in chapter 110-300 WAC, the foundational quality standards, which cover both family home and center early learning programs.
Background checks are governed separately by chapter 110-06 WAC.
When a requirement on this page and the current rulebook disagree, the rulebook governs, and DCYF answers questions about staff qualifications.
What qualifications does a lead teacher need in Washington?
A center lead teacher must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
The education requirement is Washington's own ECE Initial Certificate — a 12-credit certificate earned at a Washington community or technical college — or an equivalent.
Lead teachers must hold it by August 1, 2030, or within five years of being hired or promoted into the position, whichever occurs later.
After that comes the ECE Short Certificate, due within two years.
“Have an ECE initial certificate or equivalent by August 1, 2030, or within five years of being hired or promoted into the position, whichever occurs later;”
What does an assistant teacher need in Washington?
Assistant teachers meet the same floor: at least 18 years old, a high school diploma or equivalent, and the ECE Initial Certificate or an equivalent by August 1, 2030 or within five years of hire.
The rule also allows an assistant teacher to act as a substitute lead teacher for up to two weeks, which it frames as a continuity-of-care measure.
Aides have their own lower floor, covered below.
What training do you need before you start?
Two things come before you work with children in an unsupervised capacity: registration in DCYF's electronic workforce registry, MERIT, and DCYF's Child Care Basics training.
A further set of required trainings is due within three months of hire and before working unsupervised: child abuse and neglect recognition and reporting, emergency preparedness, serving children experiencing homelessness, and blood-borne pathogens.
Lead teachers also complete medication training before giving medication.
“License applicants and early learning providers must register with the electronic workforce registry prior to being granted an initial license or working with children in an unsupervised capacity.”
How many training hours do you need each year?
After 12 months of cumulative employment, early learning providers complete 10 hours of annual in-service training.
The rule adds a structured requirement on top: lead teachers, assistant teachers, directors and licensees hired on or after August 1, 2019 must complete DCYF's EQEL training within 36 months.
“An early learning provider must complete ten hours of annual in-service training after twelve months of cumulative employment.”
CPR, first aid and health checks
Staff who are counted in staff-to-child ratio, or who could be, must be trained in adult and pediatric first aid and CPR, and in infant CPR if applicable, with a live hands-on component.
At least one early learning provider counted in ratio for each group must hold current certificates.
For health documentation, staff need TB documentation signed within the last 12 months by a licensed health professional — either a negative symptom screen and risk assessment, or test or X-ray clearance.
Staff who prepare or serve food also need a current food worker card from the local health jurisdiction.
“At least one early learning provider counted in staff-to-child ratio for each group of children must have current adult and pediatric first aid, adult and pediatric CPR, and infant CPR certificates, if applicable;”
How does the background check work?
DCYF background checks sit in chapter 110-06 WAC and include a fingerprint process.
A check must be renewed at least once every three years, and fingerprints are redone when the person has lived outside Washington since the previous check.
The Portable Background Check is applied for through MERIT, which requires a STARS ID number first.
Under the same chapter, anyone who is registered or required to be registered on a state sex offender registry, a state sex offender repository or the national sex offender registry must be disqualified from child care employment.
“Subject individuals who are registered or required to be registered on a state sex offender registry, state sex offender repository, or the national sex offender registry, must be disqualified.”
Extra training for infant and toddler rooms
Programs serving infants add two required trainings: abusive head trauma and safe sleep, with the safe sleep training renewed annually.
Where the work involves infants, the CPR requirement also extends to infant CPR.
How old do you have to be to work in a Washington daycare?
Aides have a lower age floor than the teaching roles: an aide may be 14 or older, with a high school diploma or current high school enrollment.
An aide may count in ratio only under the continuous oversight of a lead teacher, assistant teacher, director, program supervisor or family home licensee.
The qualified teaching roles start higher: both lead and assistant teachers must be at least 18 years old.
“Aides must meet the following qualifications: (a) Be at least 14 years old;”
What is Washington's MERIT registry?
MERIT — the Managed Education and Registry Information Tool — is DCYF's online workforce registry for early learning professionals.
Staff must register before working unsupervised with children, and for licensing compliance all individuals must have their current employment recorded in MERIT.
The Portable Background Check application also runs through MERIT, and it requires a STARS ID number first.
“For licensing compliance, all individuals must have their current employment recorded in MERIT”
What changed in Washington's teacher qualification rules?
Washington's qualification deadlines moved.
Under House Bill 1648, passed in 2025, staff hired before August 1, 2025 must meet the qualification requirements by August 1, 2030 and may use five years of experience to meet them; staff hired on or after August 1, 2025 have five years from hire or promotion.
A 2026 rule amendment set the ECE Initial Certificate deadline at August 1, 2030, so pages and postings that still show an August 2026 deadline are out of date.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Washington licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state daycare teacher requirements series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Washington, see daycare director requirements in Washington, early childhood education programs and scholarships in Washington, and childcare teacher pay in Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a CDA to work in a Washington daycare?
Washington's requirement for lead and assistant teachers is the ECE Initial Certificate or an equivalent; lead teachers then earn the ECE Short Certificate within two years.
The Initial Certificate is a 12-credit certificate earned at a Washington community or technical college.
If you hold a CDA, ask DCYF whether it counts toward or satisfies that requirement, since the rule allows equivalents.
Can five years of experience replace the ECE Initial Certificate in Washington?
For staff hired before August 1, 2025, yes: under House Bill 1648 they must meet the qualification requirements by August 1, 2030 and may use five years of experience, cumulative or consecutive, to meet them.
Staff hired on or after August 1, 2025 have five years from their hire or promotion instead.
Confirm which timeline applies to you with DCYF.
How long is a Washington childcare background check valid?
A Washington background check must be renewed at least once every three years.
The checks are governed by chapter 110-06 WAC and include a fingerprint process, and fingerprints are redone if you have lived outside Washington since your previous check.
The Portable Background Check application runs through MERIT, which requires a STARS ID number first.
What disqualifies you from working in a Washington childcare center?
Washington disqualifies anyone who is registered, or required to be registered, on a state sex offender registry, a state sex offender repository or the national sex offender registry from child care employment.
Those disqualification rules sit in chapter 110-06 WAC.
For any question about a specific record, contact DCYF, which administers the background checks.
More Washington Resources
Sources
- Washington Administrative Code, chapter 110-300 (foundational quality standards) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Washington Administrative Code, chapter 110-06 (background checks) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Washington DCYF — early learning staff qualifications (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Washington DCYF — MERIT workforce registry (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- DCYF ECE Careers portal — Initial ECE Certificate (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).