[Megan Holt]

First, I just wanted to say that in order to do the activity, I had to go to the official website with the WAC rules and regulations. Both guides did not have the WACs that were needed and there were no questions associated with them, so I couldn’t fully complete the activity.

1. What did you discover about the WACs while completing the activity? I discovered that the WACs were very thorough and were sometimes confusing in how they were written.
2. Were you surprised by any of the WACs? I was surprised by how long records were to be kept, such as keeping attendance records for five years.
3. Can you see how the WACs will influence your day-to-day practice in caring for children? Why or why not? Yes, the WACs profoundly influence day-to-day practices by providing a framework that ensures quality care and education. They guide decisions related to health and safety, curriculum design, staff training, and family engagement, ultimately creating a structured environment that supports children’s growth and development.

[sydney]

2.What did you discover about the WACs while completing the activity?

I learned that there are many requirements that need to be followed.

1. Were you surprised by any of the WACs?

2. Physical restraint must only be used if a child’s
   safety or the safety of others is threatened …WAC 110-300-0335

3. 1. Can you see how the WACs will influence your day-to-day practice in caring for children? Why or why not?
4. to keep everyone safe

[Sarah]

1. What did you discover about the WACs while completing the activity?
   I discovered the importance of the WACs for my own sake, the sake of the children under my care, and the sake of my place of employment.
2. Were you surprised by any of the WACs?
   No, all of the WACs are easy to understand and apply.
3. Can you see how the WACs will influence your day-to-day practice in caring for children? Why or why not?
   The WACs will greatly influence my day-to-day practice in caring for children because they provide great insight on issues that had never even occurred to me.

[Madeline]

1. I learned what different levels of education and requirements are for different people.

2. Not really, I came into this course already knowing a lot about the requirements.

3. the WACs provide a quick reference for anytime I might have a question, so it’ll be a big help

[Khadija Noor]

The WACs are quite comprehensive, offering specific guidelines that must be followed to maintain a high standard of care. I was surprised by:

staff to child ratio: These are strictly regulated to ensure that children receive adequate attention and supervision.

Training requirements: The need for ongoing professional development and the required certifications may be more extensive than anticipated.

Emergency preparedness: The degree to which child care facilities must prepare for emergencies, including having evacuation plans and drills, is both essential and comprehensive.

Yes, the WACs will have a significant influence on day-to-day practice for several reasons:

1. Health and safety: Following health regulations (e.g., proper hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition standards) will be part of daily routines. These ensure that the environment is safe and children’s physical needs are being met consistently.

2. Supervision and interactions: WACs set clear expectations for staff-to-child ratios and adult supervision, which means that childcare professionals need to be constantly attentive and responsive to the needs of children. This also affects how activities are planned and the number of staff needed for various age groups.

3. Curriculum and developmental practices: WACs guide how learning activities should be structured and tailored to promote children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. These codes ensure that daily activities are not just for entertainment but are developmentally appropriate and intentional in fostering growth.

4. Record keeping and confidentiality: The regulations around documentation and maintaining confidentiality will affect how childcare providers track children’s development, report to parents, and manage sensitive information.

[angela packer]

I discovered the WACs are very detailed and there’s alot of required trainings and procedures that i have never thought about before. i was surprised at how many things are required to become an early learning professional in washington state. I saw that the “definitions” part of the WAC could be helpful in my daily life at work because knowing what each different phrase or word is expecting of you makes it easier.

[Lashea]

1. What I learned about the WAC is that the guidebook and well labeled and easy to follow through.Detailed table of content. I use to seeing this up in the childcare facility posted to see.

2. Not really surprised to see the WAC

3. Looking back on the guidebook I can definitely use the table of content to help me evaluate hiring staff for my facility and making sure they have the right qualification for the position and training requirements.

[Mariangela Gonzalez]

found very interesting the part that someone who wants to take care of children in a house must have a WAC license, besides that the children must not have any family relationship and that if the area where they are must be separated from the house I make a comparison because in my country this is totally different and therefore something new to learn.

[Mikyla Adams]

1. While completing this activity, I realized that all of the WACs are there to help ensure the safety of the children in your care. I was not surprised by any of the WACs. I can see how the WACs influence my day-to-day practice in caring for children because the WACs are all about rules and regulations on how to properly care for kids and their needs.

[Delaney Taubel]

There are WACs that cover just about anything you can think of, and a lot of them are oddly specific.

One WAC that surprised me was that you can only have a specific type of water fountain.

I think the WACs will make me think of a lot more during my time caring for the children. Reading the WACs I read a lot of rules and requirements that I would never have thought of before.

[LaDawna M Wessling]

I realized that the questions are designed to make us THINK about how to apply the intent in the classroom.

I discovered that there are many things to consider when defining NO CHANGE in CONTENT, but the language used is different. It seemed to me that there was activity without effect.

I have a new understanding of a Waiver vs Variance.

[Christena Krumpach]

1. While completing the activity on the WACs, I discovered that they provide a comprehensive framework designed to ensure the safety, health, and developmental needs of children in care. The level of detail in the regulations was impressive, covering everything from staff qualifications and child-to-staff ratios to health and safety protocols.

2. I was particularly surprised by how specific some of the requirements are, such as the mandated training for staff and the guidelines for reporting child abuse or neglect. These regulations emphasize the importance of being prepared and knowledgeable in critical areas of child care.

3. I can definitely see how the WACs will influence my day-to-day practice in caring for children. They serve as a foundational guideline that shapes everything from daily routines to emergency procedures. Understanding these regulations will help me create a safe and nurturing environment, ensuring that I meet legal and ethical standards while supporting children’s development effectively.

[Leela]

I found this exercise to be informative because it explains how the WACs are used to guide childcare providers/teachers in our day-to-day practice, and the numerous codes that are required to be a license-compliant center or facility.

[Gillian Reese]

1. What did you discover about the WACs while completing the activity?
2. Were you surprised by any of the WACs?
3. Can you see how the WACs will influence your day-to-day practice in caring for children? Why or why not?

1- I have read through the WACs before, but going on the WAC hunt really hammered home just how thorough it is. There’s a WAC for EVERYTHING you do.

2. The WAC that surprised me was meals, the timing of no less than 2 hours no more than 3 hours between meals is so specific- but it makes sense.

3. Absolutely the WACs will influence my day to day practices. It’s important to have some knowledge of the WACs to help your center stay in compliance with licensing. it’s also useful to know why you do everything you do, if a parent asks why something is policy, we can point them to the WACs!

[Madison]

1.Most WACS were about the regulations of others safety as well as the child’s

2.NoI was not.All WACS seemed like very informative rules

3.Yes, sometimes you may not know the correct thing to do morally so knowing these regulations give you ground.