Licensees must comply with the following requirements in the building and on the premises for:

(1) General requirements:

(a) Maintain the premises, furnishings, and equipment in a clean and sanitary condition, free of hazards, and in good repair;

(b) Maintain the temperature within the facility at a reasonable level when occupied, considering the age and needs of the children and youth in care; and

(c) Provide:

(i) A safe, healthy, age-appropriate, homelike living environment;

(ii) Appropriate furnishings, based on the activities and developmental capabilities of the children and youth in care;

(iii) Rooms that are appropriately sized and properly furnished for the number of children and youth in care;

(iv) Adequate indoor and outdoor space, ventilation, light, and heat to meet the health and comfort needs of the children and youth placed in the facility based on the facility's licensed capacity; and

(v) A landline or cell phone that works at all times with reliable reception and a backup power source that:

(A) Allows individuals calling the facility to leave a message at all times. Licensees must give children and youth their phone messages no later than 24 hours from when the message was left or when the child or youth returns to the facility; and

(B) Children and youth are able to use privately, per WAC 110-145-3020;

(2) Specific room requirements, have:

(a) A properly equipped and maintained kitchen on-site to prepare, store, and serve food to the children and youth in care;

(b) A dining room that is ample in size and suitably furnished for the children and youth in care;

(c) A room or area that is used as an administrative office and suitable office space for care coordinators. In facilities caring for fewer than 13 children and youth, these offices may be combined;

(d) Adequate storage for children's, youth's, and personnel files;

(e) A space that can be used as a visiting area;

(f) A space for privacy when interviewing parents, guardians, children, and youth; and

(g) Washable, water-resistant floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms exposed to moisture, except washable short-pile carpeting may be approved in kitchen areas if it is kept clean and sanitary;

(3) Safety requirements:

(a) Provide tamper-proof or tamper-resistant electrical outlets or blank covers installed in areas accessible to children under six years old or other individuals with limited capacity or who might be endangered by access to them;

(b) Follow the EPA standards by using the least toxic methods as appropriate to prevent and control pests on the premises such as rodents, bedbugs, lice, flies, cockroaches, fleas, and other insects;

(c) Document weekly inspections of any security and safety devices, such as door and window alarms;

(d) Use unbreakable light fixture covers or shatter-resistant light bulbs or tubes in:

(i) Food preparation areas;

(ii) Dining areas; and

(iii) Any other areas identified by LD to be a concern for the health, safety, and well-being of children or youth; and

(e) Not use window blinds or other window coverings with pull cords capable of forming a loop and posing a risk of strangulation to children and youth;

(4) Emergency requirements:

(a) Have emergency lighting devices available and in operational condition;

(b) Verify rooms occupied by children and youth can be easily accessed by emergency personnel in case an emergency arises as outlined in WAC 110-145-2600;

(c) Post emergency phone numbers, contact information for suicide and crisis hotlines and the Washington poison center, and the physical address of the facility in a prominent location;

(d) Use doors that are easy to open from the inside and outside in all areas of the facility that are occupied, including closets, bathrooms, and bedrooms, unless the building or structure has a fire sprinkler protection system and was previously approved by the local fire marshal or building official with jurisdiction; and

(e) Provide easy access to the outside in case of an emergency; and

(5) Specific building requirements:

(a) Be located on a site that is free from hazardous conditions and drained appropriately to prevent water hazards; and

(b) If a hazardous condition occurs on the premises:

(i) Take immediate action to protect the children and youth in care from harm; and

(ii) Notify the licensor.