The people your child spends the day with.
Every teacher is trained in early childhood education, cleared by a background check, and keeps learning every year. Here is what we ask of them.
Who we hire
A center is its people. We are committed to hiring and keeping dedicated, loving and well-qualified staff, and we hold them to the standards below.
Trained and experienced
We hire accredited, experienced teachers with training in early childhood education for every classroom, and we work to keep them.
What Washington requires
Washington sets training rules for everyone who teaches in a licensed center, and we work to them. All of our teaching staff complete an initial 20 hours of training in early childhood before they are in a room with children, with a one-year exemption when transcripts show the education already, and ten hours of continuing education every year after that.
Cleared before day one
Background checks are mandatory. No staff member has direct contact with children without another staff member present until their check has cleared. We also run random drug tests without notice to keep the center drug-free, and no staff member has ever tested positive.
What every employee provides
Before anyone works here, they put the following on file. The state asks for most of it; we ask for all of it.
- Identification
A valid Washington photo ID.
- First aid
Certification in first aid.
- CPR
Adult and pediatric CPR.
- Food safety
A Washington State food handler’s card.
- Health
A negative TB test.
- State training
STARS training, Washington’s career development system for child care providers, with basic and ongoing courses.
- Education
A CDA, ECE or AA, or active work toward one of them.
- Bloodborne pathogens
HIV, AIDS and bloodborne pathogen training.
More about working here
- Working here
- Our teachers
Come and see it for yourself
Look around, see the rooms, meet the teachers who may be caring for your child, and ask us anything on your mind. Tours take about half an hour and there is no pressure, just a chance to get to know us and picture your child here. Children are welcome to come along. We’d love to meet you and your family.