Examining How Childcare Licensing Regulations Promote or Hinder the Creation of High Quality Naturalized Outdoor Learning Environments

Daniel Jost (North Carolina State University)

A growing body of research suggests playing outdoors in natural or naturalized environments has benefits for children’s health, development, and well-being, and can also facilitate learning. More than 11 million American children under five attend childcare five days a week, so the potential for positively affecting children through the creation of naturalized outdoor learning environments (OLEs) at childcare facilities appears substantial. The Natural Learning Initiative developed Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) in North Carolina in 2007 and has consulted on similar programs in Colorado, South Carolina, and Texas. Over the past three years, as part of this work, state-level childcare licensing regulations in all four states were critically analyzed to understand how they may affect children’s exposure to naturalized OLEs with diverse affordances for play and learning. In two states, focused interviews were conducted with regulators, childcare providers, designers, and other stakeholders. Categories of supportive licensing requirements were identified, including requirements for provision and size of outdoor space, outdoor time, outdoor physical activity, and provision of shade, as well as rules facilitating vegetable gardening. Categories of confusing and potentially limiting requirements were also identified and proposals made to remove real and perceived barriers. Examples include: changing rules that might lead to tree removal, regulating slightly toxic plants like tomatoes based on a risk assessments, clarifying rules that could discourage “harboring” of beneficial insects, clarifying language that might discourage loose parts, clarifying what qualifies as a “choking hazard,” regulating drowning hazards without discouraging low-risk water play, clearly defining playground equipment, revising protective surfacing requirements for playground equipment integrated with topography, clarifying supervision and sightline requirements, and more. Disparate sources of regulation were combined to create comprehensive guides to help providers navigate existing regulations. This presentation seeks to provide a framework for policymakers and others to update regulations to support best practices.