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Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-Based (ONB) Early Learning and Child Care Programs

Kit Harrington, Senior Policy Advisor

Aliza Yair Ed.D., Consultant

Natural Start Alliance

October 28, 2025

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Learning and playing outdoors provides a wide range of demonstrated health and developmental benefits.

Natural Start’s analysis of the field highlights persistent racial disparities in access.

Licensing outdoor preschools improves access to public funding streams and supporting outdoor learning across the spectrum of early learning.

In a rapidly changing environmental landscape, engagement on this issue is critical.

A Mandate for Change

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2021 Survey: 42% of nature preschools operate for fewer hours or with fewer children than required for licensing, or are otherwise exempt.

Among programs that operate with 100% of their school time outside, just 15% identified as licensed.

The absence of public funding and regulation for unlicensed nature preschools represents a significant barrier to equitable access to this approach to education.

Photo: Secret Forest Playschool

Licensing: A Critical Step

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Collaboration and investment across state groups
Exponential growth of ONB Programs
National level partnership and support
Wide range of benefits supports a range of possible applications
A movement based in curiosity and connection

Drivers of Progress on ONB Early Learning Policy

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Network/Huddle Participation + ONB Policy Activity

Network/Huddle Participation

ONB Policy Activity

Natural Start’s policy network supports the ability of partners to mutually benefit from shared resources and ideas, with an emphasis on supporting fair access to nature-based experiences.

Collective learning and shared growth

Register to join

or learn more

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Natural Start’s development of ONB licensing reccomendations was inspired by conversations and relationships with childcare licensing agencies, regional networks, and provider advocates working to advance ONB Licensing in states like Oregon, Maryland, and Colorado.

A State-Directed Call for

National Guidance

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Ultimate goal is access to nature-based and outdoor experiences across the full spectrum of early childhood education
Trainings and competencies available to all
Climate and disaster-responsive frameworks
Emphasis on the voices of impacted communities
Toward a policy of environments

ONB Licensing as a Gateway

Child

Program

Environment

ONB Early Learning Policy

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Who’s been involved?

Who next?

Natural Start Alliance Leadership Council

Natural Start Alliance Working Group

ONB National Policy Huddle,

Regional Network Alliance,

Graduate Student Network,

Black Educators Network,

Higher Education Coalition

State/Local Agencies

Advocates

Program Providers

Draft for public review

Open for comment until March 20, 2026.

Hi my name is Aliza Yair and its a real honor to be introducing the Natural Start Alliance Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-based early learning and child care programs. My background is in early childhood education, teacher for a decade, and then state policy work for another decade, and specializing in ONB policy since the outdoor preschool pilot for WA state 2017-2021, also working on CC as a whole - first in NYC and now in WA. Today’s hat = focusing on ONB policy

Before getting started - acknowledge the slides might be text heavy - this is for the folks who are better visual learners, or who later will look at the slide deck for information. Attending to different information processing styles.

A years-long project bringing together the expertise of the leadership council - professors, teachers, researchers, advocates, and more from across the U.S.

Then another round of review, discussion, and edits from the collective wisdom of Nat Start Alliance representatives.

You can find links to participate in those on the Natural Start Alliance website.

As I mentioned, this is a living document and so we are making this available for public review - primarily looking at state and local agencies, advocates, and program providers to have a look and start to apply it.

See what is useful? What is confusing? and let us know by March 20th, 2026.

Then we will make any necessary updates.

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The ONB Licensing Recommendations

Aims

Holistic, national resource
Apply to diverse climates, ecosystems and communities.
Meet the needs of program leaders, advocates, and state/local agencies

Content

Regulatory considerations - supplement to the Guidebook
ONB approach to education and care/safety (curriculum, benefits, risks v hazards)
Program models and licensing pathway options
Detailed recommendations - can, should, must

The ONB Licensing Recommendations is a holistic resource - describing the system of related regulations and practices that can keep kids safe, outdoors, and in relationship to their specific environment -

These recommendations can apply to diverse climates, ecosystems, and communities.

It is meant to be used by program providers (licensed or not), advocates, and state/local agencies.

This is a living document - we aim to improve upon it, as it is applied in practice.

The content is focused on providing details related to policy and regulations, as a supplement to the Professional Practices Guidebook and other resources about nature-based teaching and programming.

The regulations are based on the ONB approach to safety - talk more about.

A key consideration is the use of benefit-risk assessments, policies specific to risky play activities, and how the education of children, families, and staff of ONB programs adds to the level of safety for children.

Ultimately it addresses common questions, areas for concern - what about campfires, toileting, emergency shelters

How did we do it? Ensure safety beyond the fence.

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Recommendations Topics

Site Assessment and Program Planning

Health and Hygiene

Outdoor Safety

Outdoor and Nature-Based Curriculum and Activities

Staff Training, Qualifications, and Supervision Requirements

Family Engagement

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What to add to make a whole picture

Standard licensing regulations where there is no difference for ONB
The Professional Practices Guidebook
Curriculum resources
Teaching competencies
Adjustments and details for different climates, ecosystems, states.
Community expertise
Partnership across agencies (ex. education, child care, health, parks, commerce, etc.) and with Tribes

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Key Practice: Benefit - Risk Assessment

Risk is a part of doing something new.

The outdoors has a lot of benefits for children and adults.

Hazards are avoided. Risks are mitigated.

Benefits and risks are indoors and outdoors.

Nature cannot be standardized - use a standard process for safety, instead.

Teachers are essential for safety.

*for all program types

Now before we get into the details of the table of contents and what is in the recommendations document, I want to just ground us in a key practice for ONB safety and this is around benefit risk assessment.

Weighing benefit and risk is something that happens in any context. It happens throughout your day, it happens in a Childcare Center - is this activity going to be worth it?, and it happens outside and in outdoor nature-based programs.

We cannot get rid of all risk. It’s necessary for doing something new. But we can differentiate between hazards and risks, and what we can do about them.

Hazards can cause injury and are not manageable by children - to be avoided.

Risk is a part of doing something new - with young children that we teach them about risk, and show them this is what is a potential area for you to get hurt and also we talk about you know the positive outcomes that exist in an activity.

Ratios depend on risk level

With licensing - goal of safety. In our nature-based settings, nature is too variable to have a standard expectations of the environment itself. It is not like licensing a child care center where we have standards for the building, and these building codes are what we rely on to ensure children's safety in that environment.

One of the nice things about benefit-risk assessments for the outdoors is that just being outdoors in a natural setting has major benefits for children and adults.

So instead of a standardized building, we have a standardized process - benefit risk assessment

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Location or Activity	Benefits	Hazards or Risks	Mitigation Procedure
Tree Climbing (jungle gym)	gross motor skills, balance, risk analysis and awareness, planning, decision-making, taking turns, communication, self-esteem building, sensory development, hand/feet/eye coordination, strength building, flexibility, endurance, energy release. general benefits of being outdoors. (similar benefits)	Falling, slipping, cuts and abrasions, hard ground surface, sharp or hard objects within and under tree - —potential head injury, child not developmentally able to evaluate ability, new or untrained staff supervision and teaching issues, icy or frosty conditions that make the tree too slippery, staff not appropriately stationed for immediate assistance and ability to reach child’s midriff, and child able to climb out of reach of staff person. (ground cover toxins) (metal too hot or cold to touch)	Staff inspect tree for loose branches or other hazards. Staff evaluate each child’s ability, weather and seasonal conditions, ground surface prior to allowing tree climbing activity. Staff are within reach of child’s midriff at all times. One child climbs at a time. Waiting children are actively supervised with appropriate transition activity. Staff are trained to benefit-risk assessment and policy before they assist with tree climbing activity. (meet CPSC standards) (do not use playground jungle gyms in cold or hot weather)

Relative risk in outdoor play and ground cover

Benefit Risk Assessment - Example

Key points:

Aspects of a BRA
Comparing risks and hazards between settings - climbing a tree v a jungle gym -
show that a BRA approach can be used in all setting and program types
Environmental hazards may be not our fault - but we can fix things
Ex: removing rubber and tarmac to plant trees - good for climbing, shade (heat islands), and possibly food

decisions on a program level depend on a variety of factors, including:

staff training, experience, and comfort with activity;
experience and preferences of children and families in the program;
children’s individual needs;
teacher-child ratios;
licensing requirements;
insurance requirements; and any other important factors.

And the plans for mitigating risk might happen before or during - responsively to when you get to an area if you are roaming around.

This benefit risk assessment is a key practice is really for activities.

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Program Models

Common characteristics

Operate primarily outdoors in a nature-based setting (from rural to urban)
Provide a nature-based curriculum

Licensing with access to a child care center or family home

May go “beyond the fence”
May have a permanently located and maintained outdoor classroom

Licensing with minimal access to a building and use of emergency shelters

May have a permanently located and maintained outdoor classroom
May be a roaming program, where resources are brought to the location(s) each day

So what are the options for licensing

Different program models -

Primarily outdoors and have a nature-based setting and curriculum - which can be possible in urban environments, like if you have a park with a playground - work with city parks dept, nature centers, seen this be very successful.

Program models can vary based on what kinds of shelters you have access to, and I would say also what kind of training your teachers have, and what resources your program have.

For example, if you are able to have a composting toilet that meets the safety specifications for your state or city or porta potty, which save a lot of water and have non-toxic liquid options, are these available or exclusive use, on public or private land. These considerations can create permanently located, roaming.

With ONB licensing having this more flexible approach - we're looking for health and safety for children and we're looking at this specific context or place or park and we're thinking how do we meet children's needs for health and hygiene how do we meet children's needs for gross motor play fine motor play

Licensing pathways whichever way you're going if you are going to have a pilot project with a number of pilot sites who are going to transition from center-based to including beyond the fence Or if you are going to have a demonstration site of a almost you know 100% almost outside time with only you know shelter for emergency weather events and then and then you also have a licensing pathway of embedding these considerations for safety and this approach to safety just into your existing Center or family home base licensing standards there are states who have done all of these different types of approaches and and there's pros and cons to each of them and there's a different pathway that might be appropriate for the program model that is most common or most desired in your state in the recommendations we go through the different program models and Licensing pathways As well as some considerations for the different Partnerships that might be needed for the Early Learning System to incorporate OMB education not just licensing.

TheThe licensing pathway no there are some states that have Waivers and variances for specific programs but this does not really address sort of the systemic lack of access to this type of education to be applied across the state and then there's also with incorporating some of these rules into existing regulations for like Center family home and you know that can have a benefit of allowing for more natural Outdoor Learning environments

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Licensing Pathways

Laws and/or Regulations change in different ways - legislative mandates or agency rule-making

Licensing Pathways

Program-specific waivers/variances - for specific programs
Changes to center and family home rules for outdoor environments - for existing programs
Pilot or demonstration sites - rule development and testing
Creating or adapting ONB regulations without a pilot - rule change

Required for Success: Partnerships between ONB practitioners and multiple agencies

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Location Assessment and Program Planning

Site Assessment and Selection
Benefit-Risk Assessment for Site Selection
Shelters and Other Structures
Shelters in Emergency Responses
Access to Natural Spaces and Use of Public Lands
Sharing Public Spaces
Storage and Carrying Supplies

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Health and Hygiene

8. Dangerous Animals or Toxic Plants

9. Drinking Water

10. Food

11. Handwashing

12. Toileting

13. Sleep and Rest

14. Medication and First-Aid

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Outdoor Safety

15. Weather Considerations and Program Adjustments

16. Clothing

17. Temperatures - General

18. Heat

19. Cold

20. High Winds

21. Air Quality

22. Severe Storms

23. Lightning

24. Flooding

25. Tornados

26. Earthquakes

27. Evacuation

28. Shelter-in-Place/Lockdown

29. Communications to Prevent or Respond to Hazards

30. Missing Children Protocols

Weather such as rain, wind, snow, and high or low temperatures are not usually a cause for ONB programs to close, however some program adjustments may be made. Suitable clothing, access to shade and shelter, and other practices can make various weather conditions an exciting and educational part of our experiences of nature. These experiences not only help children develop practical skills but also nurture their sense of adventure and resilience. Outdoor programs have emergency responses to hazardous weather events, such as high winds or lightning, that are dependent on their location and the type of hazardous weather. As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events occur more frequently, it is likely to become more important for communities, program staff and children to learn strategies for safety outdoors in new or extreme weather patterns.

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ONB Curriculum and Activities

31. Benefit-Risk Assessment for Activity Planning

32. Program Materials

33. Inclusion and Belonging

34. Disability

35. Honoring Indigenous Sovereignty and Knowledge

36. Setting Boundaries to the Play Space

37. Climbing Natural Features

38. Campfires

39. Proximity to Bodies of Water and Water Activities

40. Foraging

41. Hand Tools

42. Playing at Higher Speeds

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Staff Training, Qualifications, and Supervision

43. Workforce Development for ONB ECE and Outdoor Safety

44. Pre-Service Training Additions for ONB Program Staff

45. In-Service Training Additions for ONB Programs

46. Supervision Outdoors and During Risky Play

47. Staffing Ratios and Risk-Based Adjustments

State licensing agencies should identify, establish, and provide ONB-specific competencies, training, and qualifications requirements that are appropriate for each state and ecosystem. States should partner with program providers, higher education, and other workforce preparation and professional development partners to do so. States may need to revise existing pre-service or yearly training requirements, such as orientations, emergency preparedness plans, or medication management, to describe any differences in ONB program expectations. Ensuring safety in the outdoors during the program will require staff awareness of site-specific benefit-risk assessment and safety plans. Depending on the level of risk and needs for supervision, ONB ECE programs may require different staffing ratios than traditional, indoor child care. Ratios depend on risk level - these recommended ratios are for programs that operate without a center or FH building and who engage in risky play activities.

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Family Engagement

48. Communication About Health and Safety in the Outdoors

49. Ensuring Children are Dressed for the Weather

50. Communicating with Families About Program Locations

51. Child Records

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Pre-Program and In-Program (Responsive) Strategies

Safety and Learning for Children

Hazards

Children cannot manage, to be avoided

Situations or events

Risks

Children can manage, with support

Play and exploration

Pre-program:

Benefit-risk assessment, staff training (emergent, child-led curriculum), parent/caregiver partnerships, meeting child/adult basic needs

In-Program:

Teaching strategies, alternative activities,

first aid, emergency response practice

Pre-program:

Site assessment, staff training (CPR, medication management), emergency response plans, storage of materials

In-program:

Emergency response, access emergency shelters, alternative locations, increase staff supervision, clothing for the weather

So I want to talk about is more of this differentiation of hazards and risks, and also our pre-program and in-program approaches to safety - how do we cover our bases when we don't have a standardized building that we consider safe. Can be helpful for regulatory folks to think about it as more specific strategies. What do we do before the program starts? What do we prepare to do within the program - so we can effectively respond in order to increase children’s safety.

So the traditional way of thinking about health and safety in Licensing is that we know what the building should look like, what training the teachers need, what kind of materials pose a choking hazard…

We have a lot of pre-programming safety considerations when we are doing an initial licensing visit

And for a site assessment in ONB licensing, similarly we have a pre program site assessment practice and the goal for this site assessment is to understand where are the hazards to avoid versus risks to manage.

Hazards situations ex: heavily trafficked roads, deep and swift rivers, poisonous plants or animals,

Events - have a storm, or other weather event

One thing to point out here is that going inside, access emergency shelters, is one of many strategies and practices for health and safety. A lot of safety is preparatory. We have plans with locations, sufficient food and water, first aid training. Same as other types of programs.

Also have policies for what to do in-program. Some differences here for ONB is use of alternative locations, and also the importance of clothing - the recs get into what this looks like.

With licensing, if a program cannot demonstrate sufficient protection or preparation for hazards - we will not provide a license.

Have to have emergency plans, trained and qualified staff, need materials (first aid kit, food).

Safety strategies for ONB programs is rigorous.

Risks - proactive pre-program benefit risk assessments of the activities that you're trying to do,

teachers who are trained on developmentally appropriate outdoor education- teaching children to self-regulate and understand their own bodies Etc

Then how do we respond to when a risk puts a child in danger of injury - thats when we have first aid. Some ONB programs have additional first aid training like Wilderness first aid.

About injuries - when I was doing the outdoor preschool licensing pilot for Washington State, over the course of like 3 years- was what kinds of injuries did children get? you know we have maybe this fear children will be less safe and so we'll have more injury… Also we had one bee sting and one broken bone, and the broken bone wasn't even from the child doing anything with to do with risky play another child dropped something on to their hand and they broke a finger.

Also - children in outdoor programs had less incidents of violence with each other and they got along better, there were less challenging behaviors then indoors.

if we care about children's safety we have a responsibility to take them outside often daily and all of them, so these are some of the ways that we can lean into approaches to safety so that our default is not going inside.

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Continuous Improvement

We want to know!

How do the recommendations apply to your context?
Is anything unclear?
Where do you need more information?

Feedback form link - in the document - by March 20, 2026

Listening sessions TBD

Policy Huddle/ Regional Networks on the website + QR code