Why License Outdoor Preschools?

As the body of research grows on the benefits of spending time outside, more and more families are choosing to send their children to nature-based and outdoor preschools. Outdoor preschools bring a huge number of positive benefits to kids by encouraging physical activity, reducing childhood stress, and fully engaging children’s senses to the natural world. These programs have measured effects on kids’ physical, social, mental and developmental health, fostering healthy and happy children. Not only are these programs good for kids’ health, they’re good for kids’ academic achievement, as children in outdoor preschools are just as prepared for kindergarten as children in more traditional indoor programs. 

Unfortunately, not all families are able to access the benefits that nature-based and outdoor preschool provides. Some families aren’t able to afford the costs associated with tuition or specialized gear. Others need full-day programs or aftercare to fit into their work schedule. And others might not feel safe sending their kids to an outdoor program because they don’t see people like themselves accessing the outdoors. These barriers shouldn’t get in the way of families being able to access nature-based and outdoor preschools.

So what’s limiting outdoor preschools from becoming an option for everyone? One likely answer: of all 50 states, only Washington has a clear pathway to licensure for outdoor preschools. 

Licensure is paramount for outdoor preschools to operate and expand to serve children and families. Forty-nine states don’t allow outdoor preschools to operate full-day programs, meaning that working families without a caregiver at home can’t access them. Licensure also allows preschool programs to apply for state and federal funding like Preschool Promise and Preschool for All, which many families rely upon. Without licensure, providers don’t have access to the same pool of potential students as licensed programs and are unable to access some insurance that’s reserved for licensed programs. 

The primary hurdle to licensing outdoor preschools has to do with regulatory requirements, or licensing standards, which states use to ensure a preschool setting is safe and supportive of young children’s needs. These requirements are designed with indoor spaces in mind, and while some make perfect sense for an indoor space (e.g. there can’t be bugs or rodents in the classroom), they’re all but impossible to achieve in an outdoor setting. If Oregon was able to rewrite its standards to be inclusive of outdoor programs, or simply create a new set of standards for outdoor preschools, it would allow these beneficial programs to be an equitable, accessible option for families across the state.