Event
Natural Start Alliance Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-Based Programs

children sitting in a line on a tree branch in winter gear

Date

Event Type

Webinar

Topic

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Policy and Advocacy

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The exclusive use of outdoor environments can create a barrier to having outdoor, nature-based programs licensed by their state, as state licensing regulations often require a center, home, or school to meet building codes as a way of ensuring child safety. For outdoor, nature-based programs without such buildings, or outdoor learning environments beyond the fence, there may be no licensing pathway. Without a license, programs may not be able to operate, may have limited hours, or may be unable to accept child care subsidies that support lower-income families to access child care, all of which limits equitable access to these beneficial nature-based programs.

In a webinar that took place on October 28, 2025, Dr. Aliza Yair, a consultant for the Natural Start Alliance, and Kit Harrington, Natural Start's Senior Policy Advisor, introduced the Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-Based (ONB) Early Learning and Child Care Programs (referred to as “the Recommendations”), a comprehensive resource for communities, including regulatory agencies, in expanding children’s access to safe and high-quality outdoor and nature-based learning through policy. 

The Recommendations are a living document, designed to provide a holistic and detailed collection of ONB program licensing policies and practice options, which draw from the expertise and collective review of representatives of the ONB early learning professional community. These recommendations also incorporate guidelines from relevant national regulatory agencies, and research into children’s health and education.

This webinar recording:

  • Introduces this document, how and why it was created
  • Provides an overview of the content and suggested uses
  • Describes how practitioners and public agencies can continue to explore this resource, provide feedback and suggest improvements

Watch the Recording

Resources

Speakers

  • Aliza Yair headshot

    Dr. Aliza Yair

    Aliza Yair Ed.D. is a systems-focused policy leader in nature-based early childhood education and child care. She is a consultant with Natural Start Alliance to support state-level ONB policy efforts, and serves Washington State DCYF as the Child Care Licensing Quality Assurance/ Continuous Quality Improvement Manager focusing on increasing equity in government services. Aliza led the WA Outdoor Preschool Pilot from 2017-2021, convening state-wide partners and drawing from international efforts to help Washington become the first U.S. state to define, regulate, and publicly fund outdoor nature-based child care as a distinct program model. Through her early career as environmentalist and an early childhood teacher, she understands the amazing benefits and social impacts of connecting children to nature. For the past decade, Aliza has shifted her professional focus on influencing early learning and care policies. She has a Masters in International Education Policy from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, and completed her Education Doctorate at the University of Washington in 2024. Aliza loves to dance and garden, and is dedicated to be in service to children and the earth. 

     
  • Image of a person with long reddish hair standing by a river and smiling at the camera

    Kit Harrington

    Kit Harrington is a long-time early educator, organizer and advocate. Kit founded one of the country's first outdoor preschools in Washington State, later establishing the Washington Nature Preschool Alliance and leading advocacy to pass the country’s first legislation to license outdoor and nature based childcare programs. A contributing writer behind the Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook, Kit works to improve access to the benefits of nature for young children as Senior Policy Advisor for the Natural Start Alliance, supporting the growing ONBECE Policy movement through efforts like the Regional Network Alliance and ONBECE Policy Network, and as the Director of Communications and Engagement for Voices for Vermont’s Children. Kit is passionate about creating spaces of belonging and inclusion, fostering responsive networks in the service of community-led advocacy, and exploring the natural world with her two young children.