Brief Description: Regarding child care at institutions of higher education.

Sponsors: Representatives Roberts, Hasegawa, Ormsby, Jarrett, Sells, Williams, Appleton, McIntire, Goodman, Green and Quall.

Hearing Date: 1/16/08

Staff: Andi Smith (786-7304).

Background:

The Institutional Child Care Grant program was established in 1999 to promote high-quality, accessible, and affordable child care for students attending the state's public colleges and universities. Grants were made available, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education requiring the college or university administration and the student government association at each receiving institution to match the grant amount received from the state. The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) was tasked with administering the grants to the public and four-year institutions. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) administered the program for community and technical colleges.

All of the public baccalaureate institutions have received funds since the program began in 1999. The HECB awarded grants totaling $165,000 during the 2007-09 biennium, which represents $150,000 in 07-09 biennial funding and $15,000 of carry over from the 2005-07 biennium. Four of the six public colleges and universities submitted proposals and received allocations to be used over the course of two years.

• Washington State University: $61,033
• University of Washington: $11,794
• Western Washington University: $68,794
• The Evergreen State College: $23,094

Each institution used the grants in various ways, but in general, funds were used to maintain affordability, add capacity by hiring additional staff and/or providing training to current staff, as well as expanding program availability to different populations or during different hours.

Nineteen of the 34 community and technical colleges have been awarded funds through the program. The SBCTC awarded grants totaling $100,000 during the 2007-09 biennium. Grants ranging from $11,000 to $30,000 were awarded to the community colleges of Bellevue, Edmonds, Green River, Skagit Valley, and South Seattle.

During the 2006-07 academic year, the student government associations at the public baccalaureate institutions contributed over $2 million dollars to support child care programs on their campuses. Wait lists for child care programs ranged from 58 students at Central Washington University to over 700 at the University of Washington at the public, four-year institutions.

Summary of Bill:

The HECB and the SBCTC must award child care grants on a competitive and/or matching basis in an amount equal to that contributed by each institution's student government association and college or university administration. A student government association or its equivalent may solicit funds from private organizations, such as university or college foundations, as part of its financial support for child care programs.

The Legislature clarifies the powers and duties granted to the HECB and the SBCTC for the child care grant program by creating separate sections of law for each agency.

The Legislature makes changes to the guidelines that the HECB and SBCTC must adopt for administration of the program. The agencies may now include the financial support for child care received by student government associations in grant allocation guidelines. The SBCTC must establish granting guidelines consistent with the Legislature's desired outcome of creating more cooperative preschool programs and models that can be replicated at other institutions. This provision is not specifically named in the HECBs duties.

The HECB must submit two reports on child care at four-year institutions:

• December 2008: A report on the need for child care; the extent to which child care is a barrier to completion of education; an inventory of existing child care centers and the services provided; the amount contributed by each university or college administration and student government association for the purposes of child care.
• December 2009 and every two years thereafter: A status report on program design and implementation including expenditures and the number of students receiving services.

The SBCTC must submit two reports on child care at two-year institutions:

• December 2008: A report on the need for child care; the extent to which child care is a barrier to completion of education; an inventory of existing child care centers and the services provided; the amount contributed by each university or college administration and student government association for the purposes of child care.
• December 2009 and every two years thereafter: A status report on program design and implementation including expenditures and the number of students receiving services.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 14, 2008.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.