H-948                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 998

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Scott, Jacobsen and Wang

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

AN ACT Relating to child care; adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that demographic, economic, and social trends underlie an increased demand for child care services in the state of Washington.  As this need increases, and traditional sources of support such as extended families and government aid are diminishing, there is an urgent need to improve the availability, affordability, and quality of child care services in the state.

          It is the purpose of this act to establish a state child care policy and to foster a partnership between the public and private sectors to implement that policy.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state of Washington to:

          (1) Maintain and support a variety of child care services;

          (2) Recognize and support the primary role of the family in making child care decisions, and encourage parents to participate fully in all phases of planning for and providing of child care;

          (3) Establish and enforce high standards for quality of service, training of child care providers, monitoring of facilities, and safety of children;

          (4) Assure equal access to quality child care services to all families, regardless of income; and

          (5) Promote broad community and private sector support for child care services, as part of a state commitment to families and children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The department of social and health services shall allocate funds to nonprofit groups for the purpose of setting up local child care resource and referral centers.

          (2) The department shall develop eligibility guidelines for funding which shall include a geographical requirement to insure that funds will be distributed throughout the state.  The eligibility guidelines shall require the resource and referral centers to obtain funding from a variety of other sources including parent fees, employer contributions, grants from local governments, and civic groups in order to continue operating beyond the original start-up phase.

          (3) The resource and referral centers shall provide some of the following services:

          (a) Information about existing child care resources in the community;

          (b) Encourage and expand parent education designed to assist parents in identifying their specific child care needs and in developing parenting skills;

          (c) Training opportunities for existing and potential child care providers;

          (d) Technical assistance to child care providers;

          (e) Mobile "toy libraries" and child development materials that can travel to child care providers throughout the community;

          (f) On-going assessment of child care demand and supply in the community;

          (g) Community outreach; and

          (h) Other appropriate services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of .......... dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the department of social and health services to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.