S-4129.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6780

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Senators Patterson, Brown, Kohl‑Welles, Thibaudeau, Kline, McCaslin, Winsley, McAuliffe and Rasmussen

Read first time 01/26/2000.  Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

Providing training and assistance to child care providers serving children with special needs.

    AN ACT Relating to children with special needs; adding new sections to chapter 74.13 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.05 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  Children with physical, mental, or behavioral needs present complex challenges to child care providers.  To assure that the child care system has capable providers willing to serve children with special needs, the legislature finds that training and technical assistance opportunities for child care providers require expansion to include an emphasis on serving children with special needs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:

    A scholarship program is created for child care providers seeking training to enable them to competently serve children with special needs.  Child care providers are eligible for the scholarship program if they:  (1) Currently serve children with special needs; or (2) are seeking to enhance their skills so that they may serve children with special needs in the future.  The scholarship program shall be coordinated with, and is intended to supplement, training funds available to the state training and registration system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:

    The local child care resource and referral agencies are authorized to coordinate outreach and recruitment services, training, technical assistance, and consultation services, including access to mental health consultations for:  (1) Child care providers currently serving children with special needs; and (2) child care providers seeking to enhance their skills so that they may serve children with special needs in the future.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 70.05 RCW to read as follows:

    Each local health department shall have available one full-time nurse consultant to provide assessment and consultation to parents of children with special needs and to child care providers serving children with special needs.

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