Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  "The legislature finds that children with the greatest needs benefit significantly from child care programs that promote stability, quality, and continuity of care. The legislature recognizes that empirical evidence supports the conclusion that high quality child care programs consistently yield more positive outcomes for children, with the strongest positive impacts on the most vulnerable children.

Children in the child welfare system are some of the most vulnerable children. The legislature finds that a child who experiences child abuse or neglect is over four times more likely to abuse substances as an adult and forty-three percent of youth in the juvenile justice system were involved in the child welfare system.

The legislature finds that the child care and development block grant act of 2014 allows the department of early learning to provide working connections child care to children in need of, or receiving, protective services. The legislature further understands that as of July 1, 2016, authorizations for the working connections child care subsidy are effective for twelve months.

The legislature finds that the children's mental health work group, in its December 2016 final report, recommended that state agencies provide at least twelve months of stable child care through the working connections child care program for certain children involved in the child welfare system, regardless of the employment status of their parents or guardians. Many of these child welfare-involved families are addressing chemical dependency issues, which require a significant amount of time to overcome. For these reasons, the legislature intends to allow certain populations of vulnerable children to be eligible for the working connections child care subsidy for a minimum of twelve months.

Sec. 2.  RCW 43.215.135 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 7 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall establish and implement policies in the working connections child care program to promote stability and quality of care for children from low-income households. These policies shall focus on supporting school readiness for young learners. Policies for the expenditure of funds constituting the working connections child care program must be consistent with the outcome measures defined in RCW 74.08A.410 and the standards established in this section intended to promote stability, quality, and continuity of early care and education programming.

(2) As recommended by Public Law 113-186, authorizations for the working connections child care subsidy shall be effective for twelve months beginning July 1, 2016, ((unless an earlier date is provided in the omnibus appropriations act)) except that for a change in the ongoing status of the child's parent as working or attending a job training or education program that is not temporary, assistance shall be discontinued after a minimum of three months.

(3) As a condition of receiving a child care subsidy or a working connections child care subsidy, the applicant or recipient must seek child support enforcement services from the department of social and health services, division of child support, unless the department finds that the applicant or recipient has good cause not to cooperate. For the purposes of this subsection, "good cause" includes consideration of the safety of domestic violence victims.

(4) Existing child care providers serving nonschool-age children and receiving state subsidy payments must complete the following requirements to be eligible for a state subsidy under this section:

(a) Enroll in the early achievers program by August 1, 2016;

(b) Complete level 2 activities in the early achievers program by August 1, 2017; and

(c) Rate at a level 3 or higher in the early achievers program by December 31, 2019. If a child care provider rates below a level 3 by December 31, 2019, the provider must complete remedial activities with the department, and rate at a level 3 or higher no later than June 30, 2020.

(((4))) (5) Effective July 1, 2016, a new child care provider serving nonschool-age children and receiving state subsidy payments must complete the following activities to be eligible to receive a state subsidy under this section:

(a) Enroll in the early achievers program within thirty days of receiving the initial state subsidy payment;

(b) Complete level 2 activities in the early achievers program within twelve months of enrollment; and

(c) Rate at a level 3 or higher in the early achievers program within thirty months of enrollment. If a child care provider rates below a level 3 within thirty months from enrollment into the early achievers program, the provider must complete remedial activities with the department, and rate at a level 3 or higher within six months of beginning remedial activities.

(((5))) (6) If a child care provider does not rate at a level 3 or higher following the remedial period, the provider is no longer eligible to receive state subsidy under this section.

(((6))) (7) If a child care provider serving nonschool-age children and receiving state subsidy payments has successfully completed all level 2 activities and is waiting to be rated by the deadline provided in this section, the provider may continue to receive a state subsidy pending the successful completion of the level 3 rating activity.

(((7))) (8) The department shall implement tiered reimbursement for early achievers program participants in the working connections child care program rating at level 3, 4, or 5.

(((8))) (9) The department shall account for a child care copayment collected by the provider from the family for each contracted slot and establish the copayment fee by rule.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2017, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void."

On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "children;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 43.215.135; creating new sections; and providing an effective date."