FINAL BILL REPORT

ESHB 1719

C 171 L 17

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Updating certain department of early learning advising and contracting mechanisms to reflect federal requirements, legislative mandates, and planned system improvements.

Sponsors: House Committee on Early Learning & Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Lovick, Dent, Kagi, Senn and Frame; by request of Department of Early Learning).

House Committee on Early Learning & Human Services

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Background:

In 2006 legislation created a nongovernmental private-public partnership to support investments in early learning and to ensure that every child in the state is prepared to succeed in school and in life. This partnership is known as Thrive Washington (Thrive).

Home visiting programs deliver voluntary services to children and families in the home or in the community and are designed to alleviate the effects of poverty and other risk factors on child development. The Department of Early Learning (DEL) contracts with Thrive for the administration of home visiting programs funded by the Home Visiting Services Account (HVSA). Thrive convenes an advisory committee to give advice regarding the distribution of funds from the HVSA.

The HVSA receives state, federal, and private funding for the support of home visiting services and state funds are intended to be matched at a rate of 50 percent by the private-public partnership each fiscal year. If the targeted match is not met, the DEL and the private-public partnership must jointly report to the Legislature detailing the reasons why the target was not met and plans to meet the target in the future. The DEL may use an average of 4 percent of HVSA expenditures for program administration.

The Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) advises the DEL on statewide early learning issues. The ELAC has 23 members representing state agencies, the Legislature, leaders in early childhood education, and other stakeholders.

Summary:

Responsibility for administering home visiting programs is transferred from the private-public partnership to the DEL. The percentage of HVSA expenditures that the DEL may use for program administration is increased from 4 percent to 10 percent. The legislative intent that 50 percent of the HVSA be matched by the private-public partnership each fiscal year is eliminated, as are the reporting requirements related to achieving the targeted match. The DEL must monitor and report periodically on the uses and the outcomes of the HVSA.

The ELAC's responsibilities associated with assessing needs and the availability of services, developing plans, establishing performance measures, and creating a statewide early learning plan are removed. The ELAC must contribute to ongoing early learning efforts and the development of policies ensuring school readiness for young children.

The ELAC's membership is changed to:

• remove the representatives of the Office of Financial Management and the Department of Social and Health Services;

• add representatives from the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP), a licensed family day care, a child day care center, the home visiting advisory committee, the Washington Library Association, the developmental disabilities community, early learning regional coalitions, a statewide advocacy coalition of organizations focused on early learning, and appointees from the state commissions on Asian Pacific American Affairs, African American Affairs, and Hispanic Affairs; and

• increase representation from sovereign tribal governments, including adding a representative of a tribal ECEAP or tribal Head Start program.

The Senate appointees to the ELAC are appointed by the majority and minority leader of each caucus rather than by the President of the Senate. Of the two co-chairs of the ELAC, only one may represent a state agency.

Votes on Final Passage: