HB 1344 - DIGEST

Establishes the Washington child care access now act.

Creates the child care access work group and requires the work group to: (1) Develop a regional mechanism to measure the cost of quality that can be used to determine child care subsidy rates;

(2) Consider how the measure of area median income could be used in place of federal poverty level when determining eligibility for child care subsidy;

(3) Evaluate recommendations from the department of children, youth, and families' technical work group on compensation to achieve pay parity with K-12 teachers by January 1, 2025; and

(4) Develop a phased implementation plan for policy changes to the working connections child care program.

Provides a December 1, 2020, expiration date for the work group.