1213-S2 AMH DENT CLAJ 188

2SHB 1213 - H AMD 439

By Representative Dent

NOT ADOPTED 03/09/2021

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"Sec. RCW 43.216.556 and 2019 c 408 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Funding for the program of early learning established under this chapter must be appropriated to the department. The department shall distribute funding to approved early childhood education and assistance program contractors on the basis of eligible children enrolled.

(2) The program shall be implemented in phases, so that full implementation is achieved in the ((2022-23)) 2026-27 school year.

(3) Funding shall continue to be phased in each year such that the legislature funds at least an additional 1,000 ECEAP slots each year until full statewide implementation of the early learning program is achieved in the ((2022-23)) 2026-27 school year, at which time any eligible child is entitled to be enrolled in the program. Entitlement under this section is voluntary enrollment. The legislature must consider the increased demand for school day and working day slots when funding new ECEAP slots.

(4) School districts and approved community-based early learning providers may contract with the department to provide services under the program. The department shall collaborate with school districts, community-based providers, and educational service districts to promote an adequate supply of approved providers.

Sec. RCW 43.216.749 and 2019 c 368 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

CHILD CARE SUBSIDY RATES.

(1) ((By January 1, 2025, the department of children, youth, and families must)) It is the intent of the legislature to systemically increase child care subsidy rates over time until rates are equal to the full cost of providing high quality child care.

(2) By July 1, 2021, child care subsidy base rates must achieve the 85th percentile of market for licensed or certified child care providers.

(3)(a) The department shall build upon the work of the child care collaborative task force to develop and implement a child care cost estimate model and use the completed child care cost model ((developed under RCW 43.330.527 to determine child care subsidy rates.

(2) This section expires January 30, 2025)) to recommend subsidy rates at levels that are sufficient to compensate licensed or certified child care providers for the full costs of providing high quality child care. The department shall consider adjusting rates to reflect cost-of-living factors at the zip code level, grouped by categories such as rural, suburban, or urban.

(b) The department shall build upon the work of the child care collaborative task force to evaluate options to support access to affordable health care insurance coverage for licensed or certified child care providers.

(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to interfere with, impede, or in any way diminish the right of employees to bargain collectively with their employers through representatives of their choosing in order to establish wages or other conditions of work in excess of the applicable minimum under the provisions of this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RATES. (1) Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, rates must be set at a level at least ten percent higher than the rates established in section 225, chapter 415, Laws of 2019.

(2) It is the intent of the legislature that rate increases shall be informed by the department's 2020 early childhood education and assistance program rate study.

(3) This section expires June 30, 2027.

NEW SECTION. Sec. TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE SUPPORTS. (1) By July 1, 2022, the department shall provide supports to aid eligible providers in providing trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care supports may include:

(a) Additional compensation for staff who have an infant and early childhood mental health or other child development specialty credential;

(b) Trauma-informed professional development and training;

(c) The purchase of screening tools and assessment materials;

(d) Supportive services for children with complex needs that are offered as fee-for-service within local communities; or

(e) Other related expenses.

(2) The department must adopt rules to implement this section.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "eligible provider" means: (a) An employee or owner of a licensed or certified child care center accepting state subsidy; (b) an employee or owner of a licensed family home provider accepting state subsidy; (c) a contractor or provider of the early childhood education and assistance program or birth to three early childhood education and assistance program; (d) a license-exempt child care program; or (e) an early achievers coach.

NEW SECTION. Sec. INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION. (1) The department shall administer or contract for infant and early childhood mental health consultation services to child care providers and early learning providers participating in the early achievers program.

(2) Infant and early childhood mental health consultation services must be delivered in coordination with the consultants provided under RCW 43.216.090.

(3) The department shall provide, or contract with an entity to provide, reflective supervision and professional development for infant and early childhood mental health consultants to meet national competency standards.

(4) As capacity allows, the department may provide access to infant and early childhood mental health consultation services to caregivers and licensed or certified, military, and tribal early learning providers, license-exempt family, friend, and neighbor care providers, and families with children expelled or at risk of expulsion from child care.

Sec. RCW 43.216.090 and 2019 c 360 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION.

((The)) By July 1, 2021, the department of children, youth, and families must have or contract for one infant and early childhood mental health consultation coordinator and must enter into a contractual agreement with an organization providing coaching services to early achievers program participants to hire ((one)) at least 12 qualified infant and early childhood mental health consultants ((for each of the six department-designated regions)). The department shall determine, in collaboration with child care aware of Washington, where the additional consultants should be sited based on factors such as the total provider numbers overlaid with indicators of highest need. The infant and early childhood mental health consultants must support early achievers program coaches and child care providers by providing resources, information, and guidance regarding challenging behavior and expulsions and may travel to assist providers in serving families and children with severe behavioral needs. ((In coordination with the contractor, the department of children, youth, and families must report on the services provided and the outcomes of the consultant activities to the governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature by June 30, 2021.))

NEW SECTION. Sec. EARLY THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTATIVE SERVICES. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer early therapeutic and preventative services and programs, such as the early childhood intervention and prevention services program, and other related services for children who are:

(a) Between the ages of birth and five years; and

(b) Referred by a child welfare worker, a department of social and health services social worker, a primary care physician, a behavioral health provider, or a public health nurse due to: (i) Risk of child abuse or neglect; (ii) exposure to complex trauma; or (iii) significant developmental delays.

(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall make all reasonable efforts to deliver early therapeutic and preventative services and programs statewide. These services and programs must focus first on children and families furthest from opportunity as defined by income and be delivered by programs that emphasize greater racial equity.

Sec. RCW 43.216.655 and 2019 c 369 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The education data center established in RCW 43.41.400 must collect longitudinal, student-level data on all children attending an early childhood education and assistance program. Upon completion of an electronic time and attendance record system, the education data center must collect longitudinal, student-level data on all children attending a working connections child care program. Data collected should capture at a minimum the following characteristics:

(a) Daily program attendance;

(b) Identification of classroom and teacher;

(c) Early achievers program quality level rating;

(d) Program hours;

(e) Program duration;

(f) Developmental results from the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills in RCW 28A.655.080; and

(g) To the extent data is available, the distinct ethnic categories within racial subgroups of children and providers that align with categories recognized by the education data center.

(2) The department shall provide early learning providers student-level data collected pursuant to this section that are specific to the early learning provider's program. Upon completion of an electronic time and attendance record system identified in subsection (1) of this section, the department shall provide child care providers student-level data that are specific to the child care provider's program.

(3) The department shall review available research and best practices literature on cultural competency in early learning settings. The department shall review the K-12 components for cultural competency developed by the professional educator standards board and identify components appropriate for early learning professional development.

(4)(a) The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct a longitudinal analysis examining relationships between the early achievers program quality ratings levels and outcomes for children participating in subsidized early care and education programs.

(b) The institute shall submit the first report to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the early learning advisory council by December 31, 2019. The institute shall submit subsequent reports annually to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the early learning advisory council by December 31st, with the final report due December 31, 2022. The final report shall include a cost-benefit analysis.

(5) By December 31, 2021, and subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the Washington state institute for public policy shall update the outcome evaluation of the early childhood education and assistance program required by chapter 16, Laws of 2013 and report to the governor and the legislature on the outcomes of program participants. The evaluation must include the demographics of program participants including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The evaluation must examine short and long-term impacts on program participants, including high school graduation rates for up to two cohorts. When conducting the evaluation, the institute must consider, to the extent that data is available, the education levels and demographics, including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, of early childhood education and assistance program staff and the effects of full-day programming and half-day programming on outcomes.

(6)(a) The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct a study comparing child care licensing regulations nationwide. In conducting the study, the institute shall review and compare the structure of child care licensing regulations and outcomes in other states, including, but not limited to:

(i) Child care costs;

(ii) Availability of child care;

(iii) Regulations on child care providers; and

(iv) Safety and health outcomes for children in child care settings, to the extent possible.

(b) The institute shall submit a report on its findings to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 31, 2021.

(c) Subsection (6) of this section will expire June 30, 2022."

Correct the title.

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