HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1614

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Human Services

Title:  An act relating to child care services for homeless families including families that are homeless due to domestic violence.

Brief Description:  Authorizing specialized child care and respite care for children of homeless parents.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives H. Myers, Hargrove, Beck, Peery, Anderson, Riley, Leonard, Winsley, Brekke, Miller, Cooper, Grant, Cole, G. Fisher, Belcher, Ogden, Nelson, Phillips, Franklin, Pruitt, Morris, Wineberry, Prentice, Inslee, Rust, Ludwig, Heavey, Fraser, Jacobsen, Bray, Dellwo, Jones, R. King, Basich, R. Johnson, Holland, Kremen, Scott, Rasmussen and O'Brien.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, February 18, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1614 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Riley, Vice Chair; Winsley, Ranking Minority Member; Tate, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Beck; Brekke; Hargrove; Hochstatter; R. King; and H. Myers.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Children from families who are homeless, suffer constant disruption in their living arrangements.  This can result in physical, social, medical and emotional problems.  If children from homeless families have continuity in their child care arrangements, the problems experienced by these children will be reduced.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Department of Social and Health Services is required to contract for specialized child care and respite care for children from homeless families.  Organizations providing specialized child care and respite care, must coordinate with early childhood education programs.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Definitions of terms used in the legislation are incorporated into the existing definition section in chapter 74.15 RCW.  Respite day care will be provided by licensed child care persons rather than unlicensed persons.  The allocation of funds to services providers will be based on the number of children, age six and under, rather than age five and under.  This will ensure the allocation process and the service delivery process use the same age for eligibility purposes.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 12, 1991.

Appropriation:  Yes.

Effective Date:  July 1, 1991.

Testimony For:  Homeless children face constant disruption in their daily lives.  A stable, consistent child care program helps them to develop the personal coping skills needed to deal with the individual and family stress caused by homelessness.  It also provides parents the ability to seek employment, look for permanent housing and have brief periods of respite.

Testimony Against:  The Department of Social and Health Services cannot support the legislation because the governor's budget request for the 1991-93 biennium does not provide funding for this purpose.

Witnesses:  Barbara Roman and Doris Graves, parents; Kathleen Coyle, Our Place Daycare Center; Jean Salls, YWCA-Seattle; Lonnie Johns-Brown, Child Care Works for Washington; Margaret Casey, Catholic Conference and Children's Alliance; Charlotte Jahn, Homeless Children's Network; Michael McCormick, Volunteers of America; Ruth Kagi, Seattle Youth Commission; Colleen Waterhouse and Karen Tvedt, Department of Social and Health Services (con); Betty Griggs, Kitsap Community Action Program; Ann Simon, Washington Women United; Nancy Ashley and Adrianne Ross, Human Services Roundtable; and Laurie Lippold, Children's Home Society.