H-2105.2 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1476
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Wineberry, Fuhrman, Heavey, Locke, Leonard, Dorn, Valle, Brekke, Scott, Anderson, Ferguson, Wang, Phillips, Rasmussen, Dellwo, Peery, Jones, Orr, Spanel, Prentice, Sprenkle, O'Brien and Hargrove).
Read first time March 4, 1991.
AN ACT Relating to employer-assisted child and family care; amending RCW 74.13.0902, 43.31.512, and 74.13.0903; adding a new section to chapter 74.13 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
PART I
CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIP
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that efforts by Washington state to encourage employers' involvement in meeting their employees' child care needs represent an effective and successful public-private partnership. It is the intent of the legislature to build upon the successful efforts of the child care partnership and the child care facility fund and to increase the effectiveness of these programs.
Sec. 2. RCW 74.13.0902 and 1989 c 381 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
An employer liaison position is established in the department of social and health services to be colocated at the business assistance center established under RCW 43.31.083. The employer liaison shall, within appropriated funds:
(1) Staff and assist the child care partnership in the implementation of its duties under RCW 74.13.0901;
(2)
Provide technical assistance to employers regarding child care services,
working with and through ((local)) community-based child care
resource and referral organizations whenever possible. Such technical
assistance shall include at a minimum:
(a) Assessing the child care needs of employees and prospective employees;
(b) Reviewing options available to employers interested in increasing access to child care for their employees;
(c) Developing techniques to permit small businesses to increase access to child care for their employees;
(d) Reviewing methods of evaluating the impact of child care activities on employers; and
(e) Preparing, collecting, and distributing current information for employers on options for increasing involvement in child care; and
(3)
Provide assistance to ((local)) community-based child care
resource and referral organizations to increase their capacity to provide
quality technical assistance to employers in their community.
Sec. 3. RCW 43.31.512 and 1989 c 430 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
The
child care facility fund committee shall award loan guarantees, loans or grants
to those persons, businesses, or organizations meeting the minimum standards
set forth in this chapter who will best serve the intent of the chapter to
increase the availability of high quality, affordable child care in Washington
state. The committee shall ((promulgate)) adopt rules regarding
the application for and disbursement of loan guarantees, loans, or grants from
the fund, including loan terms and repayment procedures.
(1) At a minimum, such rules shall require an applicant to submit a plan which includes a detailed description of:
(((1)))
(a) The need for a new or improved child care facility in the area
served by the applicant;
(((2)))
(b) The steps the applicant will take to serve a reasonable number of
handicapped children, as ((defined)) described in chapter
72.40 RCW, sick children, infants, children requiring night time or weekend
care, or children whose costs of care are subsidized by government;
(((3)))
(c) Why financial assistance from the state is needed to start or
improve the child care facility;
(((4)))
(d) How the guaranteed loan, loan, or grant will be used, and how such
uses will meet the described need;
(((5)))
(e) The child care services to be available at the facility and the
capacity of the applicant to provide those services; and
(((6)))
(f) The financial status of the applicant, including other resources
available to the applicant which will ensure the continued viability of the
facility and the availability of its described services.
(2) Each employer applying for a loan guarantee, loan, or grant shall conduct, either directly or by contract, an assessment of its employees' child care needs. In determining whether to award a loan guarantee, loan, or grant to an employer applicant, the committee shall consider the extent to which the application reflects the results of the employer's child care needs assessment.
(3) Recipients shall annually for two years following the receipt of the loan guarantee, loan, or grant, submit to the child care facility fund committee a report on the facility and how it is meeting the child care needs for which it was intended.
PART II
CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The legislature recognizes that an integrated child care services system is needed to ensure that planning and coordination of child care services occurs and that linkages between employers, consumers, and child care providers are established. The legislature finds that establishment of the office of the child care resources coordinator, the child care coordinating committee, and the child care partnership are first steps toward achieving an integrated child care system. Additional steps, including the support of existing community-based child care resource and referral programs, and the development of new child care resource and referral programs, must be taken to help parents obtain appropriate child care for their children, increase the supply of child care services and coordination with employers, and improve the quality of child care services through training and support of child care providers.
The legislature intends that child care resource and referral services be provided in collaboration with local communities, employers, consumers, and state and federal agencies.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Persons or organizations may apply for funding to establish or operate a community-based child care resource and referral program through the office of the child care resources coordinator. In evaluating applications for funding, the coordinator shall consider the applicant's ability to offer, or make progress towards offering, the activities provided in subsection (2) of this section. The coordinator shall also consider the number of children under age twelve in the geographic area that will be served by the program when determining the level of funding for the program.
(2) Community-based child care resource and referral programs shall develop a service plan that includes the following components:
(a) Provide parents with information regarding child care, including but not limited to the location of child care services, information regarding child care licensing requirements, how to choose quality child care services, and the availability of funds to subsidize child care costs;
(b) Participate with other community agencies or organizations in the provision of parent support services, such as parent education classes and information on community services available to families;
(c) Provide support to child care providers, such as: Information regarding training opportunities, development of appropriate training as needed, resource libraries, toy lending libraries, meeting space, information regarding the operation of child care as a small business, and liaison with department child care licensors;
(d) Recruit licensed child care providers, emphasizing geographic or program areas that have an inadequate supply of child care services;
(e) In cooperation with the child care partnership established under this chapter, provide technical assistance to employers regarding employee child care benefits;
(f) Directly or through a coalition of child care resource and referral programs, and in collaboration with the office of the child care resources coordinator where appropriate, provide information to local and state policy makers regarding child care supply and demand, and advocate for increased public and private sector resources for child care services; and
(g) Coordinate a local response to the demand for quality child care services, and participate in coordinated efforts for delivery of services to families.
(3)(a) At least twenty-five percent of the funding for community-based child care resource and referral agencies under this section shall be community matching funds provided by private or public entities in the community served by the program requesting funding. Contributions of materials, supplies, or physical facilities may be considered as all or part of the matching funds provided.
(b) Community-based child care resource and referral agencies under this section may establish reasonable fees for services provided on an ability to pay basis.
Sec. 6. RCW 74.13.0903 and 1989 c 381 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The office of the child care resources coordinator is established to operate under the authority of the department of social and health services. The office shall, within appropriated funds:
(1) Staff and assist the child care coordinating committee in the implementation of its duties under RCW 74.13.090;
(2)
Work with local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community
child care advocates to create local child care resource and referral
organizations((. These organizations may carry out needs assessments,
resource development, provider training, technical assistance, and parent
information and training));
(3)
Actively seek public and private money for distribution as grants to potential
or existing ((local)) community-based child care resource and
referral ((organizations. No grant shall be distributed that is greater
than twenty‑five thousand dollars)) programs as provided in
section 5 of this act;
(4) ((Adopt
rules regarding the application for and distribution of grants to local child
care resource and referral organizations. The rules shall, at a minimum,
require an applicant to submit a plan for achieving the following objectives:
(a)
Provide parents with information about child care resources, including location
of services and subsidies;
(b)
Carry out child care provider recruitment and training programs;
(c)
Offer support services, such as parent and provider seminars, toy‑lending
libraries, and substitute banks;
(d)
Provide information for businesses regarding child care supply and demand;
(e)
Advocate for increased public and private sector resources devoted to child
care; and
(f)
Provide technical assistance to employers regarding employee child care
services;
(5))) Provide
staff support and technical assistance to ((local)) community-based
child care resource and referral organizations and coalitions thereof;
(((6)
Organize the local child care resource and referral organizations into a state‑wide
system;
(7))) (5)
As a component of licensing maintain a ((state‑wide child care
referral)) data bank ((and work with department of social and health
services licensors)) of licensed providers to provide information,
including periodic updates of providers' license status, to ((local))
community-based child care resource and referral organizations about
licensed child care providers in the state;
(((8)))
(6) Through local resource and referral organizations, compile data
about local child care needs and availability for future planning and
development;
(((9)))
(7) Coordinate the provision of training and technical assistance to
child care providers; and
(((10)))
(8) Collect and assemble information regarding the availability of
insurance and of federal and other child care funding to assist state and local
agencies, businesses, and other child care providers in offering child care
services.
PART III
MISCELLANEOUS
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The sum of one million six hundred seventy-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, of which eight hundred seventy-five thousand dollars shall come from the general fund and eight hundred thousand dollars shall be matched by federal child care and development block grant funds to the department of social and health services for the purposes of sections 4 through 6 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Part headings as used in this act constitute no part of the law.