HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1559

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Human Services

Title:  An act relating to school-aged child care programs.

Brief Description:  Developing a plan for school‑aged child care programs.

Sponsors:  Representatives Brown, Wolfe, Ballasiotes, Flemming, Riley, Kessler, Linville, Thibaudeau, Leonard, J. Kohl, Mastin, Wang, Jones, Pruitt, Karahalios, Campbell, Johanson, Quall, G. Fisher, Cothern, L. Johnson, Kremen and H. Myers.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, February 17, 1993, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Riley, Vice Chair; Brown; Karahalios; Patterson; Thibaudeau; and Wolfe.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 4 members:  Representatives Cooke, Ranking Minority Member; Talcott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Lisk; and Padden.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Between 1979 and 1990, the real median income of families with children fell by 5 percent.  The poorest families experienced a 13 percent decrease in their median incomes.  Partly based on declining family household incomes, mothers have steadily entered the work force.  In 1970, 39 percent of children had a mother in the work force.  By 1990, the proportion of children with mothers working had increased to 61 percent.  Many children live in single parent households or households where both parents are employed.  Children living in these households are often not under the care and supervision of an adult before and after school, and during times school is not in session.  Children who are unsupervised before and after school are at greater risk of health and safety problems.

Summary of Bill:  The Child Care Coordinating Council is directed to develop a plan for a statewide system of school aged child care programs.  The plan will be submitted to appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 1993.

Fiscal Note:  Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed. 

Testimony For:  There needs to be a statewide plan for school age child care programs.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Janet Frieling, Jeramy Frieling, and Misha La Point, citizens; Diane Olsen, Child Care Coordinating Committee; Janet SooHoo, Children's Home Society; Ann Simons, Child Care Works For Washington; Rose Maria Espinoza, Department of Social and Health Services; and Sharon Foster, YMCAs of Washington.