SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 6399

    AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 4, 1994

Brief Description:  Changing child care facility provisions.

SPONSORS: Senators McAuliffe and M. Rasmussen

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6399 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; McAuliffe, Vice Chairman; Gaspard, Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer, M. Rasmussen, Rinehart and Winsley.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786‑7439)

Hearing Dates: February 2, 1994; February 4, 1994

BACKGROUND:

A high number of youth have no adult supervision outside of school hours because of the lack of affordable before-and-after-school child care programs.  Such youth are at risk of making destructive choices and miss important opportunities to gain academically, socially and emotionally from involvement in a quality before-and-after school child care program.

SUMMARY:

When awarding state matching funds for school construction or modernization projects, the State Board of Education is required to provide some priority weighting to a school district that has implemented or has made a commitment to implement before-and-after school child care programs. 

The Child Care Coordinating Committee (CCCC) will award grants to school districts or community-based organizations that provide before-and-after-school child care programs for school-aged children.  Grants may be used to establish new programs or expand existing programs. 

A district or organization must document a demand for expansion of child care services before receiving a grant.  A district or organization receiving a grant is required to adopt a fee schedule based on the projected costs of services and to submit to the CCCC an operating plan that shows the program is expected to be fully supported after two years through fees, other revenues, and child care subsidy payments.  Grants may be used for specified purposes.  Grants may not be used to support more than 75 percent of the child care program costs during the initial 24 months and may not be used for costs incurred more than 24 months after the establishment of the child care program.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The appropriations of $1,100,000 to the Department of Social and Health Services for child care subsidies and $750,000 to the Department of Social and Health Services for start-up grants are deleted.  The entire act is effective only if funded.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested January 25, 1994

TESTIMONY FOR:

A 1993 study done by the Child Care Coordinating Committee  found that at least 50,000 Washington children ages 5 to 14 have no supervision when school is out and their parents are still at work.  Youth need to feel connected to their community at an early age.  With the increase in violence in society, children need a safe place to be before and after school.  Before-and-after-school child care programs can provide these things as well as a broad educational opportunity.  Programs that are currently based in schools are often full.  Many of the children who attend programs based in schools are bused from other schools that do not have their own program.  Providing programs at school sites gets parents involved because it is more convenient for them to participate.  Such programs supported by the state demonstrates that the state values our children.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

The state should not change the established priority system for awarding state matching funds for school construction and modernization projects.

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Senator McAuliffe, prime sponsor; Richard Hunt; Caryn Swan, Community Day School; Jessie Swan, kid at Community Day School; CON: Susan Patrick, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction