HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1801

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                 Children & Family Services

Title:  An act relating to child care for school‑age children.

Brief Description:  Changing child care facility provisions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Brown, Patterson, Thibaudeau, Tokuda, Wolfe, Chopp, Mason, Dickerson, Cole, Kessler, Ogden, Romero, Jacobsen, G. Fisher, Hatfield, Costa, Scott, Conway, Cody and Poulsen.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Children & Family Services:  2/23/95, 2/28/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Cooke, Chairman; Lambert, Vice Chairman; Stevens, Vice Chairman; Thibaudeau, Ranking Minority Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Buck; Carrell; Padden; Patterson and Tokuda.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Increases in single parent and two working parent households have expanded the demand for child care.  School age children often require before and after school supervision that cannot be provided by their parents.  Unsupervised school age children may be at risk of personal, social, and health related problems.  The state Board of Education does not give priority to construction and modernization projects related to before and after school child care programs.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The child care coordinating committee will administer grants for before and after school child care programs.  Grants may be used for needs assessments, planning and design of programs, equipment and supplies, capital improvements, and initial operating expenses.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The requirement that the state Board of Education allocate priority points for construction and renovation projects related to districts choosing to provide before and after school child care programs is removed.  Appropriations to the Department of Social and Health Services to fund start up grants for before and after school child care programs and employment child care programs are removed and replaced with a null and void clause.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.  However, the bill is null and void if not funded in the budget.

Testimony For:  Before and after school child care programs are needed by working parents and protect at risk children from dangerous situations and behaviors.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Caryn Swan (pro); Collene VanWormer, Olympia Area YMCA (pro); Stu Jacobson, K.C. Parents for Safe Day Care (pro); and Margie Reeves, League of Women Voters (pro).