SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6501

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

        Human Services & Corrections, January 31, 1996

Title:  An act relating to the child care coordinating committee.

Brief Description:  Requiring the child care coordinating committee to develop a comprehensive career development plan for early child care and education and school‑age care.

Sponsors:  Senators Kohl, Hargrove, Long, Thibaudeau and McAuliffe.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  1/24/96, 1/31/96 [DPS-WM, DNPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6501 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Kohl, Long, Moyer, Prentice, Smith and Thibaudeau.

Minority Report:  Do not pass substitute.

  Signed by Senators Schow and Zarelli.

Staff:  Jodi Walker (786-7464)

Background:  The Child Care Coordinating Committee was established to provide coordination and communication between state agencies responsible for child care and early childhood education services.  The committee annually reviews and makes recommendations on state programs to promote quality child care services and establish standards for training of child care providers.

Committee membership includes representatives from agencies having responsibility for regulation, provision, or funding of child care services.  At this time, there are no representatives from the State Board of Education or Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Currently, there is no comprehensive career development plan for people to follow when they want to receive credits or other training in early child care and education and school age care.  Further, transferring credits achieved in early child care and education and school age care is hindered by the different classes and training programs offered in the state and the lack of articulation agreements among all higher education institutions, technical schools, and community-based programs.

The committee wants to begin development of a comprehensive career development plan to promote equal access to education and training, uniform educational and training programs, and recognition of early child care and education and school age care as a profession.  The committee further seeks representation from the State Board of Education and Higher Education Coordinating Board to address issues of credit equivalencies and articulation agreements among state educational institutions and programs.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The University of Washington Services Policy Center must conduct a study of state child care worker wages and affordability of child care services.  This report is to be made available to the appropriate legislative committees and to the Child Care Coordinating Committee by January 2, 1997.

The Child Care Coordinating Committee is directed to research and submit proposals for a comprehensive career development plan for education and training in early child care and education and school-age care.  The committee is to review other state models as well as review the results of the child care worker study by the Policy Center.  A report is due to the Legislature by July 1, 1997.

Membership of the committee is expanded to include representatives from the Higher Education Coordinating Board, the State Board of Education, and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A new section is added to direct the University of Washington Human Services Policy Center to conduct a study of child care worker wages and affordability of child care.  This provision was formerly PSSB 5412.  The bill is also changed to require the Child Care Coordinating Committee to review the results of this study.  Also changed is the membership, which shall include the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Appropriation:  $25,000 is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the general fund to the Department of Social and Health Services.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Research shows that better child care results from better training and education.  However, there are few incentives to receive quality training.  The committee has been working on development of core competencies in the area of early child care and education and school age care, and it would like to start working with the higher education community.  The prospective new members would bring experience in developing degree programs to the Committee.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Susan Kavanaugh, Office of Child Care Policy (pro); Susan Patrick, Higher Education Coordinating Board (pro); Rhonda Coats, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (pro); Marilyn Thomas-Schier, Child Care Coordinating Committee (pro).