S-4912.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6501
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Kohl, Hargrove, Long, Thibaudeau and McAuliffe)
Read first time 02/02/96.
AN ACT Relating to the child care coordinating committee; amending RCW 74.13.090; creating new sections; and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that promoting quality child care and early childhood education services is a fundamental state policy. The legislature also finds that the quality of child care and early childhood education services is directly linked to the quality of education and training of persons providing early child care and education and school-age care, and wages and working conditions of child care workers. The legislature intends that the child care coordinating committee begin formulating a comprehensive career development plan for early child care and education and school-age care 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 with commensurate wages and working conditions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The University of Washington services policy center shall conduct a study of state child care worker wages and affordability of child care services. The study shall include: (1) A comparison of state markets for child care, including variability of child care worker wages; (2) labor market data, including, but not limited to, wages as compared to cost-of-living and secondary earners; (3) state-wide turnover rates; (4) supply and demand of child care workers; (5) the cost of education and training in the field of child care; and (6) affordability of child care services at different levels of family income. The center shall work in consultation with the employment security department, the department of labor and industries, the department of social and health services, and other relevant agencies responsible for child care issues. The center shall make its study available to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the child care coordinating committee by January 2, 1997.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The child care coordinating committee shall research and submit proposals for a comprehensive career development plan for education and training in early child care and education and school-age care. In proposing a plan, the committee shall:
(1) Review other state models and educational or institutional programs;
(2) Review the results of the study required under section 2 of this act;
(3) Seek technical assistance or professional review as needed;
(4) Coordinate and facilitate seminars, hearings, conferences, or other state or local forums; and
(5) Address issues of credit equivalencies and articulation agreements between state educational institutions and programs, including four-year universities, community colleges, technical schools, and community-based programs.
The committee shall report to the legislature by July 1, 1997, its recommendations for a comprehensive career development plan, including time and funding needs, and recommendations for implementation of the plan.
Sec. 4. RCW 74.13.090 and 1995 c 399 s 204 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) There is
established a child care coordinating committee to provide coordination and
communication between state agencies responsible for child care and early
childhood education services. The child care coordinating committee shall be
composed of not less than ((seventeen)) twenty-three nor more
than thirty-three members who shall include:
(a) One representative each from the department of social and health services, the department of community, trade, and economic development, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and any other agency having responsibility for regulation, provision, or funding of child care services in the state;
(b) One representative from the department of labor and industries;
(c) One representative from the department of revenue;
(d) One representative from the employment security department;
(e) One representative from the department of personnel;
(f) One representative from the department of health;
(g) One representative from the higher education coordinating board;
(h) One representative from the state board of education;
(i) One representative from the state board for community and technical colleges;
(j) At least one representative of family home child care providers and one representative of center care providers;
(((h))) (k)
At least one representative of early childhood development experts;
(((i))) (l)
At least one representative of school districts and teachers involved in the
provision of child care and preschool programs;
(((j))) (m)
At least one parent education specialist;
(((k))) (n)
At least one representative of resource and referral programs;
(((l))) (o)
One pediatric or other health professional;
(((m))) (p)
At least one representative of college or university child care providers;
(((n))) (q)
At least one representative of a citizen group concerned with child care;
(((o))) (r)
At least one representative of a labor organization;
(((p))) (s)
At least one representative of a head start - early childhood education
assistance program agency;
(((q))) (t)
At least one employer who provides child care assistance to employees;
(((r))) (u)
Parents of children receiving, or in need of, child care, half of whom shall be
parents needing or receiving subsidized child care and half of whom shall be
parents who are able to pay for child care.
The named state agencies shall select their representative to the child care coordinating committee. The department of social and health services shall select the remaining members, considering recommendations from lists submitted by professional associations and other interest groups until such time as the committee adopts a member selection process. The department shall use any federal funds which may become available to accomplish the purposes of RCW 74.13.085 through 74.13.095.
The committee shall elect officers from among its membership and shall adopt policies and procedures specifying the lengths of terms, methods for filling vacancies, and other matters necessary to the ongoing functioning of the committee. The secretary of social and health services shall appoint a temporary chair until the committee has adopted policies and elected a chair accordingly. Child care coordinating committee members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(2) To the extent possible within available funds, the child care coordinating committee shall:
(a) Serve as an advisory coordinator for all state agencies responsible for early childhood or child care programs for the purpose of improving communication and interagency coordination;
(b) Annually review state programs and make recommendations to the agencies and the legislature which will maximize funding and promote furtherance of the policies set forth in RCW 74.13.085. Reports shall be provided to all appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1 of each year. At a minimum the committee shall:
(i) Review and propose changes to the child care subsidy system in its December 1989 report;
(ii) Review alternative models for child care service systems, in the context of the policies set forth in RCW 74.13.085, and recommend to the legislature a new child care service structure; and
(iii) Review options and make recommendations on the feasibility of establishing an allocation for day care facilities when constructing state buildings;
(c) Review department of social and health services administration of the child care expansion grant program described in RCW 74.13.095;
(d) Review rules regarding child care facilities and services for the purpose of identifying those which unnecessarily obstruct the availability and
affordability of child care in the state;
(e) Advise and assist the office of child care policy in implementing his or her duties under RCW 74.13.0903;
(f) Perform other functions to improve the quantity and quality of child care in the state, including compliance with existing and future prerequisites for federal funding; and
(g) Advise and assist the department of personnel in its responsibility for establishing policies and procedures that provide for the development of quality child care programs for state employees.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 1997, from the general fund to the legislative budget committee for the purposes of the study contract under section 2 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of section 3 of this act.
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