SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5344

                    As of February 4, 1997

Title:  An act relating to training for child care providers.

Brief Description:  Requiring training for persons working with children at licensed child care facilities.

Sponsors:  Senators Kohl, Long, Brown, Wood, Thibaudeau, Hargrove, McAuliffe, Winsley and Sheldon.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  2/5/97.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Staff:  Kyle Thiessen (786-7754)

Background:  Nearly 160,000 children in Washington State are in licensed child care, and the need for child care will increase with the enactment of welfare reform.

A link exists between higher quality child care and avoidance of risk factors associated with social and educational failure.  It is recommended that additional training for child care workers would assist in providing a more stimulating and safer environment for children.  However, child care workers are often paid low wages and find training expenses to be a financial burden.

There are more than 10,000 child care businesses in Washington State, and many of them were established without previous business experience.  It is recommended that additional training on management and personnel practices should be provided to center directors, program supervisors, and child care licensees to enhance their chances to be successful and provide a safe and positive environment for children.

Summary of Bill:  Any person employed at a licensed child care facility who has unsupervised access to children must complete 20 hours or two college credits of department-approved training.  Until the year 2004, this requirement may be satisfied within the first six months of hire, but after that it must be completed before hire.

There is also a continuing education requirement of 10 hours or one college credit of department-approved training per year.  Child care center directors, program supervisors, and child care licensees must have as a part of their continuing education requirement five hours of program management and operation.

The training and continuing education requirements do not take effect until January 1, 1999.

The Department of Social and Health Services is required to design and administer a system that provides for approval of training programs and provides for maintaining registries for:  (a) approved training programs; and (b) training completed by licensees and child care workers.  The department is also required to develop a program for scholarships, grants, or loans for low-income persons to receive approved training.

Members representing educational institutions are added to the Child Care Coordinating Committee, and the committee's role in reviewing child care issues is clarified.

The appropriation is to be used for the following purposes:  (1) $100,000 for implementation of the training and continuing education requirements; (2) $1,275,000 for designing and administering the registries for approved training programs and training completed by licensees and child care workers; and (3) $500,000 for scholarships, grants, loans, or other subsidies for low-income persons to receive approved training.

Appropriation:  $1,875,000.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 28, 1997.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed, except sections 3 and 4, which take effect January 1, 1999.