BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to child care employees; adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Experience with community colleges in this state as well as national research shows that decent wages for child care workers result in lower turnover, improved care for children, and better overall results including less absenteeism for parents. In addition, as reforms in welfare will require more parents of young children to work, there will be an increased need for quality child care and trained child care workers in our state. Increased demand for child care workers results in the need to address low wages, high turnover, and high quality.

(2) The legislature finds that the average child care teacher's hourly wage in Washington state in 1994 was six dollars and eighty-four cents. The legislature further finds that low wages for child care workers cause several problems in the child care industry, including: A barrier to people entering the profession, child care workers leaving the profession to earn a living wage elsewhere, and making it difficult for child care workers to afford education or training in child care because of low wages. The legislature intends to increase wages to child care workers through establishing a wage ladder that provides increased wages for experience and education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department of social and health services shall establish a wage ladder for child care workers in the child care centers that are licensed, nonprofit centers having no religious affiliation. The following calculations determine the salaries paid to child care workers in child care centers covered by this chapter.

Education GED Community College Certificate AA BA MA

Experience No High School High School 5 credits 20 Credits 45 Credits 90 Credits 180 Credits 270 Credits

None $6.84 $7.34 $7.46 $7.82 $8.42 $9.50 $11.66 $13.82

1 Year $7.09 $7.59 $7.71 $8.07 $8.67 $9.75 $11.91 $14.07

2 Years $7.34 $7.84 $7.96 $8.32 $8.92 $10.00 $12.16 $14.32

3 Years $7.59 $8.09 $8.21 $8.57 $9.17 $10.25 $12.41 $14.57

4 Years $7.84 $8.34 $8.46 $8.82 $9.42 $10.50 $12.66 $14.82

5 Years $8.09 $8.59 $8.71 $9.07 $9.67 $10.75 $12.91 $15.07

6 Years $8.34 $8.84 $8.96 $9.32 $9.92 $11.00 $13.16 $15.32

7 Years $8.59 $9.09 $9.21 $9.57 $10.17 $11.25 $13.41 $15.57

8 Years $8.84 $9.34 $9.46 $9.82 $10.42 $11.50 $13.66 $15.82

This wage ladder shall be updated every July 1st of odd-numbered years by increasing the wage amounts by one additional step.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Child care centers subject to this chapter shall increase wages for child care employees upon the attainment of a high school degree or GED certificate and for years of experience in providing child care, as provided in section 2 of this act. The department of social and health services shall increase wages for child care workers who earn early childhood education credits as provided in section 2 of this act. The department shall also reimburse child care workers for fifty percent of tuition costs incurred obtaining job-related education. The two-year associate of arts degree in early childhood education shall be considered the final degree of this reimbursement program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department of social and health services shall establish eligibility standards, child care center participation requirements, and program standards by rule.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department of social and health services shall operate the wage subsidy program in this chapter within the appropriation provided for this purpose.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The sum of . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1999, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.