H-3370.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2547

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Kessler, Talcott, D. Sommers, Tokuda, Regala, Ogden, Linville, Anderson, Conway, Schual‑Berke, Lantz, Veloria, Edmonds, Ruderman, Wolfe, Cooper, Murray, Morris, Stensen, Haigh, Santos, Rockefeller, Wood, O'Brien, Kagi and Hurst

Read first time 01/17/2000.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Allowing certain TANF recipients to meet their work activity participation obligation by volunteering in licensed day care facilities.

    AN ACT Relating to temporary assistance for needy families recipients who meet their work activity obligation in licensed child care facilities; adding a new section to chapter 74.08A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that welfare reform has increased the demand for accessible and affordable child care.  The legislature further finds that there is a shortage of child care providers and facilities.  The legislature further finds that recipients of temporary assistance for needy families with young children should be encouraged to provide care for their children while volunteering in licensed child care facilities.  The legislature further finds that recipients of temporary assistance for needy families with young children who volunteer in licensed child care facilities will develop positive work skills while developing a healthy and nurturing relationship with their child.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.08A RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A recipient of temporary assistance for needy families with a child over three months of age may volunteer to work in a child care facility licensed under chapter 74.15 RCW.  Recipients who volunteer for twenty hours per week shall be deemed to have met their work activity participation obligation under RCW 74.08A.260.

    (2) The volunteer recipient and his or her child shall not be counted for the purpose of determining the licensed capacity or the staff to child ratio of the facility.

    (3) The facility administrator shall supervise the recipient volunteer and shall report the hours worked to the department.

    (4) The department shall reimburse the child care facility for children cared for under this section.

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