HOUSE BILL REPORT
E2SHB 1152
As Passed Legislature
Title: An act relating to early learning.
Brief Description: Creating a Washington early learning council.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Kagi, Fromhold, Jarrett, Schual-Berke, Walsh, Quall, B. Sullivan, Grant, Ormsby, Kessler, Simpson, Moeller, Lovick, Roberts, Chase, Williams, P. Sullivan, Tom, Morrell, McIntire, Kenney, Haigh, McDermott, Dickerson, Santos and Linville).
Brief History:
Children & Family Services: 1/27/05, 2/2/05 [DPS];
Appropriations: 2/14/05, 2/22/05 [DP2S(w/o sub CFS)].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/9/05, 68-28.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 4/14/05, 30-16.
House Concurred.
Passed House: 4/19/05, 77-21.
Passed Legislature.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Second Substitute Bill |
|
|
|
|
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Kagi, Chair; Roberts, Vice Chair; Hinkle, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Darneille, Dickerson, Dunn, Haler and Pettigrew.
Staff: Cynthia Forland (786-7152).
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass and do not pass the substitute bill by Committee on Children & Family Services. Signed by 20 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Buri, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dunshee, Grant, Haigh, Hinkle, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDermott, McIntire, Miloscia, Schual-Berke and Walsh.
Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bailey, Clements, Pearson, Priest and Talcott.
Staff: Amy Skei (786-7140).
Background:
In 2000, the Legislature directed the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to conduct a
study of the best method for coordinating and consolidating child care and early education
programs funded by the state. The Child Care and Early Learning Organizational Study,
which the OFM produced in response, provided the following recommendations:
In response to this report, the Office of the Governor undertook administrative action to
consolidate child care and early learning programs in the state, the primary component of
which was the creation of the Division of Child Care and Early Learning (DCCEL) within the
Economic Services Administration in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
Currently, child care and early learning programs in the state are administered through three
state agencies: the DSHS, the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development
(CTED), and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The DCCEL
within the DSHS licenses child care homes and centers, develops policy and procedures for
the state's child care subsidy program, and directs the Head Start-State Collaboration Project.
The CTED administers the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP),
which is the state's preschool program. The OSPI administers services and programs relating
to child care and early learning including family literacy programs, special education for
children three years of age and older, and the nutrition assistance program for child care.
Training and professional development programs for early learning professionals are
available through such sources as the State Training and Registry System and the state's
higher education institutions.
The Child Care Coordinating Committee was established in state law in order to provide
coordination and communication among state agencies responsible for child care and early
childhood education services, serve as an advisory coordinator for all state agencies
responsible for early childhood or child care programs, and annually review state programs
and make recommendations to state agencies and the Legislature to maximize funding and
promote furtherance of the state's child care services policy.
Summary of Engrossed Second Substitute Bill:
The Washington Early Learning Council (Council) is established in the Office of the
Governor for the purpose of providing vision, leadership, and direction to the improvement,
realignment, and expansion of early learning programs and services for children birth to 5
years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families.
"Early learning programs and services" are defined to include the following: child care; state,
private, and nonprofit preschool programs; child care subsidy programs; and training and
professional development programs for early learning professionals. The goal of the Council
is to build upon existing efforts and recommend new initiatives, as necessary, to create an
adequately financed high-quality, accessible, and comprehensive early learning system that
benefits all young children whose parents choose it.
Early Learning Plan
The Council is required to develop an early learning plan to improve the organization of early
learning programs and services at the state level, and to improve the accessibility and quality
of early learning programs and services throughout the state.
By November 15, 2005, the Council is required to make recommendations to the Governor
and the appropriate committees of the Legislature concerning statewide organization of early
learning.
The Council is also required to make recommendations to the Governor and the appropriate
committees of the Legislature concerning the following:
identification of current populations being served and potential populations to be served by
early learning programs and services;the state's role in supporting quality early learning
programs and services;appropriate levels and sources of stable and sustainable funding to
meet statewide and local need for early learning programs and services, including public-private partnerships;changes in existing early learning programs and services, including the
administration of those programs and services, to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and
quality;changes in existing early learning programs and services to ensure that the content is
aligned with what children need to know and be able to do upon entering school;how to
maximize available early learning resources to ensure children are receiving continuity of
care; andproviding for smooth transitions from early learning programs and services to K-12
programs.
As provided in the bill, the Council is required to focus on quality improvements to licensed
child care through the following mechanisms:
The Council is required to make recommendations to the Governor and the appropriate
committees of the Legislature concerning the regulation of child care, including child care
that is exempt from regulation and unlicensed child care that is subject to regulation, in order
to ensure the safety, health, quality, and accessibility of child care services throughout the
state.
The Council is to serve as the Advisory Committee on Early Learning (Advisory Committee)
to the Comprehensive Education Study Steering Committee (Steering Committee), created in
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5441 of 2005, and the nongovernmental co-chair of the Council is to serve as the chair of the Advisory Committee. The Council must
have input on the recommendations developed by the Steering Committee.
The Council is required to make use of existing reports, research, planning efforts, and
programs, including, but not limited to, the following: the federal Early Head Start program,
the federal Head Start program, the state Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program,
the state's Essential Academic Learning Requirements and K-3 Grade Level Expectations, the
Washington State Early Learning and Development Benchmarks, existing
tiered-reimbursement initiatives, the state's Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Plan,
and the work of the Child Care Coordinating Committee.
Quality Rating System
The Council is required to develop a voluntary, quality-based, graduated rating system
consisting of levels of quality to be achieved by licensed child care providers. In developing
the voluntary rating system, the Council must seek to build upon existing partnerships and
initiate new partnerships between the public and private sectors.
In developing the voluntary rating system, the Council must establish a system of tiers as the
basis for the rating system's levels of quality. In developing the system of tiers, the Council
must take into consideration the following quality criteria:
In developing the voluntary rating system, the Council is also required to establish quality
assurance measures as well as a mechanism for system evaluation.
In developing the voluntary rating system, the Council is required to make recommendations
concerning both initial and subsequent statewide implementation of the rating system,
including the following:
The Council is required to complete initial development of the voluntary rating system by
December 1, 2005, and complete development by December 1, 2006. The Council is
required to submit the voluntary rating system to the Governor and the appropriate fiscal and
policy committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2007. If no action is taken by the
Legislature by the end of the 2007 regular legislative session, the Council may begin initial
implementation of the voluntary rating system, subject to available funding.
Tiered-Reimbursement System
The Council is required to develop a tiered-reimbursement system that provides higher rates
of reimbursement for state-subsidized child care for licensed child care providers that achieve
one or more levels of quality above basic licensing requirements in accordance with the
voluntary quality-based graduated rating system developed by the Council.
In developing the tiered-reimbursement system, the Council must review existing
tiered-reimbursement initiatives in the state and integrate those initiatives into the
tiered-reimbursement system.
The Council is required to complete initial development of the tiered-reimbursement system
by December 1, 2005, to be implemented in two pilot sites in different geographic regions of
the state with demonstrated public-private partnerships. The Council is required to complete
development of the tiered-reimbursement system by December 1, 2006, to be implemented
statewide, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated by the Legislature for this
specific purpose.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the DSHS is
required to implement the tiered-reimbursement system developed by the Council.
Implementation of the tiered-reimbursement system is to initially consist of two pilot sites in
different geographic regions of the state with demonstrated public-private partnerships, with
statewide implementation to follow.
In implementing the tiered-reimbursement system, consideration must be given to child care
providers who provide staff wage progression.
The DSHS is required to begin implementation of the two pilot sites by March 30, 2006.
Membership of the Washington Early Learning Council
The Council must include representation from public, nonprofit, and for-profit entities, and
its membership must reflect regional, racial, and cultural diversity to ensure representation of
the needs of all children and families in the state. The Council is to consist of 17 members,
as follows:
The Council is to be co-chaired by the representative of the Office of the Governor and a
non-governmental member designated by the Governor.
Members of the Council must be compensated as a class three group and reimbursed for
travel expenses in accordance with state law.
The Governor may employ an executive director, who is exempt from the provisions of the
state Civil Service law, and such other staff as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this
chapter. The Governor is to fix the salary of the executive director in accordance with state
law.
The Council is required to monitor and measure its progress and regularly report, as
appropriate, to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the
progress, findings, and recommendations of the Council.
The Council is required to establish one or more technical advisory committees, as needed.
Membership of such advisory committees may include the following: representatives of any
state agency the Council deems appropriate, including the Higher Education Coordinating
Board and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; family home child care
providers, child care center providers, and college or university child care providers; parents;
early childhood development experts; representatives of school districts and teachers
involved in the provision of child care and preschool programs; representatives of Resource
and Referral programs; parent education specialists; pediatric or other health professionals;
representatives of citizen groups concerned with child care and early learning; representatives
of labor organizations; representatives of private business; and representatives of Head Start
and ECEAP agencies.
Child Care Coordinating Committee
The Child Care Coordinating Committee is removed from state law.
Other Provisions
The bill is null and void unless funded in the state operating budget.
The sections of the bill relating to the Council expire July 1, 2007.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately. However, the bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.
Testimony For: (Children & Family Services) (In support) A lot of good work is going on
related to early learning in communities across the state, almost in spite of the state, which
has not provided leadership in this area. We need to focus our efforts on improving the
quality of care, providing better support for parents and providers, and building on the
partnerships that have already been formed in communities between the public and private
sectors. This bill is the next step in investing in early learning, building upon the groundwork
that has already been laid in the state. Important elements of the bill include establishing a
governance structure, including a public-private partnership, and establishing a quality rating
system. This bill takes the essential first step by establishing a unifying, statewide council to
bring the necessary focus and illumination to these issues. The bill hits three sane and sound
themes: building on the existing public-private partnerships in this state; building on the
local work of communities; and rooting the development of options in what parents need.
(With comments) Investment in the early years, in terms of high-quality care, play out in
educational attainment, less criminality, and greater lifelong success in employment and
personal relationships. This should also be seen as an opportunity to strengthen parenting as
well as building partnerships between parents and child care providers. The bill has the right
focus, on access for low-income children, quality, high standards, and professional
development. The bill identifies the right mix of participants across sectors. The bill
recognizes the importance of increased community engagement. The quality rating and
tiered-reimbursement systems are essential to what we are trying to do, but reimbursement
rates need to be raised. They should be closer to the 75th percentile. The two most
attractive elements of the bill are the quality rating and tiered-reimbursement systems.
Putting a rating system in the hands of parents, caretakers, and providers will enable
individuals to make informed decisions about early learning. A tiered-reimbursement system
will give incentives to providers to increase quality. However, the tools provided in the bill
are moot if we do not look at the basic subsidy rate. The key components that support better
quality are support of education of the providers, provision of financial support directly to the
provider, community support through an advisory council, and evaluation. It is about time
that early learning becomes a priority in the state. The base subsidy rates need to be raised.
They should be at the 75th percentile. The top two indicators of quality are staff education
and staff longevity, which current funding levels do not support. This bill addresses quality
and the resources available to parents concerning the quality of providers, which is important.
The current subsidy rate is lacking, and funding must be provided to retain staff.
(With amendments) The early learning programs and services in the bill should not be
limited to children from birth to five years of age, but should be identified as for children
"beginning at birth" so that the Council may address issues related to programs and services
for children up to 13 years of age. Language should be added to the bill concerning resources
for providers and adequate financing in order to be able to implement quality improvements.
The newly revised Child Care Coordinating Committee (Coordinating Committee) should not
be eliminated. It should be allowed to continue to play its valuable role as a ground-level,
grassroots, public-private partnership, and serve as the technical advisory committee to the
Council with staff shared between the Council and the Coordinating Committee. Individuals
across the state see the Coordinating Committee as their voice on these issues. Family
support is missing from the quality criteria in the bill. Membership of the technical advisory
committee should include parents. The Division of Child Care and Early Learning (DCCEL)
should be placed under the Governor's watch. Parents should be included in the membership
of the Council. There should be outside audits of the DCCEL.
(Neutral) Our current system is perilously underfunded and undervalued. Both tiered
reimbursement and ratings systems appear to be effective ways to incentivize quality
improvements in the child care system, particularly for child care facilities that serve
low-income children. However, the base child care subsidy rates need to be raised, and
funding and technical assistance will be needed as part of the rating system. This is an
opportune time to advance these issues in this state. There are three key factors in creating
early learning governance structures and plans: establishing a high-level, visible,
public-private body with sufficient power; making a commitment to build on what is already
working and then add new initiatives; and creating public-private partnerships. State and
local roles must be defined and effectively balanced. There must be mechanisms for local
input in the work of the Council. We need to look to developing a continuum of education
including early learning, K-12, and higher education.
Testimony For: (Appropriations) State leadership is needed in the area of early learning. At the state level, early learning responsibilities are currently fragmented across parts of DSHS, CTED, and OSPI. Many creative early learning initiatives are underway between private business and philanthropic groups despite the lack of coherent government structure in this area. State leadership in this area would build on these existing efforts. The public/private partnership approach used in this bill is important, especially since there is a lot of interest in the private sector in this topic. While the state's long-term commitment to early learning is appreciated, the lack of a clear state presence in the current system makes it confusing for K-12 workers. There is a positive connection between quality early learning experiences and the experiences one has later in life, including improved relationships and job success. Studies show that good child care is good for kids and bad child care is bad for kids. Factors include group size, teacher-to-student ratio, teacher pay, and teacher length of stay on the job. The problem for parents is how to distinguish between high- and low-quality care. The child care quality rating system would provide an important customer service.
Testimony Against: (Children & Family Services) None.
Testimony Against: (Appropriations) None.
Persons Testifying: (Children & Family Services) (In support) Representative Kagi, prime
sponsor; Joyce Walters, Boeing; Mark Usdane, League of Education Voters; and Lynn B.
Wirta, Small Faces Child Development Center.
(With comments): Bridgett Chandler, Talaris; Garman Lutz, Spokane County United Way;
Kip Tokuda, City of Seattle; Kathy Thamm, Family Care Resources and HIP Spokane; Nancy
Gerber, Spokane Family Child Care Provider and SEIU; Steve Olson, Olympia Child Care
Center; and Colleen Hill, Childcare Workforce Alliance of Washington and American
Federation of Teachers.
(With amendments): Agda Burchard, Washington Association for the Education of Young
Children/Collaborative; Robin Boehler, Child Care Coordinating Committee and National
Council of Jewish Women; and Margo Logan, private citizen.
(Neutral): Greg Shaw, Gates Foundation; and Bea Kelleigh, Early Care and Education
Coalition.
Persons Testifying: (Appropriations) Representative Kagi, prime sponsor; Rhodes Lockwood, Washington Education of Young Children Collaborative; Bridgett Chandler, Talaris Research Institutue; Joyce Walters, Boeing; Cliff Lawrence, Wells Fargo Bank; and Jada Ruply, Educational Service District 112.