Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS

Children & Family Services Committee

HB 1636

Brief Description: Adopting a wage ladder for child care workers.

Sponsors: Representatives Pettigrew, Roberts, Kagi, Clements, Darneille, Hunt, Green, Kenney, Appleton, Chase, Jarrett, Kessler, Moeller, Morrell, Williams, Ormsby, Murray, Dickerson, Conway, Lantz, Wood, Haigh, McDermott, Santos and Hudgins.

Brief Summary of Bill
  • Establishes a child care career and wage ladder.
  • Appropriates $10 million to the Department of Social and Health Services.

Hearing Date: February 10, 2005.

Staff: Cynthia Forland (786-7152).

Background:

In July 2000, the state instituted a Child Care Career and Wage Ladder Pilot Project (Pilot Project), which was funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reinvestment funds. The purpose of the Pilot Project was to enable child care centers to increase wages and offer benefits for child care workers and to encourage child care workers to obtain further education.

The Pilot Project emphasized worker education, responsibilities, and experience, and consisted of the following:

In order to participate in the Pilot Project, child care centers had to meet the following criteria:

Prior to elimination of the Pilot Project in June 2003, the Pilot Project included 120 child care centers, 1,500 child care workers, and 8,700 children served. An evaluation of the Pilot Project conducted by Washington State University found the following:

Summary of Bill:

The Division of Child Care and Early Learning (DCCEL) in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is required to establish a child care career and wage ladder in licensed child care centers that meet the following criteria:

The child care career and wage ladder must include wage increments for levels of education, years of relevant experience, levels of work responsibility, relevant early childhood education credits, and relevant requirements in the State Training and Registry System (STARS).

The DCCEL is required to establish procedures for the allocation of funds to implement the child care career and wage ladder among child care centers meeting the identified criteria for participation. In developing these procedures, the DCCEL is required to:

Notwithstanding the procedures that the DCCEL is required to establish for the allocation of funds to implement the child care career and wage ladder, child care centers meeting the basic criteria for participation in the career and wage ladder located in urban areas of Region 1 of the DSHS, which consists of Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties, must receive a minimum of 15 percent of the funds allocated through the child care career and wage ladder. Of those centers, child care centers participating in the child care center accreditation project of the DSHS must have first priority for child care career and wage ladder funding.

Child care centers adopting the child care career and wage ladder are required to increase wages for child care workers who have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate, gain additional years of experience, or accept increasing levels of responsibility in providing child care, in accordance with the child care career and wage ladder. The DSHS is required to pay wage increments for child care workers employed by child care centers adopting the child care career and wage ladder who earn early childhood education credits or meet relevant requirements in the STARS, in accordance with the child care career and wage ladder.

The DCCEL is required to establish by rule further program standards for the child care career and wage ladder. The DCCEL is also required to study the impact of the child care career and wage ladder on the quality of child care and the child care work force, and report its findings to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2006.

Appropriation: The sum of $10 million, $5 million in fiscal year 2006 and $5 million in fiscal year 2007.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 31, 2005.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.