BILL REQ. #:  H-0441.3 

Read first time 01/21/2005.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

     AN ACT Relating to a work group on the regulation of services and programs for children; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that quality services and programs for children should be accessible to families living throughout the state. In order to ensure quality and accessibility, services and programs should be regulated in a fair and equitable manner. Such regulation should be based upon the type of services provided and the population of children served rather than on the particular individual or entity that is offering the program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department of social and health services shall establish a work group to study the regulation of services and programs for children provided by licensed child care providers and the regulation of after-school and summer services and programs provided by local governments across the state.
     (1) The work group shall:
     (a) Determine whether or not there is an inequity in the regulation of services and programs for children provided by licensed child care providers and the regulation of after-school and summer services and programs provided by local governments; and
     (b) Identify strategies for addressing any inequities in the regulation of services and programs for children that ensure access to services and programs for children while maintaining the quality of those services and programs.
     (2) Membership of the work group shall include the following: A representative of the division of child care and early learning of the department of social and health services, a family home child care provider, a child care center provider, a representative of the association of Washington cities, and a representative of the Washington state association of counties.
     (3) The work group shall report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 2006, on the results of its work.