Declares that the purpose of this act is: (1) To establish the department of early learning;

(2) To coordinate and consolidate state activities relating to child care and early learning programs;

(3) To safeguard and promote the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving child care and early learning assistance; and

(4) To provide tools to promote the hiring of suitable providers of child care by: (a) providing parents with access to information regarding child care providers; (b) providing child care providers with known information regarding applicants' sexual misconduct or other abusive conduct; (c) providing parents with child care licensing complaint histories regarding child care providers; and (d) requiring background checks of applicants for employment in any child care facility licensed or regulated under current law.

Provides that, in determining whether an individual is of appropriate character, suitability, and competence to provide child care and early learning services to children, the department may consider all child abuse and neglect history information whether founded, unfounded, or inconclusive regarding a prospective child care provider. No unfounded allegation of child abuse or neglect as defined in RCW 26.44.020 may be disclosed to a provider licensed under this act.

Authorizes the department to make available on a publicly accessible web site all inspection reports and notices of enforcement actions involving child day-care centers and family day-care providers. The department shall include in the inspection report a statement of the corrective measures taken by the center or provider.

Requires the department and an agency to, at the first opportunity but in all cases within forty-eight hours of receiving a report alleging sexual misconduct or abuse by an agency employee, notify the parents of a child alleged to be the victim, target, or recipient of the misconduct or abuse. The department and an agency shall provide parents with information regarding their rights under the public records act, chapter 42.56 RCW, to request the public records regarding the employee. This information shall be provided to all parents on an annual basis.

Provides that, for the purposes of reporting actions taken against agency employees or licensees, the following actions shall be posted to the department's web site accessible by the public: Suspension, surrender, revocation, denial, stayed suspension, or reinstatement of a license, and any written reprimand related to abuse and sexual misconduct or abuse.