"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature to encourage all family day care providers to join the early achievers program, Washington state's quality rating and improvement system. Provider advancement in the levels of the early achievers program also signifies that provider practices will lead to improved quality of services and child outcomes. While the legislature recognizes that achieving an early achievers program level two demonstrates that a provider has laid the foundation for further advancement, the legislature hopes that providers are able to advance to higher levels on the early achievers pathway in order to increase professionalism and achieve better long-term outcomes for children in care.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.215 RCW to read as follows:
     A family day care provider who as of the effective date of this section has been licensed in operation for five years or longer and against whom there has not been a complaint that resulted in an enforcement action is exempt from any requirement to have a high school diploma or equivalent education until March 31, 2017, however by March 31, 2017, the family day care provider must either achieve a high school diploma or equivalent or meet the minimum education requirement by joining the early achievers program, Washington state's quality rating and improvement system."