SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5871

BYSenator Peterson

Requiring child day care facilities at community colleges.

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 2, 1987; March 3, 1987; March 4, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5871 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Gaspard, Chairman; Bauer, Vice Chairman; Rinehart, Vice Chairman; Bender, Smitherman, Warnke.

Senate Staff:Judy McNickle (786-7423)

                  March 5, 1987

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 9, 1987

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5871 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Fleming, Lee, Moore, Rinehart, Saling, Talmadge, Williams, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Fred Romero (786-7715)

                  March 10, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, MARCH 9, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1985 138,642 students attended Washington community colleges.  Of those enrolled, more than 53 percent were women, and nearly 52,000 were women between the ages of 20 and 45, the primary period for child rearing.  It is estimated that a significant number of these women require access to child day care facilities on or near campus in order to continue their education.  At least 20 of the 27 community colleges already provide child day care services.  Students have requested that all community colleges provide child day care services.

SUMMARY:

The State Board for Community College Education (SBCCE) is required to develop a program to establish and operate child day care facilities on or near each community college.  The facilities must be operational by January 1, 1988, and, where feasible, the facilities must be made available during evening hours.  Private contributions to the day care program are permitted.

One million five hundred thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund to the SBCCE to fund day care facilities.  Each community college may receive no more than $30,000 for day care cost reimbursement.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The SBCCE and the Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board are required to conduct surveys of institutionally-related child day care facilities available in the 1986-87 academic year to children of college or university students, faculty and staff in their assigned institutions.  The surveys must include an examination of:  the number of children served, the percentage of children from each segment of the institution's population, the size and location of the facility used, the fees charged, and the facility's annual budget, including sources of funding.  State colleges or universities that have no child day care facilities on or near campus are required by the appropriate board to conduct needs assessments.  The surveys and needs assessments are due to the appropriate legislative policy committees on December 1, 1987.

The Washington Institutions of Higher Education Day Care Improvement Program is established to help public colleges and universities establish or substantially improve child day care facilities.  The SBCCE administers the program for the community colleges, and the HEC Board administers it for the four-year institutions.  Each board may award to institutions grants that:  demonstrate need; seek the means for operating the center solely on income from parent fees, services and activities fees, and contributions from other, non-state sources; and agree to develop a fee schedule which ensures that children of enrolled parents with greatest need are granted highest priority, that children of students are granted higher priority than children of faculty and staff, and that full-time faculty and staff whose children attend the center pay fees that fully cover the cost.

Both the SBCCE and the HEC Board are empowered to:  adopt rules; establish screening committees to help evaluate proposals; establish grant guidelines; publish and publicize evaluation criteria; solicit grants, and establish reporting and monitoring requirements.

The sum of $270,000 is appropriated to the SBCCE both to administer the program and fund grant proposals, and $150,000 is appropriated to the HEC Board to administer the program and fund grant proposals.  Grants may not exceed $30,000 and the boards are limited to $30,000 each for administrative costs.

Appropriation:    $270,000 to the SBCCE; $150,000 to the HEC Board for a total appropriation of $420,000

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE:

Each Board may, if funding is appropriated, award grants to appropriate institutions of higher education.

The sum of $24,500 is appropriated from the general fund for the biennium to the State Board for Community College Education to carry out its duties.

The sum of $24,500 is appropriated from the general fund for the biennium to the Higher Education Coordinating Board to perform its required duties.

Fiscal Note:      requested

Senate Committee - Testified: EDUCATION:  Noel Wilks, Washington Association of Community College Students; Saundra Taylor, Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs, Western Washington University; Neomi Greenfield, ASB President, South Puget Sound Community College; Scott Sigmon, Washington Federation of State Employees; Jim Sullivan, Washington Student Lobby; Nancy Spurgeon, Co-President, Washington Campus Child Care Coalition

Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS: No one