SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1582

BYHouse Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Cole, Peery, Ebersole, Prentice, Todd, Jones, Scott, Leonard, Valle, Rasmussen, P. King, Pruitt, Jacobsen, Appelwick, Anderson, Winsley, R. Fisher, Wang, Wineberry, R. King, Belcher, Rust, H. Myers Crane, Phillips and Brekke)

Establishing a before and after school child care pilot program.

House Committe on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 23, 1989; March 30, 1989

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Lee, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Bender, Fleming, Gaspard, Murray, Rinehart.

Senate Staff:Leslie Goldstein (786-7424)

                  April 11, 1989

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 30, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Numerous sources have reported on the difficulty faced by parents in finding safe and reliable child care.  Researchers on child care issues have found that about one-third of all American children between the ages of six and thirteen are home alone for some time after school.  This problem is even more difficult for low-income families who have limited resources to spend on child care services. 

Currently, most before-and-after school child care programs provided by school districts are not licensed as child care providers through the Department of Social and Health Services.  As a result, low-income parents who are eligible for state subsidies for child care cannot use these subsidies for the school district programs.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Social and Health Services is required to adopt rules allowing before-and-after school child care programs operated by school districts to qualify for payments for subsidized care for children from low-income families.  The rules shall not require that school-operated before-and-after school child care programs be licensed by the Department of Social and Health Services to qualify for subsidized payments.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The Superintendent of Public Instruction in consultation with the Department of Social and Health Services and the Child Care Coordinating Committee adopts minimum standards for before-and-after school care programs operated by school districts.

Senate Committee - Testified: PRO:  John Bancroft, Child and Family Resource Center; Sadika Akina Jones, King County; Margie Reeves, Washington Association for the Education of Young Children; Lonnie Johns-Brown, National Organization of Women, Child Care Works