AN ACT Relating to child care; amending RCW 74.12.340, 74.13.085, and 74.13.095; recodifying RCW 74.12.340, 74.13.085, 74.13.090, 74.13.095, and 74.15.200; creating a new section; and making appropriations.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The purpose of this act is to:

(1) Increase the availability of child care services in Washington state through the provision of start-up and expansion grant funds to persons and organizations providing child care services;

(2) Make affordable child care services available to low-income families in Washington state; and

(3) Improve the quality of child care services in Washington state through the provision of training and support services to child care providers.

Sec. 2. Section 30, chapter 228, Laws of 1963 as amended by section 111, chapter 154, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. and RCW 74.12.340 are each amended to read as follows:

The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations governing the provision of ((~~day~~)) child care ((~~as a part of child welfare services~~)) when the secretary determines that a need exists for such ((~~day~~)) child care and that it is in the best interests of the child, the parents, or the custodial parent and in determining the need for such ((~~day~~)) child care priority shall be given to geographical areas having the greatest need for such care and to members of low income groups in the population: PROVIDED, That where the family is financially able to pay part or all of the costs of such care, fees shall be imposed and paid according to the financial ability of the family.

Sec. 3. Section 1, chapter 213, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.13.085 are each amended to read as follows:

It shall be the policy of the state of Washington to:

(1) Recognize the family as the most important social and economic unit of society and support the central role parents play in child rearing. All parents are encouraged to care for and nurture their children through the traditional methods of parental care at home. However, ((~~to the extent child care services are used,~~)) there has been a dramatic increase in participation of women in the workforce which has made the availability of quality, affordable child care a critical concern for the state and its citizens. There are not enough child care services and facilities to meet the needs of working parents, the costs of care are often beyond the resources of working parents, and child care facilities are not located conveniently to work places and neighborhoods. Parents are encouraged to participate fully in the effort to improve the quality of child care services.

(2) Promote a variety of culturally and developmentally appropriate child care settings and services of the highest possible quality in accordance with the basic principle of continuity of care. These settings shall include, but not be limited to, family day care homes, mini-centers, centers and schools.

(3) Promote the growth, development and safety of children by working with community groups including providers and parents to establish standards for quality service, training of child care providers, fair and equitable monitoring, and salary levels commensurate with provider responsibilities and support services.

(4) Promote equal access to quality, affordable, socio-economically integrated child care for all children and families.

(5) Facilitate broad community and private sector involvement in the provision of quality child care services to foster economic development and assist industry.

Sec. 4. Section 3, chapter 213, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.13.095 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature ((~~recognizes~~)) finds that a severe shortage of affordable, quality child care services exists to the detriment of all families and employers throughout the state. Many workers are unable to enter or remain in the work force due to a shortage of child care ((~~resources~~)) services. The high costs of starting ((~~a child care business~~)) or expanding a child care facility create a barrier to the creation of new slots, especially for children with special needs. The legislature further finds that increasing the availability of affordable, quality child care services for the state's working parents, especially those who are low income or have handicapped children, is a recognized governmental function. The provision of grants to child care providers who, in consideration for receiving such grant, agree to serve special needs or low-income children for a fixed period of years, is a means of increasing the availability of child care services in this state.

(2) A child care expansion grant fund is created in the custody of the secretary of the department of social and health services. Grants shall be awarded on a one-time only basis to persons, organizations, or schools needing assistance to start a child care ((~~center or mini-center~~)) facility, including a family day care home, as defined by the department by rule, or to make capital improvements in existing licensed child care ((~~providers~~)) facilities, including family day care homes ((providers, for the purpose of making capital improvements in order to accommodate handicapped children as defined under chapter 72.40 RCW, sick children, or infant care, or children needing night time care)). As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a person, organization, or school requesting a grant, shall make a commitment to serve a reasonable number of the following children:

(a) Handicapped children as defined under chapter 72.40 RCW;

(b) Sick children;

(d) Children requiring night time or weekend care;

(e) Children whose costs of care are subsidized by the department of social and health services; or

(f) Children of parents whose household income is at or below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size, as determined annually by the federal department of health and human services.

For each grant awarded under this section, the department shall designate the specific number or percentage of children under (a) through (f) of this subsection that the child care provider must be willing to accept in its program.

No grant may exceed ((~~ten~~)) twenty-five thousand dollars. Start-up costs shall not include operational costs after the first three months of business.

(3) Child care expansion grants shall be awarded on the basis of need for the proposed services in the community, within appropriated funds. Every effort shall be made to ensure that the distribution of grants is balanced geographically throughout the state.

(4) Where the grant is made to a private person or organization, the grant shall be repaid to the fund if the child care facility using the grant to start up or expand ceases to provide child care earlier than the following time periods from when the grant is made: (a) Twelve months for a grant up to five thousand dollars; (b) twenty-four months for a grant over five thousand dollars up to ten thousand dollars; (c) thirty-six months for a grant over ten thousand dollars up to fifteen thousand dollars; (d) forty-eight months for a grant over fifteen thousand dollars up to twenty thousand dollars; and (e) sixty months for a grant over twenty thousand dollars up to twenty-five thousand dollars.

(5) The department shall adopt rules under chapter ((~~34.04~~)) 34.05 RCW setting forth criteria, application procedures, and methods to assure compliance with the purposes described in this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. RCW 74.12.340, 74.13.085, 74.13.090, 74.13.095, and 74.15.200are recodified into a new chapter in Title 74 RCW relating to child care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of eighteen million six hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of section 2 of this act as follows:

(1) Eight million three hundred thousand dollars is provided solely for child care provider payments. The department shall utilize the child care payment structure established under the family independence program.

(2) Three million seven hundred thirty thousand dollars is provided solely to expand child care services for children being served in the department's child protective services and child welfare services programs.

(3) Six million six hundred twenty thousand dollars is provided solely to expand child care services to children of low-income employed parents.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The sum of four hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of social and health services as follows:

(1) One million dollars is provided solely for the purpose of providing start-up and operating funds to ten local child care resource and referral agencies. Grants under this subsection shall be limited to fifty thousand dollars per year.

(2) Five hundred thousand dollars is provided solely for the purpose of providing support and training programs to assist licensed providers or license applicants in obtaining child care provider certification or for grants to local child care resource and referral agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The sum of seventy thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of social and health services solely to support the child care coordinating committee established in RCW 74.13.090.