AN ACT Relating to child care; amending RCW 74.12.340 and 74.13.090; recodifying RCW 74.13.085, 74.13.090, 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 3, chapter 213, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.13.095 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature recognizes that a severe shortage of child care 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. The high costs of starting a child care business create a barrier to the creation of new slots, especially for children with special needs.

(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, businesses, consortia of two or more businesses, or schools needing assistance to start a child care center or mini-center 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)). In awarding these grants, priority shall be given to persons, organizations, businesses, consortia of two or more businesses, or schools who, as a condition of grant funding, 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; (c) infants; (d) children requiring nighttime or weekend care; or (e) children whose costs of care are subsidized by the department of social and health services. As a condition of an individual business or a consortium of businesses receiving a grant under this section, the business or consortia of businesses must match the grant request with an amount equal to twice the amount of the grant requested. 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) 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. 4. RCW 74.13.085, 74.13.090, and 74.15.200are recodified into a new chapter in Title 74 RCW relating to child care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of eighteen million seven 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 2 of this act as follows:

(1) Eight million four 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. 6. 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 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. 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. 8. 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.