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ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1133
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AS AMENDED BY FREE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
C 381 L 89
State of Washington 51st Legislature 1989 Regular Session
By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Wineberry, Cantwell, Brough, Kremen, Schoon, Hine, Holland, Rasmussen, Miller, Ebersole, Doty, Locke, Winsley, H. Sommers, Anderson, Wang, Valle, Rust, R. King, Bristow, Sprenkle, Leonard, Vekich, Prentice, Beck, K. Wilson, Rector, Spanel, Cole, Basich, Jones, Braddock, Betrozoff, Nelson, Walker, Tate, Heavey, G. Fisher, Crane, O'Brien, Walk, Scott, Patrick, Dellwo, Zellinsky, Jesernig, Belcher, R. Fisher, Sayan, Pruitt, Wood, Brekke, Inslee, Fuhrman, Moyer, Todd, H. Myers, Brumsickle, Van Luven, Phillips, May and P. King)
Read first time 2/27/89 and referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to encouraging employer involvement in child care facilities development and services; amending RCW 74.13.085 and 74.13.090; adding new sections to chapter 74.13 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the increasing difficulty of balancing work life and family needs for parents in the workforce has made the availability of quality, affordable child care a critical concern for the state and its citizens. The prospect for labor shortages resulting from the aging of the population and the importance of the quality of the workforce to the competitiveness of Washington businesses make the availability of quality child care an important concern for the state and its businesses.
The legislature further finds that making information on child care options available to businesses can help the market for child care adjust to the needs of businesses and working families. The legislature further finds that investments are necessary to promote partnerships between the public and private sectors, educational institutions, and local governments to increase the supply, affordability, and quality of child care in the state.
Sec. 2. 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. 3. Section 2, chapter 213, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.13.090 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) There is established a child care coordinating committee to provide coordination and communication between state agencies responsible for child care and early childhood education services. The child care coordinating committee shall be composed of not less than seventeen nor more than thirty members who shall include:
(a) One representative each from the department of social and health services, the department of community development, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and any other agency having responsibility for regulation, provision, or funding of child care services in the state;
(b) One
representative from the ((governor's commission on children)) department
of labor and industries;
(c) One representative from the department of trade and economic development;
(d) One representative from the department of revenue;
(e) One representative from the employment security department;
(f) At least one representative of family home child care providers and one representative of center care providers;
(((e)))
(g) At least one representative of early childhood development experts;
(((f)))
(h) At least one representative of school districts and teachers
involved in the provision of child care and preschool programs;
(((g)))
(i) At least one parent education specialist;
(((h)))
(j) At least one representative of resource and referral programs;
(((i)))
(k) One pediatric or other health professional;
(((j)))
(l) At least one representative of college or university child care
providers;
(((k)))
(m) At least one representative of a citizen group concerned with child
care;
(((l)))
(n) At least one representative of a labor organization;
(((m)))
(o) At least one representative of a head start - early childhood
education assistance program agency;
(((n)))
(p) At least one employer who provides child care assistance to
employees;
(((o)))
(q) Parents of children receiving, or in need of, child care, half of
whom shall be parents needing or receiving subsidized child care and half of
whom shall be parents who are able to pay for child care.
The named
state agencies shall select their representative to the child care coordinating
committee. The department of social and health services shall select the
remaining members, considering recommendations from lists submitted by
professional associations and other interest groups until such time as the
committee adopts a member selection process. ((Staff support for the child
care coordinating committee shall be provided within available resources by the
department of social and health services on an ongoing basis.)) The
department shall use any federal funds which may become available to accomplish
the purposes of RCW 74.13.085 through 74.13.095.
The committee shall elect officers from among its membership and shall adopt policies and procedures specifying the lengths of terms, methods for filling vacancies, and other matters necessary to the ongoing functioning of the committee. The secretary of social and health services shall appoint a temporary chair until the committee has adopted policies and elected a chair accordingly. Child care coordinating committee members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(2) To the extent possible within available funds, the child care coordinating committee shall:
(a) Serve
as an advisory coordinator for all state agencies responsible for early
childhood or child care programs for the purpose of improving communication and
interagency coordination((, but not to review the substance of programs.
The committee shall));
(b) Annually
review state programs and make recommendations to the agencies and the
legislature which will maximize funding and promote furtherance of the policies
set forth in RCW 74.13.085((;)). Reports shall be provided to all
appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1 of each year. At a
minimum the committee shall:
(((b)))
(i) Review and propose changes to the child care subsidy system ((by
December 1, 1989)) in its December 1989 report;
(ii) Review alternative models for child care service systems, in the context of the policies set forth in RCW 74.13.085, and recommend to the legislature a new child care service structure; and
(iii) Review options and make recommendations on the feasibility of establishing an allocation for day care facilities when constructing state buildings;
(c) Review
((agency)) department of social and health services
administration of the child care expansion grant program described in RCW
74.13.095;
(d) ((Review
alternative models for child care service systems, in the context of the
policies set forth in RCW 74.13.085, and recommend to the legislature a new
child care service structure;
(e) Review
options and make recommendations on the feasibility of establishing an
allocation for day care facilities when constructing state buildings; and
(f))) Review rules regarding child care facilities and
services for the purpose of identifying those which unnecessarily obstruct the
availability and affordability of child care in the state;
(e) Advise and assist the child care resource coordinator in implementing his or her duties under section 5 of this act; and
(f) Perform other functions to improve the quantity and quality of child care in the state, including compliance with existing and future prerequisites for federal funding.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:
The child care partnership is established as a subcommittee of the child care coordinating committee to increase employer assistance and involvement in child care, and to foster cooperation between business and government to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of child care services in the state.
(1) The partnership shall have nine members who may be drawn from the membership of the child care coordinating committee. The secretary of the department of social and health services shall appoint the partnership members, who shall include:
(a) At least two members representing labor organizations;
(b) At least one member representing each of the following: Businesses with one through fifty employees, businesses with fifty-one through two hundred employees, and businesses with more than two hundred employees; and
(c) At least one representative of local child care resource and referral organizations.
(2) The partnership shall follow the same policies and procedures adopted by the child care coordinating committee, and members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(3) To the extent possible within available funds, the partnership shall:
(a) Review and propose statutory and administrative changes to encourage employer involvement in child care and partnerships between employers and the public sector to increase the quantity, quality, and affordability of child care services and facilities in this state;
(b) Review public and private child care programs with the purpose of enhancing communications and coordination among business, labor, public agencies, and child care providers in order to encourage employers to develop and implement child care services for their employees;
(c) Evaluate alternative employer-assisted child care service systems, in the context of the policies set forth in RCW 74.13.085, and recommend to the legislature and local governments ways to encourage and enhance employer-assisted child care services in the state, including statutory and administrative changes;
(d) Evaluate the impact of workplace personnel practices and policies, including flexible work schedules, on the ability of parents to access or provide care for their children, and make recommendations to employers and the legislature in this regard;
(e) Study the liability insurance issues related to the provision of employer-assisted child care and report the findings and recommendations to the legislature; and
(f) Advise and assist the employer liaison in the implementation of its duties under section 6 of this act.
All findings and recommendations of the partnership to the legislature shall be incorporated into the annual report of the child care coordinating committee required under RCW 74.13.090.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:
The office of the child care resources coordinator is established to operate under the authority of the department of social and health services. The office shall, within appropriated funds:
(1) Staff and assist the child care coordinating committee in the implementation of its duties under RCW 74.13.090;
(2) Work with local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community child care advocates to create local child care resource and referral organizations. These organizations may carry out needs assessments, resource development, provider training, technical assistance, and parent information and training;
(3) Actively seek public and private money for distribution as grants to potential or existing local child care resource and referral organizations. No grant shall be distributed that is greater than twenty-five thousand dollars;
(4) Adopt rules regarding the application for and distribution of grants to local child care resource and referral organizations. The rules shall, at a minimum, require an applicant to submit a plan for achieving the following objectives:
(a) Provide parents with information about child care resources, including location of services and subsidies;
(b) Carry out child care provider recruitment and training programs;
(c) Offer support services, such as parent and provider seminars, toy-lending libraries, and substitute banks;
(d) Provide information for businesses regarding child care supply and demand;
(e) Advocate for increased public and private sector resources devoted to child care; and
(f) Provide technical assistance to employers regarding employee child care services;
(5) Provide staff support and technical assistance to local child care resource and referral organizations;
(6) Organize the local child care resource and referral organizations into a state-wide system;
(7) Maintain a state-wide child care referral data bank and work with department of social and health services licensors to provide information to local child care resource and referral organizations about licensed child care providers in the state;
(8) Through local resource and referral organizations, compile data about local child care needs and availability for future planning and development;
(9) Coordinate the provision of training and technical assistance to child care providers; and
(10) Collect and assemble information regarding the availability of insurance and of federal and other child care funding to assist state and local agencies, businesses, and other child care providers in offering child care services.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:
An employer liaison position is established in the department of social and health services to be colocated at the business assistance center established under RCW 43.31.083. The employer liaison shall, within appropriated funds:
(1) Staff and assist the child care partnership in the implementation of its duties under section 4 of this act;
(2) Provide technical assistance to employers regarding child care services, working with and through local resource and referral organizations whenever possible. Such technical assistance shall include at a minimum:
(a) Assessing the child care needs of employees and prospective employees;
(b) Reviewing options available to employers interested in increasing access to child care for their employees;
(c) Developing techniques to permit small businesses to increase access to child care for their employees;
(d) Reviewing methods of evaluating the impact of child care activities on employers; and
(e) Preparing, collecting, and distributing current information for employers on options for increasing involvement in child care; and
(3) Provide assistance to local child care resource and referral organizations to increase their capacity to provide quality technical assistance to employers in their community.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.