S-2327               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 5522

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Rinehart, Bailey, Murray and Lee)

Read first time 3/1/89.

AN ACT Relating to child care; creating new sections; providing an expiration date; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes that on-site child care for both classified and certificated employees of school districts is a worthwhile pursuit.  To further the goals of affordable, accessible, and quality child care for working parents, the legislature intends to establish a self-supporting child care demonstration project for school district employees.  The legislature recognizes that appropriate child care services may enhance productivity and lower absenteeism among school district employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     School districts may submit grant applications to the superintendent of public instruction for assistance in establishing on-site or near-site child care centers for school district employees.  In awarding these grants, priority shall be given to school districts who, as a condition of accepting the grant, make a commitment to serve a reasonable number of the following children:  (1) Sick children; (2) children with handicapping conditions; or (3) infants.  The grant requests may be for an entire district or a building within a district.  The grant application shall include a needs assessment regarding the need for and interest in child care facilities by the school district employees and shall identify the location and amount of suitable space in facilities owned or leased by the school district.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The office of superintendent of public instruction may grant funds, from moneys appropriated for this purpose, to selected school districts requesting assistance to establish self-supporting child care demonstration projects for school district employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     School districts selected to participate in the child care demonstration project for school district employees shall operate programs that are self-supporting.  School districts shall submit reports to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by October 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The superintendent of public instruction, through the state clearinghouse for educational information, shall collect and disseminate to all school districts and other interested parties information about the child care demonstration project for school employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The superintendent of public instruction shall report on the project to the legislature by January 15, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     This act shall expire June 30, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.     There is appropriated from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, the sum of forty-eight thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, to assist selected school districts in establishing child care centers for school district employees.