(1) By July 1, 2021, the department shall implement a noncredit-bearing, community-based training pathway for licensed child care providers to meet professional education requirements associated with child care licensure. The community-based training pathway must be offered as an alternative to existing credit-bearing pathways available to providers.

(2) The community-based training pathway must:

(a) Align with adopted core competencies for early learning professionals;

(b) Be made available to providers in multiple languages;

(c) Include culturally relevant practices;

(d) Be made available at low cost to providers and at prices comparable to the cost of similar community-based trainings, not to exceed $250 per person; and

(e) Be accessible to providers in rural and urban settings.

(3) The department shall allow licensed child care providers until at least August 1, 2030, to:

(a) Comply with child care licensing rules that require a provider to hold an early childhood education initial certificate or an early childhood education short certificate; or

(b) Complete the community-based training pathway.

(4) Nothing prohibits the department from adopting rules that provide timelines beyond August 1, 2030, to allow providers additional time to meet staff qualification requirements based on their date of licensure, hire, or promotion, which can be no more than five years.

Findings—Intent—Stakeholder group—Early learning and school-age staff qualifications—2025 c 281: See notes following RCW 43.216.757.

Findings—Intent—2020 c 342: "The legislature finds that a nurturing and loving relationship between an early learning provider and a child the provider cares for is an essential component of early learning and has a strong influence on that child's healthy development. Further, the legislature finds that successfully operating a child care center or licensed family home is becoming more financially challenging as the state's regulatory framework for child care and early learning has grown more comprehensive. The legislature recognizes the value of demonstrated competence that comes with a provider's experience in delivering quality child care. Therefore, in response to our state's urgent child care crisis, the legislature intends to provide relief to early learning providers by building the early learning workforce to meet the needs of working families across our state. The legislature further intends for providers to have a range of options to meet education requirements, including a noncredit-bearing[,] community-based training pathway." [ 2020 c 342 s 1.]