AN ACT relating to encouraging employer involvement in child care facilities development and services; amending RCW 74.13.090 and 74.13.095; adding a new section to chapter 74.13 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; 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 has made the availability of quality, affordable child care a critical concern for the state and its citizens. The dramatic increase in participation of women in the work force has resulted in the demand for child care exceeding the response of the market. 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 facilities are not located conveniently to work places and neighborhoods. 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's 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 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;

(d) One representative from the department of revenue;

(e) At least one representative of family home child care providers and one representative of center care providers;

((~~(e)~~)) (f) At least one representative of early childhood development experts;

((~~(f)~~)) (g) At least one representative of school districts and teachers involved in the provision of child care and preschool programs;

((~~(g)~~)) (h) At least one parent education specialist;

((~~(h)~~)) (i) At least one representative of resource and referral programs;

((~~(i)~~)) (j) One pediatric or other health professional;

((~~(j)~~)) (k) At least one representative of college or university child care providers;

((~~(k)~~)) (l) At least one representative of a citizen group concerned with child care;

((~~(l)~~)) (m) At least one representative of a labor organization;

((~~(m)~~)) (n) At least one representative of a head start - early childhood education assistance program agency;

((~~(n)~~)) (o) At least one employer who provides child care assistance to employees;

((~~(o)~~)) (p) 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 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;

(b) Review and propose changes to the child care subsidy system by December 1, 1989;

(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 department of social and health services administration of the child care partnership program described in section 3 of this act.

Representatives of the department of labor and industries, the department of trade and economic development, and the department of revenue shall assist the department of social and health services in administration of the child care partnership program by making the existence of the program known to employers and businesses in Washington state through communications those agencies routinely have with these employers and businesses.

(e) 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)~~)) (f) Review options and make recommendations on the feasibility of establishing an allocation for day care facilities when constructing state buildings; and

((~~(f)~~)) (g) 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. 3. A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The child care partnership program is established within the department of social and health services under the direction of the child care resource coordinator. The program shall encourage employer assistance and involvement in child care and foster partnerships between employers and the public sector to increase the availability, quality, and affordability of child care services in the state. The program shall utilize existing community-based child care resource and referral programs in its activities to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the need to ensure the quality of information and technical assistance provided to employers.

(2) The program shall work with the assistance of, and in consultation with, the child care coordinating committee, particularly the representatives of the department of trade and economic development, the department of labor and industries, and the department of revenue, and shall:

(a) Provide technical assistance to employers to enable them to support child care services or facilities. Such technical assistance shall include, but not be limited to: Assessment of the child care needs of employees and prospective employees; review of options available to employers interested in increasing access to child care for their employees; development of techniques to permit smaller employers to increase access to child care for their employees in a cost-effective manner; and review of methods for evaluating the impact of child care activities on the employer;

(b) Prepare information for employers on options for increasing involvement in child care;

(c) Develop a list of firms and individuals with expertise in the field of employer involvement in child care and utilize such firms and individuals, as appropriate, in delivering technical assistance. The program shall make this information available to employers to whom it provides technical assistance;

(d) Provide assistance to community-based child care resource and referral programs to increase their capacity to provide quality technical assistance to employers in their community; and

(e) Encourage local governments to create incentives for employer support for child care by providing information on such local government incentives in this state and other states.

(3) The child care resource coordinator, with the approval of the child care coordinating committee, shall publish a report by December 1 of each even-numbered year. The report shall be made available to the senate and house of representatives ways and means committees, to the house of representatives trade and economic development and human services committees, and to the senate economic development and labor and children and family services committees. The report shall recommend 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.

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 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, 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 grants, priority shall be given to child care centers, mini-centers, or family day care homes 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;

(d) Children requiring night time or weekend care; or

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

(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. 5. (1) The sum of two 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 3 of this act.

(2) 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 child care expansion grant fund in the department of social and health services for the purposes of section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. 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. 7. 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.