Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

(1) The department is the state lead agency for Part C of the federal individuals with disabilities education act. The department shall administer the early support for infants and toddlers program, to provide early intervention services to all eligible children with disabilities…

(1) For the 2021-22 school year, rates for the early childhood education and assistance program must be set at a level at least 10 percent higher than the rates established in section 225, chapter 415, Laws of 2019. (2) It is the intent of the legislature that rate increases shal…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer two complex needs funds to promote inclusive, least restrictive environments and to support contractors and providers serving children who have developmental delays,…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall provide supports to aid eligible providers in providing trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care supports may be used by eligible providers for the following purposes: (a) Ad…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall establish a dual language designation and provide subsidy rate enhancements or site-specific grants for licensed or certified child care providers who are accepting state subsi…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall distribute early childhood equity grants to eligible applicants. Eligible applicants include play and learn groups, licensed or certified child care centers and family home pro…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department, in consultation with community-based programs, shall provide or contract to provide, or both, resources and supports for inclusive and culturally and linguistically relevant play and le…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall provide professional development supports to aid eligible providers in reaching the professional education and training standards adopted by the department. Professional develo…

(1) For the purposes of this section, "near fatality" means an act that, as certified by a physician, places the child in serious or critical condition. (2)(a) The department shall conduct a child fatality review if a child fatality occurs in an early learning program described i…

(1) The education data center established in RCW 43.41.400 must collect longitudinal, student-level data on all children attending an early childhood education and assistance program. Upon completion of an electronic time and attendance record system, the education data center mu…

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 tradi…

The legislature finds that as of 2000, child care workers in the state earned an average hourly wage of eight dollars and twenty-two cents, only fifty-eight percent received medical insurance through employers, only sixty-six percent received paid sick leave, and only seventy-thr…

In conjunction with child care providers and other early learning leaders, the department shall review and revise child care provider rules in order to emphasize the need for mutual respect among parents, providers, and state staff who enforce rules. Revised rules shall clearly f…

(1) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall establish a child care career and wage ladder in licensed child care centers that meet the following criteria: (a) At least ten percent of child care slots are dedicated to child…

Child care centers adopting the child care career and wage ladder established pursuant to *RCW 43.215.505 shall increase wages for child care workers who have earned a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, gain additional years …

(1) The department shall establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number, and an interactive web-based system through which persons may obtain information regarding child day care centers, outdoor nature-based child care providers, and family day care providers. This number s…

(1) Every child day care center, outdoor nature-based child care provider, and family day care provider shall prominently post the following items, clearly visible to parents and staff: (a) The license issued under this chapter; (b) The department's toll-free telephone number est…

(1) Every child day care center, outdoor nature-based child care provider, and family day care provider shall have readily available for review by the department, parents, and the public a copy of each inspection report and notice of enforcement action received by the center or p…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, child day care centers and outdoor nature-based child care providers licensed under this chapter may not allow on the premises an employee or volunteer, who has not provided the child day care center or outdoor nature-base…

The department may waive the limit, as established in RCW 43.216.010(1)(c), that restricts family home providers from serving not more than 12 children. The department must establish conditions for such waivers by rule and must assess, at a minimum, the provider's available squar…

(1) Notwithstanding RCW 74.15.030, counties with a population of three thousand or less may adopt and enforce ordinances and regulations as provided in this section for family day-care providers as defined in *RCW 74.15.020(1)(f) as a twelve-month pilot project. Before a county m…

(1) Every licensed child day care center and outdoor nature-based child care provider shall, at the time of licensure or renewal and at any inspection, provide to the department proof that the licensee has day care insurance as defined in RCW 48.88.020, or is self-insured pursuan…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall implement the tiered-reimbursement system developed pursuant to section 6, chapter 490, Laws of 2005. Implementation of the tiered-reimbursement system shall initially consist …

The department shall: (1) Work in conjunction with the statewide child care resource and referral network as well as local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community child care advocates to create local child care resource and referral organizations. These or…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall establish a pilot program for contracted child care slots for infants in child protective services in locales with the historically highest rates of child welfare screened-in intak…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, at least one legal liaison position shall be established within the department in each of its regions to work with both the department and the office of the attorney general for the purpose of assi…

An employer liaison position is established in the department to be colocated with the department of commerce. The employer liaison shall, within appropriated funds: (1) Staff and assist the child care partnership in the implementation of its duties; (2) Provide technical assista…

(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 workforce due to a shortage of child care resources. The high costs of starting a chil…

For children ages sixty months through six years, the child's school enrollment status may not be used as a reason to require the child be placed within a specific mixed-age group. Nothing in this section changes or requires the department to change the staff-to-child ratio requi…

(1) The department shall establish a licensed outdoor nature-based child care program. (2) The department shall adopt rules to implement the outdoor nature-based child care program and may waive or adapt licensing requirements when necessary to allow for the operation of outdoor …

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall establish a child care consultation program linking child care providers with evidence-based, trauma-informed, and best practice resources regarding caring for infants and youn…

(1) The department shall provide child welfare workers and those supervising child welfare workers with access to: (a) A critical incident protocol that establishes a process for appropriately responding to traumatic or high stress incidents in a manner that provides employees wi…

(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…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the department shall allow licensed child care providers until August 1, 2030, to demonstrate experience-based competency as an alternative means to comply with child care licensing rules that require a provider to hold an…

(1) Every child day care center and early childhood education and assistance program provider is subject to RCW 9.41.282. (2)(a) A family day care provider must store any firearm, ammunition, or other dangerous weapon as described in RCW 9.41.250 in a secure area when children fo…

The department must adopt rules to implement RCW 9.41.282 and 43.216.760. [ 2020 c 189 s 3.]

(1) The fair start for kids account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. (2) Expenditures from the account may be used only for child care and early learning purposes. [ 2021 c 199 s 101.] Notes: Short title—2021 c 199: "T…

(1) The spending goals and strategies for the fair start for kids account created under RCW 43.216.770 include, but are not limited to: (a) Increasing child care subsidy rates, with the goal of moving toward the full cost of providing high quality child care; (b) Expanding health…

(1) Rates paid under RCW 43.216.592 must be adjusted every two years according to an inflationary increase. The inflationary increase must be calculated by applying the rate of the increase in the inflationary adjustment index to the rates established pursuant to RCW 43.216.592. …

(1) The department shall establish and implement policies in the working connections child care program to promote stability and quality of care for children from low-income households. These policies shall focus on supporting school readiness for young learners. Policies for the…

(1) It is the intent of the legislature to increase working families' access to affordable, high quality child care and to support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the statewide economy. (2) A family is eligible for working connections child care when the …

(1) Effective until October 1, 2026, the department must calculate a monthly copayment according to the following schedule: If the household's income is: Then the household's maximum monthly copayment is: At or below 20 percent of the state median income Waived to the extent allo…

(1)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department may not require an applicant or consumer to meet work requirements as a condition of receiving working connections child care benefits when the applicant or consumer is a full-tim…

(1) The department shall establish and implement policies in the working connections child care program to allow eligibility for families with children who: (a) In the last six months have: (i) Received child protective services as defined and used by chapters 26.44 and 74.13 RCW…

(1) A parent who is attending high school is eligible to receive working connections child care. (2) A parent age 21 years or younger who is working toward completing a high school equivalency certificate is eligible to receive working connections child care. (3) When determining…

Beginning July 1, 2016, or earlier if a different date is provided in the omnibus appropriations act, when an applicant or recipient applies for or receives working connections child care benefits, the applicant or recipient is required to notify the department, within five days,…