Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

For the purposes of reporting actions taken against agency licensees, upon the development of an early learning information system, the following actions shall be posted to the department's website accessible by the public: Suspension, surrender, revocation, denial, stayed suspen…

Upon resignation or termination with or without cause of any individual working in a child care agency, the child care agency shall report to the department within twenty-four hours if it has knowledge of the following with respect to the individual: (1) Any charge or conviction …

(1) The department shall develop an internal review process to determine whether department licensors have appropriately and consistently applied agency rules in inspection reports that do not involve a violation of health and safety standards. Adverse licensing decisions includi…

It is the intent of the legislature to establish an early childhood state education and assistance program. This special assistance program is a voluntary enrichment program to help prepare some children to enter the common school system and shall be offered only as funds are ava…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 43.216.500 through 43.216.559, 43.216.900, and 43.216.901. (1) "Advisory committee" means the advisory committee under RCW 43.216.520. (2) "Approved programs" means those state-sup…

(1) The department must consult, and obtain the advice and consent of, the governing bodies of the state's federally recognized tribes in developing an agreed-upon definition of the term "Indian" for the purposes of RCW 43.216.505 and, by July 1, 2024, must adopt the definition i…

The department shall administer a state-supported early childhood education and assistance program to assist eligible children with educational, social, health, nutritional, and cultural development to enhance their opportunity for success in the common school system. Eligible ch…

(1) The department shall adopt rules that allow the enrollment of children in the early childhood education and assistance program, as space is available, if the number of such children equals not more than 25 percent of total statewide enrollment, when the child is not eligible …

(1) The department shall adopt rules that allow a three-year-old child who is not eligible under RCW 43.216.505 to enroll in the early childhood education and assistance program, as space is available and subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpo…

(1)(a) The department shall prioritize children for enrollment in the early childhood education and assistance program who are eligible pursuant to RCW 43.216.505. (b) A child who is eligible at the time of enrollment in the early childhood education and assistance program mainta…

(1) Approved early childhood education and assistance programs shall receive state-funded support through the department. Public or private organizations including, but not limited to, school districts, educational service districts, community and technical colleges, local govern…

The department shall establish an advisory committee composed of interested parents and representatives from the office of the superintendent of public instruction, early childhood education and development staff preparation programs, the head start programs, school districts, an…

(1) The department shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW for the administration of the early childhood education and assistance program. Approved early childhood education and assistance programs shall conduct needs assessments of their service area and identify any targeted …

The department shall adopt a rule that requires early childhood education and assistance program contractors and providers to accept birth certificates, passports, and alternative documents to show a child's age or date of birth for the purposes of enrollment. Alternative documen…

The department shall review applications from public or private organizations for state funding of early childhood education and assistance programs. The department shall consider local community needs, demonstrated capacity, and the need to support a mixed delivery system of ear…

The department shall annually report to the governor and the legislature on the findings of the longitudinal study undertaken to examine and monitor the effectiveness of early childhood educational and assistance services for eligible children to measure, among other elements, if…

For the purposes of RCW 43.216.500 through 43.216.550 and 43.216.900 and 43.216.901, the department may award state support under RCW 43.216.500 through 43.216.530 to increase the numbers of eligible children assisted by the federal or state-supported early childhood programs in …

The department from funds appropriated for the administration of the program under chapter 418, Laws of 1985 shall reimburse the expenses of the advisory committee. [ 1985 c 418 s 10. Formerly RCW 43.215.445, 28A.215.190, 28A.34A.100.]

The department may solicit gifts, grants, conveyances, bequests and devises for the use or benefit of the early childhood state education and assistance program established by RCW 43.216.500 through 43.216.550 and 43.216.900 and 43.216.901. The department shall actively solicit s…

(1) The preK promise account is created in the custody of the state treasurer to be used solely and exclusively for the early childhood education and assistance program established in RCW 43.216.510. All receipts from any gifts, grants, or donations received by the secretary for …

(1) An early learning program to provide voluntary preschool opportunities for children ages three to five years old who are not age-eligible for kindergarten shall be implemented according to the funding and implementation plan in RCW 43.216.556. The program must offer a compreh…

(1) Funding for the program of early learning established under this chapter must be appropriated to the department. The department shall distribute funding to approved early childhood education and assistance program contractors on the basis of eligible children enrolled. (2) Th…

Chapter 231, Laws of 2010 may be known as the ready for school act of 2010. [ 2010 c 231 s 9. Formerly RCW 43.215.457, 43.215.143.]

The legislature finds that the first five years of a child's life establish the foundation for educational success. The legislature also finds that children who have high quality early learning opportunities from birth through age five are more likely to succeed throughout their …

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer early therapeutic and preventative services and programs, such as the early childhood intervention and prevention services program, and other related services for ch…

The legislature finds that there is an urgent and substantial need to: (1) Enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities in the state of Washington in order to minimize developmental delay and maximize individual potential and enhance the capability of familie…

For the purposes of implementing this chapter, the governor shall appoint a state interagency coordinating council for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families and ensure that state agencies involved in the provision of, or payment for, early intervention service…

The state interagency coordinating council for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families shall identify and work with county early childhood interagency coordinating councils to coordinate and enhance existing early intervention services and assist each community …

The department shall enter into formal interagency agreements, where appropriate, with school districts, counties, and other providers, to define their relationships and financial and service responsibilities. Local agencies or entities, including local school districts, counties…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer a prenatal to three family engagement strategy to support expectant parents, babies and toddlers from birth to three years of age, and their caregivers. (2) Componen…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer a birth to three early childhood education and assistance program for eligible children under thirty-six months old. Funds to implement the program may include a com…

(1) The legislature finds that our state suffers from an extreme shortage of infant child care, impacting the ability of parents to participate in the workforce. Further, parents returning to work after using paid family leave to care for a new child struggle to find readily avai…

(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…