Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

(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,…

(1) The department must refer all suspected incidents of child care subsidy fraud to the department of social and health services office of fraud and accountability for appropriate investigation and action. (2) For the purposes of this section, "fraud" has the definition in RCW 7…

(1) The department may employ a combination of vouchers and contracted slots for the subsidized child care programs in *RCW 43.215.135. Child care vouchers preserve parental choice. Child care contracted slots promote access to continuous quality care for children, provide parent…

(1) The standards and guidelines described in this section are intended for the guidance of the department. They are not intended to, do not, and may not be relied upon to create a right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party in litigation with the s…

(1) The department shall adopt rules related to child care provider subsidy payments that allow licensed or certified child care providers who accept state subsidy payments to claim daily subsidy payments as follows: (a) For a child who has attended for 16 or more days in a calen…

(1) It is the intent of the legislature to systemically increase child care subsidy rates over time until rates are equal to the full cost of providing high quality child care. (2)(a) In the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, beginning July 1, 2026, child care subsidy base rates must ach…

Beginning July 1, 2026, licensed or certified child care providers may not receive a child care subsidy base rate that is different than the rate for the child care subsidy rate region in which the provider is located. [ 2026 c 264 s 5.] Notes: Effective date—2026 c 264: "Except …

By June 1st of every even-numbered year, the department shall publish a cost of quality child care and market rate study and submit the study to the relevant committees of the legislature in compliance with RCW 43.01.036. [ 2025 c 412 s 14.] Notes: Conflict with federal requireme…

This act shall be known as the early childhood assistance act of 1985. [ 1985 c 418 s 13. Formerly RCW 43.215.900, 28A.215.900, 28A.34A.904.]

If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by the legislature by July 1, 1987, this act shall be null and void. This act shall be of no effect until such specific funding is provided. If such funding is so provided, this…

This act takes effect July 1, 2006. [ 2006 c 265 s 604. Formerly RCW 43.215.905.] Notes: Reviser's note: RCW 43.215.905 was recodified by 2017 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 821, effective July 1, 2018, and decodified by 2017 3rd sp.s. c 25 s 7.

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …

Chapter 7, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. may be known and cited as the early start act. [ 2015 3rd sp.s. c 7 s 22. Formerly RCW 43.215.909.] Notes: Finding—Intent—2015 3rd sp.s. c 7: See note following RCW 43.216.085.

(1) The department of early learning is hereby abolished and its powers, duties, and functions are hereby transferred to the department of children, youth, and families. All references to the director or the department of early learning in the Revised Code of Washington shall be …

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services pertaining to child welfare services under chapters 13.32A, 13.34, 13.36, 13.38, 13.50, 13.60, 13.64, 26.33, 26.44, 74.13, 74.13A, 74.14B, 74.14C, and 74.15 RCW are transferred to the department…

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services pertaining to juvenile justice services under chapters 13.04, 13.06, 13.16, 13.40, 28A.190, 28A.225, 74.14A, 72.01, 72.05, 72.09, 72.19, 71.34, and 72.72 RCW are transferred to the department of…

If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies dire…

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services pertaining to the working connections child care and seasonal child care programs are transferred to the department of children, youth, and families. All references to the secretary or the depar…

Nothing in chapter 199, Laws of 2021 changes the department's responsibility to collectively bargain over mandatory subjects consistent with RCW 41.56.153(3) or limits the legislature's authority to make programmatic modifications to licensed child care and early learning program…