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 organizations may carry out needs assessments, resource development, provider training, technical assistance, and parent information and training;

(2) Actively seek public and private money for distribution as grants to the statewide child care resource and referral network and to existing or potential local child care resource and referral organizations;

(3) Adopt rules regarding the application for and distribution of grants to local child care resource and referral organizations. The rules shall, at a minimum, require an applicant to submit a plan for achieving the following objectives:

(a) Provide parents with information about child care resources, including location of services and subsidies;

(b) Carry out child care provider recruitment and training programs, including training under RCW 74.25.040;

(c) Offer support services, such as parent and provider seminars, toy-lending libraries, and substitute banks;

(d) Provide information for businesses regarding child care supply and demand;

(e) Advocate for increased public and private sector resources devoted to child care;

(f) Provide technical assistance to employers regarding employee child care services; and

(g) Serve recipients of temporary assistance for needy families and working parents with household incomes at or below 100 percent of the state median income;

(4) Provide staff support and technical assistance to the statewide child care resource and referral network and local child care resource and referral organizations;

(5) Maintain a statewide child care licensing data bank and work with department licensors to provide information to local child care resource and referral organizations about licensed or certified child care providers in the state;

(6) Through the statewide child care resource and referral network and local resource and referral organizations, compile data about local child care needs and availability for future planning and development;

(7) Coordinate with the statewide child care resource and referral network and local child care resource and referral organizations for the provision of training and technical assistance to child care providers;

(8) Collect and assemble information regarding the availability of insurance and of federal and other child care funding to assist state and local agencies, businesses, and other child care providers in offering child care services;

(9) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, increase the base rate for all child care providers by ten percent;

(10) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, provide tiered subsidy rate enhancements to child care providers if the provider meets the following requirements:

(a) The provider enrolls in quality rating and improvement system levels 2, 3, 4, or 5;

(b) The provider is actively participating in the early achievers program;

(c) The provider continues to advance towards level 5 of the early achievers program; and

(d) The provider must complete level 2 within thirty months or the reimbursement rate returns the level 1 rate; and

(11) Require exempt providers to participate in continuing education, if adequate funding is available.

Short title—Findings—Intent—Conflict with federal requirements—2021 c 199: See notes following RCW 43.216.770.

Effective date—2017 3rd sp.s. c 6 §§ 102, 104-115, 201-227, 301-337, 401-419, 501-513, 801-803, and 805-822: See note following RCW 43.216.025.

Effective date—2006 c 265: See RCW 43.216.902.

Effective date—2005 c 490: See note following RCW 43.216.705.

Finding—1997 c 58: “The legislature finds that informed choice is consistent with individual responsibility and that parents should be given a range of options for available child care while participating in the program.” [ 1997 c 58 § 401.]

Short title—Part headings, captions, table of contents not law—Exemptions and waivers from federal law—Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—1997 c 58: See RCW 74.08A.900 through 74.08A.904.

Finding—1993 c 453: “The legislature finds that building a system of quality, affordable child care requires coordinated efforts toward constructing partnerships at state and community levels. Through the office of child care policy, the department of social and health services is responsible for facilitating the coordination of child care efforts and establishing working partnerships among the affected entities within the public and private sectors. Through these collaborative efforts, the office of child care policy encouraged the coalition of locally based child care resource and referral agencies into a statewide network. The statewide network, in existence since 1989, supports the development and operation of community-based resource and referral programs, improves the quality and quantity of child care available in Washington by fostering statewide strategies, and generates then nurtures effective public-private partnerships. The statewide network provides important training, standards of service, and general technical assistance to its locally based child care resource and referral programs. The locally based programs enrich the availability, affordability, and quality of child care in their communities.” [ 1993 c 453 § 1.]

Effective date—1993 c 453: “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 [May 17, 1993].” [ 1993 c 453 § 3.]

Severability—Effective date—1991 sp.s. c 16: See notes following RCW 9.46.100.

Findings—Severability—1989 c 381: See notes following RCW 43.216.660.