Action Taken
Substitute SB 5460, Reducing the administrative cost of state government during the 2007-2009 and 2009-2011 fiscal biennia passed out of Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday, January 27 and was referred to Senate Rules Committee. Passed out of the Senate unanimously on Wednesday, January 28 with amendments. In the opposite house: Referred to House Ways & Means.
Collaborative 2009 Public Policy Agenda
The Collaborative’s 2009 Public Policy Agenda is updated. Click here to view it online. Give copies to your legislators when meeting with them this session!
Advocates in Action
New this week! Click here to visit WAEYC’s public policy page, featuring a picture of advocates in action. Cathy Garland, Children’s Home Society, Agda Burchard, Washington Association for the Education of Young Children, and Janet Anderson, Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP attended a work session and presented on home visiting, professional development and ECEAP. Also included on the public policy page is information about how to get more involved as an advocate! Thanks to Laura Wells for providing the photo!
Bills Introduced
For a copy of a bill and its history, go to www.leg.wa.gov and click on “bill search” or “bill information” and enter the 4-digit bill number or a key word.
HB 1754: Concerning continuity of child care. (This subsidy bill is on the Collaborative's policy agenda). Reforms the components of Washington's subsidized child care system so it promotes continuity of care for children, is affordable for parents needing financial assistance, and is uncomplicated and predictable for providers. Changes include: 1) co-pays not more than 10% of a family’s income, 2) 12 month eligibility period, and 3) increasing paid absences from 5 to 10 days. Referred to House Early Learning & Children's Services Committee.
SB 5617: Changing early learning advisory council provisions. Modifies composition of the early learning advisory council including reducing the number of voting members from 25 to 15. Modifies the council's duties from advising the department of early learning on statewide early learning "community needs and progress" to "issues that would build a comprehensive system of quality early learning programs and services for Washington's children and families by aligning resources, establishing key performance measures, and ensuring children are ready for school. Also requires the council to submit their statewide early learning plan annually to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the P-20 council. Referred to Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.
SB 5572: (Companion Bill to HB 1329, except the Senate bill excludes centers with less than four subsidized children.) Providing collective bargaining for child care center directors and workers. Amends the 2006 Family Child Care Act to enable the creation of a bargaining unit of child care center directors and workers (all employees who work on-site and owners) to negotiate with the State on the subsidy rates and reimbursement, professional development and training, mechanisms and funding to improve access to health care insurance and other benefit programs, and other economic support for centers. Bargaining over retirement benefits would be prohibited. The legislation will not alter the employment relationship between individual employees and their specific employer. The following centers would be excluded: 1) those operated by another unit of government or a tribe; 2) those operated by an individual, partnership, profit or nonprofit corporation or other entity that operates 10 or more child care centers statewide; and 3) those operated by a local nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to provide social services and that pays membership dues or assessments to either a national 501c3 organization with more than $3 million in dues and assessments annually or a regional council affiliated with a national 501c3 organization with more than 200 affiliates. The excluded centers would receive parity. This means that they would receive the same gains as included centers resulting from the collective bargaining agreement. Referred to Senate Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee.
SB 5620: Regarding the voluntary rating system for child care centers and early education programs.
Revises the provisions regarding QRIS by: 1) inserting the words "unified statewide" and "single statewide" in front of "voluntary quality rating and improvement system", and 2) listing "the nongovernmental private-public partnership created in RCW 43.215.070" (Thrive by Five Washington) as a QRIS implementation partner of the department of early learning.
HB 1373: Concerning children’s mental health services. Provides equitable access to appropriate and effective children’s mental health services. Referred to House Early Learning & Children’s Services Committee; hearing February 3rd at 1:30 pm.
Legislative Meeting Schedule
Tuesday 2/3
HB 1373, concerning children’s mental health services, will be heard in to House Early Learning & Children’s Services Committee at 1:30 pm in John L. O’Brien Building, House Hearing Room E.
Wednesday 2/4
SB 5282, regarding the use of bisphenol A (baby bottle bill), will be heard in Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee at 8:00 am in J.A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Room 4.
Thursday 2/5
Work Session, overview of the human services safety net (including Working Connections Child Care) in House Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee with General Government Appropriations Committee at 1:30 pm in John L. O’Brien Building, House Hearing Room B.
SB 5373, concerning early intervention services for children with disabilities will be heard in Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee at 10:00 am in J.A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Room 4.
Friday 2/6
HB 1754, concerning continuity of child care will be heard in House Early Learning & Children’s Services Committee at 1:30 pm in John L. O’Brien Building, House Hearing Room E.
Meetings and EventsGet involved at these advocacy events!
Add other advocacy events to our calendar by contacting krista@waeyc.org or (253) 854-2565 x19.
February 4th Collaborative meeting with DEL at the Governor’s Executive Policy Office from 11 am - noon. This is to supplement the Collaborative Quarterly Meeting that was shortened on January 8th. The Policy Office is located in the Insurance Building on the first floor, in room 100.
February 12th United Ways of Washington lobby day.
February 16th Service Employee’s International Union (SEIU) Local 925 lobby day.
February 26th Washington State Parent Teacher Association’s 2009 Focus Day and Rally. For more info, visit http://www.wastatepta.org/leg/
February 27th Have a Heart for Kids Day!
Register for Children’s Alliance’s Have a Heart for Kids Day, Friday, February 27, 2009! Advocates from across the state will come together to advocate for children’s issues! WAEYC and Schools Out Washington are hosting the early learning and afterschool caucus at Have a Heart for Kids Day.
Have a Heart for Kids Day features:
- Over 500 advocates for children
- Legislative briefing and, back by popular demand, the new advocate training beginning at 9:00 am at the United Churches (110 11th Ave. S.E.)
- Rally on the Capitol Steps with Governor Chris Gregoire
March 12th League of Women Voter’s lobby day. For more info, visit www.lwvwa.org.
Collaborative Quarterly Meeting
The next Collaborative Quarterly meeting will be held Thursday, April 16, 2008 from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm at the Department of Early Learning in Lacey. Click here for the minutes from the January 8th meeting.
Federal Economic Recovery Package
The Federal Senate Stimulus package proposal includes the same early learning funding as the House package: $2 billion for CCDBG, $1 billion for Head Start, $1.1 billion for Early Head Start.
This weekly Update is a publication of WAEYC and the Collaborative. Encourage others to sign up to receive the free Update by contacting krista@waeyc.org or (253) 854-2565 x19.
The mission of WAEYC is to support, promote and advocate for:
o Early learning and quality care for young children ages birth through eight,
o A broad based, inclusive, professional membership, and
o Public policy and social change efforts related to the needs and rights of all children and families.
To join WAEYC, click here.
The Collaborative is a coalition of statewide early childhood and afterschool organizations and individuals representing the direct service providers and the families and children whom they serve. For more information about the Collaborative and to join, click here.
Krista Rhea
Program Specialist, Communications, x19