SB 5225 — Increasing access to the working connections child care program.

S-1092.1S-0297.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5225 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session By Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators C.

Wilson, Conway, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Lovelett, Nguyen, Salomon, Shewmake, Stanford, and Valdez)Valdez READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/02/23.01/10/23.

Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

1 SSBSB 5225 respondents to obtain treatment services to address particular issues that may have contributed to the conduct that led to their issue before the court.

(4) The legislature acknowledges that the workingstate connectionshas childgranted carehigher programeducation requirestuition childrenassistance to havestudents aregardless certainof their immigration statusstatus. to be eligible.

This assistance is one step toward helping these students on their educational pathway and will in turn help address workforce shortages.

The legislature recognizes that child care for these students, who are also parents, is a barrier to enrollment in these higher education programs.

The legislature acknowledges that the working connections child care program requires children to have a certain immigration status to be eligible.

(1) The department shall establish and implement policies in the working connections child care program to promote stability and qualityp. of care for children from low-income households.

2 SB 5225 quality of care for children from low-income households.

Policies for the expenditure of funds constituting the working connections child care program must be consistent with the outcome measures established by the department and the standards p.established in this section intended to promote stability, quality, and continuity of early care and education programming.

2 SSB 5225 established in this section intended to promote stability, quality, and continuity of early care and education programming.

113-186, authorizations for the working connections child care subsidy are effective for ((twelve))twelve 12 months beginning July 1, 2016.

(b) Families who are eligible for working connections child care pursuant to this subsection do not have to keep receiving services or keep participating in a specialty court or therapeutic court identified in this subsection to maintain ((twelve))twelve-month 12-month authorization.

(4)(a) Beginning July 1, 2021, and 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 thep. applicant or consumer is a full-time student of a community, technical, or tribal college and is enrolled in:

3 SB 5225 the applicant or consumer is a full-time student of a community, technical, or tribal college and is enrolled in:

or p.(iii) A registered apprenticeship program.

3 SSB 5225 (iii) A registered apprenticeship program.

(5) The department may not consider the immigration status of an applicant or consumer's child when determining eligibility for working connections child care benefits.benefits when the applicant or consumer is a full-time student and is enrolled in one of the programs listed in subsection (4) of this section.

(6)(a) The department must extend the homeless grace period, as adopted in department rule as of January 1, 2020, from a four-month grace period to a ((twelve))twelve-month 12-month grace period.

(2)p. Beginning October 1, 2021, a family is eligible for working connections child care when the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state median income adjusted for family size and:

4 SB 5225 (2) Beginning October 1, 2021, a family is eligible for working connections child care when the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state median income adjusted for family size and:

and p.(b) The household meets all other program eligibility requirements.

4 SSB 5225 (b) The household meets all other program eligibility requirements.

otherwise, a maximum of $15 Above 20 percent and at or below 36 $65cent of the state median income Above 36 percent and at or below 50 $115 until December 31, 2021, and $90 beginning January median income 1, 2022 Abovep. 50 percent and at or below 60 $115ent of the state median income (b) Beginning July 1, 2023, the department must calculate a monthly copayment according to the following schedule:

5 SB 5225 Above 50 percent and at or below 60 $115ent of the state median income (b) Beginning July 1, 2023, the department must calculate a monthly copayment according to the following schedule:

p.At or below 20 percent of the state Waived to the extent allowable under federal law;

5 SSB 5225 At or below 20 percent of the state Waived to the extent allowable under federal law;

(b)p. Complete level 2 activities in the early achievers program by August 1, 2017;

6 SB 5225 (b) Complete level 2 activities in the early achievers program by August 1, 2017;

If a child care provider does not rate at or request to be rated at a level 3 by December 31, 2019, the provider must complete remedial activities p.with the department, and must rate at or request to be rated at a level 3 or higher no later than December 30, 2020.

6 SSB 5225 with the department, and must rate at or request to be rated at a level 3 or higher no later than December 30, 2020.

(a) Enroll in the early achievers program within ((thirty))thirty 30 days of receiving the initial state subsidy payment;

(b) Complete level 2 activities in the early achievers program within ((twelve))twelve 12 months of enrollment;

and (c) Rate or request to be rated at a level 3 or higher in the early achievers program within ((thirty))thirty 30 months of enrollment.

If a child care provider does not rate or request to be rated at a level 3 within thirty months from enrollment into the early achievers program, the provider must complete remedial activities with the department, and rate or request to be rated at a level 3 or higher within ((twelve))twelve 12 months of beginning remedial activities.

NEWp. SECTION.

7 SB 5225 NEW SECTION.

78 SSBSB 5225