WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

43.215.005 - Finding -- Purpose.

Finding — Purpose.

(1) The legislature recognizes that:

     (a) Parents are their children's first and most important teachers and decision makers;

     (b) Research across disciplines now demonstrates that what happens in the earliest years makes a critical difference in children's readiness to succeed in school and life;

     (c) Washington's competitiveness in the global economy requires a world-class education system that starts early and supports life-long learning;

     (d) Washington state currently makes substantial investments in voluntary child care and early learning services and supports, but because services are fragmented across multiple state agencies, and early learning providers lack the supports and incentives needed to improve the quality of services they provide, many parents have difficulty accessing high quality early learning services;

     (e) A more cohesive and integrated voluntary early learning system would result in greater efficiencies for the state, increased partnership between the state and the private sector, improved access to high quality early learning services, and better employment and early learning outcomes for families and all children.

     (2) The legislature finds that:

     (a) The early years of a child's life are critical to the child's healthy brain development and that the quality of caregiving during the early years can significantly impact the child's intellectual, social, and emotional development;

     (b) A successful outcome for every child obtaining a K-12 education depends on children being prepared from birth for academic and social success in school. For children at risk of school failure, the achievement gap often emerges as early as eighteen months of age;

     (c) There currently is a shortage of high quality services and supports for children ages birth to three and their parents and caregivers; and

     (d) Increasing the availability of high quality services for children ages birth to three and their parents and caregivers will result in improved school and life outcomes.

     (3) Therefore, the legislature intends to establish a robust birth-to-three continuum of services for parents and caregivers of young children in order to provide education and support regarding the importance of early childhood development.

     (4) The purpose of this chapter is:

     (a) To establish the department of early learning;

     (b) To coordinate and consolidate state activities relating to child care and early learning programs;

     (c) To safeguard and promote the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving child care and early learning assistance, which is paramount over the right of any person to provide care;

     (d) To provide tools to promote the hiring of suitable providers of child care by:

     (i) Providing parents with access to information regarding child care providers;

     (ii) Providing parents with child care licensing action histories regarding child care providers; and

     (iii) Requiring background checks of applicants for employment in any child care facility licensed or regulated under current law;

     (e) To promote linkages and alignment between early learning programs and elementary schools and support the transition of children and families from prekindergarten environments to kindergarten;

     (f) To promote the development of a sufficient number and variety of adequate child care and early learning facilities, both public and private; and

     (g) To license agencies and to assure the users of such agencies, their parents, the community at large and the agencies themselves that adequate minimum standards are maintained by all child care and early learning facilities.

     (5) This chapter does not expand the state's authority to license or regulate activities or programs beyond those licensed or regulated under existing law.