HB 95: Quality Child Care
2007 General Session

Sponsor: Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee

HB 95 was proposed to modify the quality child care program implemented by the 2006 Legislature. The program as originally proposed last year would have set up a statewide quality child care system that included a quality rating system for licensed child care facilities, incentive payments for higher levels of quality care, scholarships for professional development, technical assistance and quality support, and parental support and education. In the end, the 2006 Legislature authorized first year spending on the program to set up the program, develop rules for the quality rating system and devise the scholarship component of the program

As introduced, HB 95 would have created a quality child care system to encourage the availability of high quality care for children in licensed facilities. The bill originally included a quality rating system for facilities; scholarships for low-income families for higher levels of quality care; educational grants for child care providers; technical assistance, quality assessment and business management services; and capacity enhancement grants to provide quality care for infants or other children whose care might otherwise be difficult to provide. Funding for the program (contained in a companion appropriations bill, HB 96) would have totaled $12.34 million, about half of which was money already reserved for the program by the 2006 Legislature.

HB 95 was significantly modified and scaled back to a very modest program as it moved through the legislative process. In the end, the quality rating system and funds to help build new day care centers were cut completely from the proposal, and other areas were greatly reduced.

The final bill included the following components (funded through the companion HB 96 appropriations bill):
$4.51 million for child care subsidy payments, including increases for infant day care.
$600,000 for child care education development grants and scholarships
$200,000 for business management services and technical assistance.
$500,000 to promote awareness of the importance of early childhood development.
$100.000 for family strengthening programs.
$153,000 for administration.

While the proponents of the quality child care bill were disappointed with the drastic cuts made to the program, they philosophically viewed the Legislature’s action in 2007 as a start that can be build on in coming years, as the program proves its value.

The votes listed below are the House and Senate third reading (final passage) votes. A YES vote means the legislator wanted to establish a statewide quality child care program with the various components as listed above. A NO vote means the legislator did not support a statewide quality child care system with the components listed above.

Engrossed