HB 1648: Modifying child care provider qualifications. - Washington

Engrossed Second Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Passed Legislature · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that the legislature intends to honor the experience of child care providers by extending the timeline for them to demonstrate competency. The primary change updates the deadline for providers to meet certification requirements from 2026 to 2030 and adds a new section allowing providers to use work experience as an alternative to certificates if they have worked continuously since 2021. This change aims to prevent an 'education cliff' that discourages professionals from staying in the field due to low wages and pandemic disruptions.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes a new section allowing licensed child care providers to demonstrate experience-based competency as an alternative to holding a certificate, provided they have maintained continuous employment since August 1, 2021, or have five years of cumulative experience.

TIMELINE

The deadline for providers to meet certification requirements was extended from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2030.

ELIGIBILITY

A new section was added allowing providers to use documented work experience as an alternative to holding an early childhood education certificate.

REQUIREMENT

The legislative findings were updated to explicitly state the intent to honor provider experience and extend timelines to support their professional journey.

The list of required certificates for the experience-based option was simplified to include only initial, short, or state certificates, removing the 'early childhood education state certificate' as a separate option.

Second Substitute Bill → Engrossed Second Substitute Bill · 4 edits · Apr 22, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was retitled to reflect its final version and updated the deadline for child care providers to comply with licensing education requirements. The extension period was shortened from 2026 to 2030, reducing the time providers have to complete training or demonstrate experience before facing stricter licensing rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the compliance timeline for child care providers was narrowed, shortening the grace period for meeting education requirements.

TIMELINE

The deadline for licensed child care providers to meet education or experience requirements was changed from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2030.

REQUIREMENT

The specific education certificates or training pathways that providers may use to comply with licensing rules were adjusted in the text.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was updated from 'Second Substitute' to 'Engrossed Second Substitute' to indicate its final legislative status.

FISCAL

The maximum allowable cost for community-based training was updated from a written amount of two hundred and fifty dollars to the numeric value $250.

Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Bill · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a 'Substitute' to a 'Second Substitute' and transferred from the Early Learning & Human Services committee to the Appropriations committee, indicating a shift in legislative focus toward budgetary oversight. The text of the bill itself remains substantively unchanged, with the only modification being a requirement for the department to complete its stakeholder group activities using existing resources rather than making specific efforts to minimize costs.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for the department to minimize costs when convening the stakeholder group was removed and replaced with a mandate to complete the work within existing resources.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was updated to reflect its new status as a 'Second Substitute House Bill' and the sponsoring committee was changed from 'Early Learning & Human Services' to 'Appropriations'.

Bill → Substitute Bill · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to adjust key dates and requirements for child care provider qualifications. The implementation deadline for a new training pathway was moved back to July 1, 2021, while the deadline for providers to meet certification requirements was shortened from 2035 to 2032. Additionally, the experience-based exemption was tightened to require five years of continuous work instead of three years, and a new section was added to create a stakeholder group for improving staff qualification processes.

Scope change

The bill now includes a new requirement for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to convene a stakeholder group to review and improve early learning staff qualification requirements and verification processes.

TIMELINE

The deadline for the department to implement the noncredit-bearing community-based training pathway was changed from August 1, 2025, to July 1, 2021.

The deadline for licensed child care providers to meet certification or training requirements was shortened from August 1, 2035, to August 1, 2032.

The new stakeholder group section includes an expiration date of July 1, 2028, and requires a report to the legislature by December 1, 2026.

ELIGIBILITY

The work experience requirement to qualify for an exemption from certification was increased from three years to five years, and the experience must now be continuous without a break in service.

REQUIREMENT

A new section was added requiring the department to form a stakeholder group to identify strategies for improving staff qualification requirements and verification processes.

Modifying child care provider qualifications.

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