The department of children, youth, and families shall conduct competitive procurements as necessary in accordance with chapter 39.26 RCW to conduct a statewide assessment of child care access for families of children with developmental delay or disabilities, in order to better understand the availability, affordability, and accessibility of child care that meets the needs of those families. The statewide assessment required under this section must be conducted in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction and statewide organizations representing the interests of children and families with lived experiences of this issue.
The statewide assessment of child care access required under this section must, at a minimum:
Identify cities, counties, areas within cities or counties, and other regions of the state, including school district boundaries with the highest need related to child care availability, accessibility, and affordability for children with developmental delay or disabilities, by category of disability;
Identify the statewide need related to child care availability, accessibility, and affordability for families of children with developmental delay or disabilities, by category of disability;
Describe the capacity of the current child care providers in meeting the demand of families of children with developmental delay or disabilities, by category of disability; and
Include survey results from families with children across the state with developmental delay or disabilities describing their child care needs and the availability, affordability, and accessibility of those child care needs.
The department of children, youth, and families shall partner with the office of the developmental disabilities ombuds and the office of the superintendent of public instruction to review the statewide assessment and make recommendations to increase the availability, affordability, and accessibility of child care for families of children with developmental delay or disabilities. The recommendations shall include:
Recommendations for assisting families with children across the state with developmental delay or disabilities in accessing child care;
Recommendations for creating a child care liaison housed within an organization outside state government, such as a statewide organization representing the interests of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or the statewide child care resource and referral network; and
A discussion of methods used by other states to assist families in accessing child care for children with developmental delay or disabilities.
The statewide assessment and recommendations must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the governor in compliance with RCW 43.01.036 by June 30, 2023.
This section expires December 30, 2023.