Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

March serves as Women’s History Month. This week’s trivia focuses on Washington state’s first female Governor, Dixy Lee Ray, who served one term from 1977 to 1981. Governor Ray began her career in a non-political field, earning a doctorate from Stanford in what subject area? Bonus points if you know the topic of her dissertation.

Dixy Lee Ray Campaign Poster (1976)
Photo Credit: HistoryLink.org

Highlights of the Week

Capital Gains Tax Ruled Unconstitutional. On March 1, Douglas County Superior Court Judge Brian Huber ruled the Capital Gains tax initiated by SB 5096 of 2021 unconstitutional. Intended to provide funding to support the Fair Start for Kids Act and schools, Attorney General Bob Ferguson immediately signaled the state’s plan to appeal. Crosscut ran a great piece summarizing the key issues, the ruling and potential next steps. More to come.

Hurry Up and Wait? With a near solid week of fiscal committee meetings concluding Monday and a quick pivot into marathon Floor sessions Tuesday, those involved in the legislative process had ample time to practice their waiting game. This is the point of the legislative session when scheduled hearings and Floor times become fluid as legislators retreat to caucus to be briefed and discuss bills while lobbyists’ phones fill with texts trying to track it all – “Did the House come back? Are they still in caucus?”

With the clock ticking toward the 5 p.m. deadline today for bills to pass out of the opposite house, interested parties want to ensure their favored bills do not fall through the cracks and instead make it over the finish line. During this week, time is not our friend as there are simply not enough hours in the day to debate and vote on all the outstanding bills. They call the legislative process sausage making for a reason!

Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest bill information.

More Cars in the Parking Lot. Following the Senate decision last week, the House of Representatives also moved to bring more House members back to the Floor for in-person debates and open their galleries to more observers. The campus is not anywhere close to its normal level of activity, but there are certainly more cars in the lots for these final days.

The House of Representatives Chamber awaits the partial return of members for Floor debate March 1, 2022
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Saying Goodbye. It is not unusual for lawmakers to announce they do not plan to run for reelection during the short, 60-day session. This year, though, seems to have brought an unprecedented number of retirement announcements, including from some long serving legislators. As we are looking at the calendar for the final days of this session, we can also expect time built in to honor these retiring lawmakers’ legacies.

What’s Up Next?

The Final Sprint. After tonight’s cutoff deadline for bills to pass out of their opposite house, focus will shift to finalizing and approving the supplemental budget and reviewing how bills were changed in the opposite chamber.

Bills that were amended in the opposite body must return to the house of origin for what is called “concurrence.” Concurrence represents the opportunity for the house of origin to affirm changes made in the opposite body. If the house of origin does not agree with the changes made in the opposite body, the bill then goes to “conference” where three members from the Senate (2 Democrats/1 Republican) and three members of the House (2 Democrats/1 Republican) meet in a conference committee to resolve differences, resulting in a conference report. The conference report must then be approved by each body by an up or down vote. Depending on how many bills were amended and how many require conference committee review, this step can eat up quite a bit of time.

We do not know exactly when Senate and House budget conference committee members will release the agreed-upon budget proposal, but I would guess it will likely be public early next week. Both chambers will then approve the agreed-upon budget prior to Sine Die March 10 – again by an up or down vote.

When the final budget is released, we will send out a summary with key details related to early learning.

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

On the East of the Legislative Building sits a tree honoring the late Cal Anderson. What is Cal Anderson’s connection to Washington state history?

Cal Anderson Tree
Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Highlights of the Week

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Potato Day is Back! During “normal” legislative sessions, nearly every day is some sort of organizational lobby event. From auto dealers to home health care workers to massage therapists, groups converge on the Capitol campus to make their case to lawmakers.

For those working at and around the Capitol, free food days are particularly special. Some Capitol staff and lobbyists live for beef day, while others covet dairy day when free ice cream is distributed. Others cite potato day as their favorite.

After a one-year absence, a modified potato day returned this week on the North side of the Legislative building. On a sunny, but frigid day, the Washington State Potato Commission offered the limited number of people on campus a prepackaged box filled with a baked potato with all the toppings. (Author’s review – my potato was delicious).

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Next Wednesday is beef day, so I would say things are looking up.

Senate and House Budgets Released. On Monday, the Senate and House released their proposed operating budgets. In addition, the House released its Capital Budget Monday. The Senate’s Operating Budget includes $63 billion in spending while the House’s Operating Budget contains $65 billion.

Both the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committees held public hearings late into Monday evening where they received feedback on their respective approaches. On Wednesday, the committees met again to review and adopt amendments. These amendments (81 in the Senate and 53 in the House) could be technical in nature (cleaning up errors) or requests to include omitted items. We have updated our Early Learning Budget Summary to reflect amendments adopted Wednesday.

For next steps, the Senate and House are expected to debate and vote on their respective budgets over the next couple of days. After that point, budget writers from both bodies will meet via conference committee to reconcile their approaches. They will release a final budget for the Senate and House’s consideration prior to Sine Die March 10.

Legislative Updates

Last Thursday was the cutoff for bills to pass out of policy committees. In advance of this deadline, policy committees held jam-packed hearings to pass out bills from the opposite body. This is another time in the process where some bills do not advance. There are a number of reasons this could happen, including simply not having enough time to work through differences. As we have seen fewer “companion bills” introduced in the past two years (companion bills are Senate and House versions of the same policy), more time is needed to bring legislators in the opposite chamber up to speed on the contents of bills, which is also a factor in some bills stalling.

It is common practice for budget writers to include funding for bills continuing in the process with a fiscal impact. For example, the House budget includes a total of $563,000 to fund the components of 2SHB 1890 (relating to children and youth behavioral health) and the Senate budget contains $489,000 to support SSB 5838 (relating to a monthly diaper subsidy for families participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).

Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest bill information.

What’s Up Next?

We are rapidly approaching Sine Die (adjournment) March 10. It is hard to believe there are less than two weeks left – 60 days go by quickly!

With fiscal cutoff upcoming Monday, we expect another weekend of Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committee meetings. The opposite house cutoff is a week from today – Friday, March 4 – so next week will be filled with floor activity. Let’s also not forget negotiations on final budgets will continue as well. While this is another unusual legislative session given its hybrid nature, the realities of imposing deadlines and limited time remains.

One other item to note – beginning today, a limited number of the public will be allowed in the Senate gallery after displaying proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The House is still considering changes to their plans.

As the world shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families were left in crisis. Suddenly, parents were full-time caregivers, employees and teachers; they needed support more than ever. When Gaby Rosario began working as the new Parents as Teachers state leader for Start Early Washington last year, she admired how home visiting programs quickly and effectively adapted to virtual visits to continue meeting the needs of families.

Flexibility is Key

Home visitors strive to build strong relationships with parents and encourage positive parent-child engagement to support healthy child development and future outcomes. One of the most powerful tools they have is connecting with families face to face, but when all in-person services shut down due to the pandemic, physical contact was no longer an option.

“Challenges brought on by the pandemic allowed us to stretch our minds and creatively support home visiting services,” Gaby highlighted. Home visiting programs pivoted to individualized services meeting the unique needs of families from a safe distance. “We shortened check-in periods and checked in more often, utilizing various methods of engagement such as email, text messages and phone calls to support families as they worked through learning and reflection.”

Conducting home visits on a virtual level meant staff had to think outside the box to ensure all the required components for a visit were still in place. Parental engagement unexpectedly increased for many families. “It was deeply meaningful when parents shared videos and pictures of their children thriving with the individualized activities created specifically for them. Gaby shared, “Our relationships with families deepened and it was rewarding to witness the positive parent-child interactions.”

With social distancing precautions in place, home visitors’ roles during visits shifted dramatically. They relied on families to lead parent-child interactions, which brought unexpected benefits as families took on leadership in the learning process. Home visitors leaned into coaching, supporting, answering questions and facilitating rather than leading home visits.

Gaby described, “We saw a new level of enjoyment with families that chose to participate virtually; parents’ confidence in leading individualized activities grew and we saw deeper connections between parents and their children. Parents’ messages of excitement, ‘Look what my child did today!’ were so inspiring.”

Reaching Rural Families

“One of the key things the pandemic taught us was that we could reach families further away through virtual systems.” As an expert in serving families in rural communities, Gaby was determined to partner with her team to harness technology-based services. By offering virtual home visiting services, they managed to overcome the challenges of long-distance travel and access to remote areas in bad weather.

Staff repurposed travel time to spend more time intentionally individualizing services for families. “Without the need to be physically present, home visitors provided more flexibility, accommodating family scheduling constraints or last-minute changes, if necessary,” explained Gaby.

Some families did not have access to technology at all. To meet this challenge, programs developed innovative solutions, including purchasing tablets and providing families with internet and cellphone assistance. Other strategies included scheduling virtual meetings at community agencies or public libraries, where families accessed broadband and technology-based services.

A few families lived in extremely isolated areas. Consequently, home visitors preplanned connections with families when they traveled into town and had access to virtual services. Gaby added, “One family lived deep in the mountains on the outskirts of the small city of Tonasket. When it wasn’t possible to connect in town, staff journeyed into the mountains to drop off activities and make a personal connection, even if that meant they had to share stories from 6 feet apart. We made every effort to ensure families had what they needed during this difficult period of isolation.”

Letting Families Know They’re Heard

Although bilingual resources were available for families, not all programs had home visitors that spoke languages other than English. Fluent in English and Spanish herself, Gaby understood the importance of connecting with families in a language they felt most comfortable. Before the pandemic, programs arranged in-person translation and interpretation or utilized call-in services for interpretation during in-person home visits. However, with social distancing precautions in place, it became necessary to adapt this practice. As a result, programs pivoted to virtual translation and interpretation tools, which took extra planning but were well worth the effort. Staff coordinated within agencies to share translation and interpretation services, and translators provided services over three-way calls or virtual platforms.

Gaby shared, “There was a learning curve as teams and families navigated multiple platforms and new methods of technology. Families tried new things they never thought they would try, and we continued to provide the one-on-one support they needed to feel comfortable.”

The technical support provided by staff did more than help with home visiting services; it offered families a window to the outside world again. Gaby explained, “The assistance we provided for a Spanish-speaking mother living in Brewster gave her confidence to support her three school-age children with their virtual classes. At the time, families did not know what virtual engagement looked like or how to navigate tools like Zoom. Together, we made sure her tablet settings were in Spanish, downloaded useful apps and walked through navigating virtual engagement.”

The world has had to find new ways of navigating everyday life since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and Start Early is no exception.

“One of the most significant things we learned during this new period of virtual-based engagement is that a willingness to be flexible is essential to both the home visiting support teams and families,” Gaby reflected.

Washington’s home visitors continue to work on adaptations needed to meet program requirements. In support, Start Early Washington curated a list of resources for home visitors to guide technology-based engagement.

Gaby Rosario supports professional development, training, technical assistance and coaching for 27 Parents as Teachers home visiting programs statewide.

In partnership with public and private organizations, Start Early Washington supports comprehensive prenatal-to-five learning experiences for children and families statewide with a unique focus on home visiting services. We are thrilled to share what we have been up to:

Home Visiting Highlights

Fostering Relationships Virtually. Building on innovative strategies to maintain relationships in a virtual setting remains a key priority as we navigate home visiting service delivery throughout the ongoing pandemic. Gaby Rosario, Parents as Teachers state leader, shares innovative ways to engage with families virtually. Read more.

Advancing Racial Equity. ParentChild+ is one of the state’s home visiting models supported by Start Early Washington. Last quarter home visiting professionals gathered for a biannual professional development workshop centered in racial equity as part of an ongoing commitment to advance racial equity in this model. Here are a few recommendations they shared for home visiting professionals:

• Carefully choose literature and materials for home visits that portray multiple cultures and match family values. Home visiting professionals hold great power in selecting materials that allow families to celebrate who they are, including cultural norms, skin color, hair texture and so much more!
• Biases shape our worldview. Identify, unpack and address internal and external biases to ensure the highest-quality and most inclusive services to families.
• Support families in speaking their home language. Speaking to children in their home language is a powerful factor in building and retaining secure parent-child attachments.

Approaching Difficult Conversations. Many families are weighed down by stress and anxiety during this complex period of uncertainty. NEAR@Home’s lead facilitator, Quen Zorrah is an expert at approaching difficult conversations with parents, especially during times of trauma. Her blog powerfully highlights how home visitors can repair interactions with families utilizing strategies that lead to authentic and trusting relationships.

Looking for more on respectfully and effectively addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with families? Visit our Near@Home page for additional publications and resources from our experts.

________________________________________________________________________
Visit us at Start Early Washington to learn more about our work.
You can also find us on Twitter @StartEarlyWa.

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

With George Washington’s Birthday upcoming on Feb. 22, I looked into why our state is named after our country’s first President and learned we were almost named something else. What was the other potential name?

Highlights of the Week

Burning the Midnight Oil. Both the Senate and the House put in long hours of Floor action to meet Tuesday’s deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin. The House went into the early morning hours of Saturday and Sunday and then pulled an all-nighter Monday into Tuesday before adjourning for a few hours of rest after 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

As you can imagine, when legislators and staff are under tremendous pressure to get through a lengthy list of bills, all on little sleep, tempers can flare. Before the Senate adjourned Saturday, Feb. 12, President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, Senate Majority Floor Leader Jamie Pedersen closed Floor action with this appropriate Abraham Lincoln quote, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”

Revenue Forecast. On Feb. 16, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council received an updated revenue report from the State’s Economist, Dr. Steve Lerch. Washington’s economy continues to be strong with revenues once again exceeding projections. From Nov. 11, 2021 to Feb. 10, 2022, for example, the state’s revenues were $452 million (or 5.9%) above the November forecast. The major takeaway from the presentation is that the state currently has an approximate $15 billion surplus as a result of new revenue, reserves and one-time federal funding.

On the upside, Washington continues to add new jobs, new COVID-19 cases are declining and retail sales and real estate remain robust, driving the increased revenue. On the downside, high inflation is problematic, worker absence due to illness increased during the Omicron outbreak and supply chain challenges persist.

Notably, this growth is expected to slow after this year and both Senate Ways and Means Chair Christine Rolfes and House Appropriations Chair Timm Ormsby noted this projected slowdown in their remarks, stressing the importance of caution in their budgeting. They both recognized the current surplus is larger than expected and will necessitate adjustments in their budgets. They also cautioned that because they budget over four years, and uncertainty exists in these out-years, particularly due to inflation, they have to use care in making long-term investments. Representative Ormsby also highlighted the need to stabilize the workforce among the state’s service vendors and identified increasing reimbursement rates as a strategy to achieve that goal.

These revenue numbers will be used to inform the Senate and House Operating budgets which will be released, likely early next week.

Caseload Forecast. The Caseload Forecast Council met Friday following the release of Start Early Washington’s last update. In addition to the revenue forecast, the caseload forecast is important information used to finalize the budgets. This forecast looks at expected demand for services such as Medicaid, corrections and K-12. Drops in caseload create savings, and increases create demand for additional investment.

The caseload forecast included updated projections for ECEAP and Working Connections Child Care:

• ECEAP. For State Fiscal Year 2022 (ending June 30, 2022), the Forecast Council projects a caseload of 11,465, which is down 382 children, or 3.2%. For state Fiscal Year 2023 (ending June 30, 2023), they expect caseload will remain as projected at 14,890.
• Working Connections. For State Fiscal Year 2022, the council projects a caseload of 20,750, down 852 families, or 3.9%. For State Fiscal Year 2023, they project a caseload of 26,104, down 783 families, or 2.9%.

For both programs, COVID-19 creates the greatest uncertainty to the forecast. Questions impacting the caseload include whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be available for young children and how future outbreaks will be contained. Additionally, for ECEAP, the current caseload is below 2019-2020 levels and for Working Connections, COVID-19 has led to reduced entries and increased exits of children from the program.

Legislative Updates

As the legislative session continues to advance, the number of bills still “alive” continues to decline after each cutoff. For example, Representative Klippert’s SHB 2082 relating to a statewide assessment of child care access for families of children with developmental delays or disabilities is considered “dead” because it was not passed out of the House by the Feb. 15 cutoff.

After days (and nights!) of lengthy floor sessions, attention returned to committee activity bright and early on Feb. 16, with the next cutoff for bills to be passed out of the opposite house policy committee quickly approaching Feb. 24. With the fiscal committee cutoff for bills in the opposite chamber following on Feb. 28, expect marathon policy and fiscal committees over the next 10 days to meet the deadlines.

Also, check out Start Early Washington’s bill tracker at the top of our Start Early Washington State Resources page for the latest information.

What’s Up Next?

Back to Budgets. With the caseload and revenue forecast releases, the House and Senate are expected to release their respective operating budgets by early next week. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has a Monday, 4 p.m. public hearing scheduled to receive feedback on their budget. The House Appropriations Committee has a Monday, 3:30 p.m. public hearing on the books. The actual release of both budgets is unknown as of this writing. Stay tuned for a summary after the release of the budgets, capturing all the major highlights.

While the Operating budget often receives much of the attention, the Legislature frequently passes three budgets – Operating, Capital and Transportation. The Senate released its proposed Capital budget this week. We will include more detail in the addendum to be released after the Operating budgets come out, but we can flag that the Senate Capital budget contains funding for early learning facilities. Specifically, it includes $31.5 million from a mix of one-time federal funding and state bonds for early learning facility grants ($25.3 million for competitive grants and $6.2 million for designated projects) as well as $18.5 million in one-time federal funding for minor renovation grants. Notably, this was a bipartisan Capital budget, with the two Democratic and two Republican leads listed as sponsors. As of this writing, the House Capital budget has not been released.

And, as noted in our last update, the proposed Transportation budget was released last week. The revenue bill, which outlines the funding sources for the transportation proposal, was the final bill debated in the Senate before the 5 p.m. house of origin cutoff. As one would expect, a hearty debate ensued, including a request for a ruling from the Senate President about the bill’s title. In the end, the revenue bill passed 29-20.

Photo Credit: Erica Hallock (Feb. 8, 2022)

Trivia!

Senator John Lovick (D-44th District, Mill Creek), the first Black man to serve in the State Senate since former Senator George Flemming in 1991, passed his first Senate bill Feb. 2. What was the bill’s subject?

Highlights of the Week

Fiscal Cutoff. Monday was the deadline for bills to pass out of their respective fiscal committee. Both the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committee finished up just before 9 p.m. that day. The Senate Ways and Means Committee had the longer agenda with 73 bills scheduled for executive session, and the House Appropriations Committee had just 30 bills in executive session and 5 bills on their public hearing schedule.

Part of the reason the House Appropriations Committee took about the same time for a much shorter agenda was the time spent debating two bills – one to extend collective bargaining to legislative staff and another related to creating “middle housing” near transit and in areas typically dedicated to single-family housing. These lengthy debates provided a bit of a preview of bills that will take a lot of time when they get to the Floor.

“Semi In-Person” Floor Action. After the fiscal cutoff on Monday, action quickly pivoted to Floor activity with the deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin of Feb. 15. This phase in the process coincided with the decision to allow more legislators to return to in-person Floor activity. The Senate now allows up to 30 members on the Floor, after a negative COVID-19 test, and the House increased the number of their members in-person to 20, requiring that all in-person legislators be vaccinated, boosted and masked.

Right as the Senate was beginning an intense period of Floor activity, Lt. Governor (and Senate President) Denny Heck announced a breakthrough COVID-19 case. Fortunately, Lt. Governor Heck is asymptomatic, and Senator Lovick, having served as Speaker Pro Tem during his time in the House of Representatives, smoothly transitioned and presided over much of the Senate Floor activity.

Transportation Budget Released. On Tuesday, Senate and House Democrats released a $16.8 billion transportation package titled “Move Ahead Washington.” You may ask, why I am including an update about a Transportation Budget in a newsletter focused on early learning? There are a few reasons. First, everything in Olympia is interrelated and actions in one area influence others. But the main reason I am including this here is because this Transportation Budget assumes a transfer of $2 billion from the Operating Budget, an unusual move.

A couple of other takeaways – the proposed Transportation Budget does not include a gas tax increase, contains a number of initiatives focused on active transportation (e.g., Safe Routes to Schools) and transit (e.g., free public transit for all youth). Of course, the proposal includes a number of infrastructure investments throughout the state – a chicken in every pot approach.

Legislative Updates

What’s Still Moving? Be sure to check out Start Early Washington’s Bill Tracker on our State Policy Resources page for the latest information on bills. After the fiscal cutoff earlier this week, many early learning related bills are “dead”. A few bills still moving include:

2SSB 5793 – Compensation for Lived Experience. The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved 2SSB 5793 Monday which seeks to provide authority and structure for compensating people with lived experience, who are not otherwise compensated for their participation, to participate in state workgroups, advisory groups, etc. up to $200 a day. The committee approved a substitute bill by making the following additions/clarifications:

• Directs the Director of the Office of Financial Management to decide “reasonable allowances” for child and adult care reimbursement for individuals attending meetings or doing work approved by the chair;
• Requires state agencies to minimize the impacts of stipends and reimbursement on public assistance benefits to the greatest extent possible;
• Extends the provisions to advisory groups to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and
• Authorizes for lodging and travel reimbursement when an individual is attending a meeting or official duties approved by the chair if the agency decides participation is desirable to implement principles of equity.

The bill passed off the Senate Floor on a 31-18 vote Feb. 10.

 SHB 2082 – Child Care Access. SHB 2082 directs the Department of Children, Youth and Families to conduct a statewide assessment of child care access for families of children with developmental delays or disabilities, to better understand the availability, affordability and accessibility of care that meets the needs of families. This assessment should then inform recommendations that are due by June 30, 2023. It is now on the House floor awaiting consideration.

SSB 5838 – Diaper Subsidy. SSB 5838 would provide a diaper subsidy for families participating in TANF. The House companion, SHB 1947, did not advance past cutoff, so the Senate bill will be the vehicle. The bill passed the Senate Floor on a 48-1 vote Feb. 10.

2SHB 1890 – Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup. 2SHB 1890 would create a strategic plan advisory group under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup. It would also allow for stipends of up to $200 per day for workgroup members with lived experience. The bill passed out of the House on a 87-7 vote Feb. 10 and is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care Feb. 15 at 8 a.m.

What’s Up Next?

Timing for Remainder of Session. Short sessions always move quickly, and the next 27 days will move particularly fast. Following is an outline of key dates ahead:

Feb. 15 – deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin (e.g., House bills pass out of the House and Senate bills pass out of the Senate)

Feb. 16 – State Revenue Forecast (this information will inform budgets)

Feb. 24 – deadline for bills to pass out of policy committees of the opposite house

Feb. 28 – deadline for bills to pass out of fiscal committees of the opposite house

March 4 – deadline for bills to pass out of the opposite house

March 10 – Sine Die (Adjournment)

March 11 – Breathe!

Early Learning Facilities Funding Opportunity. On Feb. 28 from 12:30 – 2 p.m., the Department of Commerce will host a webinar providing information about a new round of Early Learning Facilities Funding designed to support minor renovations and small capital purchases. Please note programs do not need to add capacity to qualify for this round of funding. REGISTER NOW.

Photo credit: Erica Hallock

Trivia!

Who was the first Black woman elected to the Washington State Legislature?

Highlights of the Week

Paid Family and Medical Leave. In a Jan. 18 work session to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Employment Security Department staff provided an overview of cash-flow challenges facing the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

Funded by a combination of employer and employee contributions, the program began January 2020, providing 12 weeks paid time off to bond with a new child or address a serious medical condition of a worker or worker’s family member. To date, more than 37% of applications have been for bonding with a new child; just over 50% for addressing an individual’s medical condition; and 12% for caring for a family member with a serious medical condition.

The program launched right before COVID-19 hit and applications have far exceeded projections, creating a fund deficit beginning as early as March or April 2022. At this time, it is unclear the extent to which the pandemic spiked demand and how projections may need to be adjusted going forward.

For now, budget writers are being briefed on the issue to ensure they allocate sufficient funding to keep the Fund solvent and allow for the continuation of paid leave. Current estimates range from a budget shortfall of $110 million to $405 million.

Fair Start for Kids Act Work Session. On Feb. 2, the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee held a work session that led with an overview of the implementation of the Fair Start for Kids Act to date.

DCYF Assistant Secretary Nicole Rose delivered the agency’s presentation, which included data points updated from a similar work session held in the House Children, Youth and Families Committee last month. Updated information included:

• Child Care Stabilization Grants. As of Jan. 31, DCYF approved 4,872 stabilization grants, representing nearly $288.5 million to stabilize the child care sector.
• ECEAP Expansion. Funding is available for 750 expansion slots in the 2022-23 school year. DCYF received applications totaling 1,358 slots, with the requests breaking down as follows: 214 part-day, 948 school-day and 196 working-day.
• Working Connections Child Care Expansions. After income eligibility rose to 60% of State Median Income Oct. 1 and co-payment amounts dropped, DCYF estimates 2300 new families will be eligible. Roughly 300 families have enrolled to date.
• Home Visiting Expansion. DCYF received $2.6 million in requests from 14 programs for $1.3 million in available funding.
• Early Learning Facilities Fund. More than 140 applications were received totaling $73 million, far exceeding the $22 million included in the Capital Budget.

Assistant Secretary Rose emphasized the workforce challenges facing all sectors of early learning. Staffing limitations in early learning are exacerbated by chronically low compensation and the spread of the Omicron variant which is particularly impacting child care and ECEAP classrooms.

With regard to ECEAP, Assistant Secretary Rose noted the higher demand for school and work-day slots compared to part-day slots. She noted that programs requested to return/convert about 300 part-day slots due to low demand. Senator Claire Wilson reiterated that part-day slots meet very few families’ needs, and this reality should be considered in expansion planning.

WSIPP Study on ECEAP. The Washington State Institute of Public Policy (WSIPP) released a January 2022 evaluation of ECEAP and its impact on kindergarten readiness for part- and school-day enrollees. This evaluation resulted from 2019 legislation which required WSIPP to look at ECEAP dosage models (e.g., the comparative impacts of part-day and school-day programs).

Start Early Washington’s Jess Galvez wrote the following summary of the evaluation. Thanks, Jess!

The evaluation examines the relationship between school-day and part-day ECAEP model enrollment and child outcomes. Overall, children exposed to more hours of high-quality early learning programs are more likely to be kindergarten-ready than children attending part-day classes. Specifically, WSIPP notes, … “children in school-day [models] are 15% more likely (on average) to achieve proficiency in all six WaKIDS domains, relative to children attending part-day [models].”

Further, the report’s main analysis indicates a positive relationship between school-day enrollment and kindergarten readiness for non-Hispanic children. However, additional subgroup analyses suggest a significant relationship between school-day enrollment and kindergarten readiness for non-Hispanic BIPOC and white children.

Legislative Updates

The short, 60-day legislative sessions are truly a sprint with one cut-off (deadline) quickly followed by another. Thursday, we saw policy committee cut-off, the deadline for bills to pass out of policy committees. This then pivots to focus on fiscal committees with fiscal committee cut-off scheduled for Monday, Feb. 7. We will see marathon meetings of the Senate Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees prior to that Monday deadline. This includes an anticipated full day of Saturday meetings.

Following the fiscal committee cut-off, attention will shift to Floor activity in both chambers, with the deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin by Feb. 15. Legislative leaders are watching the COVID-19 caseload numbers closely, and we may see more legislators in-person for Floor activity during this period.

New Length for the Legislative Session? At times, bills are introduced that make me think lawmakers want to ensure we are paying attention. On Jan. 31, Reps. Volz and Walsh introduced HB 2109 which would change the timing of legislative sessions in odd-numbered years from 105 days to ONE (1) day. I assume this bill is intended to make a statement.

Updated Bill Tracker. Don’t forget, Start Early Washington’s bill tracker is available on our website. Because bills are never really “dead” until Sine Die, we created a separate section of the chart for bills that did not advance by the deadlines – in case they get a second life in the process.

Another photo from the author on a foggy morning walk

Trivia!

Which state agency is currently housed at the “Old Capitol Building” in Olympia?

Highlights of the Week

Takeaways from Legislative Leadership Remarks. Each week, Democratic and Republican legislative leadership holds media “availabilities” (think press conference) where legislative leadership provides updates on the activities of the week and answers questions from the press. In this week’s media availability, as well as a presentation to the Spokane Chamber of Commerce (Greater Spokane Incorporated), Democratic leadership stressed that the state’s current revenue surplus of over $10 billion represents a lot of one-time revenue and cautioned that investing too much of this one-time funding into ongoing commitments would create budget pressure in the out-years when that one-time funding is no longer available. Democratic leaders also highlighted their priority to further economic recovery for all state residents.

In their media availability, Republican leadership also highlighted similar challenges – and this is where the philosophical differences come into play. Republican leaders are calling for tax relief while Democratic leaders are calling for investments in areas such as housing, small businesses and supports for students in the K-12 system (think more school nurses, counselors, etc.).

During the Greater Spokane Incorporated event, Speaker Jinkins shared that if the COVID-19 numbers continue to decline, she hopes and expects legislators to be back on campus for in-person Floor action (assuming under the protocols adopted prior to the Omicron spike which would call for rolling cohorts of legislators on the House Floor). It is good to remember Speaker Jinkins works in public health, so public health recommendations will guide any decision to resume work in-person. I did not hear Senate leadership address the question as it relates to their plans, but assume the two bodies are coordinating and consulting with each other.

Long-Term Care Implementation Delay. With action Tuesday in the Senate Ways and Means Committee and Wednesday evening on the Senate Floor, the Senate was on a fast track to pass a bill that will delay implementation of the state’s new Long-Term Care program (WA Cares) for 18 months. Governor Inslee signed the bill on Thursday.

Bill Updates

It was a busy week in Policy Committees with a mix of Public Hearings and Executive Sessions (votes). Start Early Washington’s bill tracker is published every Thursday during the legislative session on the top of our Start Early Washington State Resources page. Please note that we expect frequent changes to the schedule over the next 10 or so days, so it is a good idea to refer to the Legislature’s official bill information page for the most up-to-date information.

Representative Jesse Johnson and his son Elijah at the HB 1947 bill hearing

HB 1947 (Diaper assistance for families participating in TANF). W.C Fields famously said “Never work with animals or children” because they are scene-stealing and unpredictable. This adage played out Friday in the hearing on HB 1947 in the House Committee on Housing, Human Services and Veterans when the bill’s prime sponsors, Representatives Noel Frame and Jesse Johnson, brought their adorable, scene-stealing children to help make the case about the need to support families with the expense of diapers. That bill is scheduled for an Executive Session Jan. 28.

A companion bill in the Senate (SB 5838) was also heard in the Senate Committee on Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee Jan. 21, and voted out of that committee Jan. 27. A representative from the Nurse-Family Partnership program testified from the perspective of a home visitor about the pressure the expense of diapers places on families with young children.

HB 1843 (Child Care Licensing). On Jan. 26, the House Children, Youth and Families Committee heard Representative Eslick’s HB 1843 which would change child care licensing ratios to increase the maximum group size for both preschool and school-age children by one child. This would move the maximum group size for preschoolers from 20 to 21 (with a ratio no less than 1:11) and the size for school-age children from 30 to 31 (with a ratio no less than 1:16).

Both the Department of Children, Youth and Families and Schools Out Washington testified in opposition to the proposal as currently written. Concerns expressed included the potential for negative safety impacts on children, additional workload for staff and moving the ratios from rule – which provides DCYF with flexibility to grant exemptions – to statute, which would remove flexibility to respond to individual circumstances.

HB 1843 has not been scheduled for a vote as of this writing.

SHB 1872 (Care Worker Center). On Jan. 26, the House Committee on College & Workforce Development approved Substitute House Bill 1872. The bill would establish a care worker center to elevate care sectors (including people who work with children, the elderly, people with disabilities) in the workforce to increase retention and recruitment and promote the value and different employment options of a care worker.

As reported in our update from last week, the bill includes child care workers in this effort. Child care advocates who testified stressed the importance of increased compensation. The Substitute Bill aims to address this compelling need and expands the definition to refer to early learning, rather than solely child care. The Substitute bill also provides more detail on the structure and responsibilities of the proposed care worker center. The next step for this bill would be a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5793 (Stipends for participation in state groups). Last Friday, the Senate Committee on State Government and Elections approved Substitute Senate Bill 5793 which looks to change current statute to allow for individuals with lived experience participating in state boards, commissions and other workgroups and advisory bodies to be compensated for their engagement. While there is widespread agreement on the bill’s goal, discussions are underway to work through the logistics of how to operationalize this goal and avoid unintended consequences. In short, the bill is still a work in progress.

SSB 5793 will be heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee Feb. 4.

What’s Up Next?

The first cutoff is next Thursday, Feb. 3, when bills need to be voted out of Policy Committees in their house of origin. Quickly thereafter, we will see fiscal committee cutoff on Monday, Feb. 7.

The short timeframe between the two cutoff dates means there will likely be a full day of hearings Saturday, Feb. 5 in the Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations Committees to get through the volume of bills referred to both committees prior to fiscal cutoff.

An unusually large number of bills were introduced in this short session – I believe the number now tops 1,000. These proposals each generate a workload for those engaged in the legislative process. For example, work for the code revisors office in writing the bills and amendments; work for committee staff in scheduling and preparing analyses; and work for the bill sponsors in negotiating amendments with stakeholders. These cutoff dates will hopefully provide a reprieve as the process naturally provides a filter, winnowing down the number of bills under consideration.

Similar to the English language, there is always an exception to every legislative rule and one exception I point out every year is that bills deemed “Necessary to Implement the Budget” are not subject to these cutoff deadlines. Bills “Necessary to Implement the Budget” still must go through each step of the process (no Chutes or Ladders tricks here), but the only deadline they are subjected to is Sine Die (adjournment).

Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee Work Session. On Feb. 2 at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 will hold a work session that looks at supports for children and families. It will include an update on implementation of the Fair Start for Kids Act as well as Family Engagement strategies. Look for a summary and links to relevant documents in next week’s update.

HB 2068 Action. A Public Hearing and Executive Session are scheduled for Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 on HB 2068, the measure to create the Imagination Library of Washington, building on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library which provides free books to young children.

Speaking of Dolly Parton, I was turned on to the podcast “Dolly Parton’s America” that digs into her career history and the real stories behind her amazing music. I’m only a couple of episodes in, but it is a fascinating look at an inspiring woman.

Photo snapped by the author on a morning walk Jan. 18, 2022.

Trivia!

Why is the sundial in the middle of the Capitol campus referred to as the “Territorial Sundial?”

Highlights of the Week

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Friends and family are often surprised to hear I work on federal holidays such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day.  While most government-related entities close on federal holidays, the Washington State Legislature meets on both days since they occur during the scheduled legislative session.

The Senate and House of Representatives honored Dr. King on his birthday, with both bodies passing resolutions (SR 8634 and HR 4635) during floor sessions dedicated to Dr. King, his legacy and his call for action (Senate Floor Session Honoring Dr. King and House Floor Session).

Long-Term Care Delay.  Much attention has been paid to the implementation of the Washington Cares Fund, the state’s long-term care program created by 2019 legislation and funded by a new payroll tax.  A number of logistical (and philosophical) concerns arose as roll-out drew near, and Governor Inslee and legislative leadership agreed to introduce and support legislation that would delay implementation to give time to work out these details.

This 18-month proposed delay is on the fast track, with the House voting the bill off their Floor Wednesday and, according to Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig during a media briefing this week, the Senate should do the same by the end of next week.

Early Learning Action

Joint Work Session on Transitional Kindergarten.  Friday, Jan. 14, the House Children, Youth and Families and Education Committees held a work session looking at Transitional Kindergarten services and the alignment with other early learning services. Prior to hearing from community providers about their experiences, staff from both committees provided an overview of various early learning opportunities available to our youngest learners.

Following remarks from providers in various corners of the state, representatives of the Department of Children, Youth and Families and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction gave a presentation on their joint efforts to integrate early learning services for 3- and 4-year olds. Of note, DCYF and OSPI have a Phase 2 report Integrated Early Learning due Sept. 1, 2022 and they are also partnering on coordinated recruitment and enrollment.

According to materials shared during the hearing, Transitional Kindergarten:

• Is an early entrance to Kindergarten.
• Serves children who are age 4 by Aug. 31 without access to high-quality early learning experiences prior to Kindergarten, or who have been deemed, through a screening process and/or other instrument(s), to need additional preparation to be successful in Kindergarten in the following year.
• Programs must start before Jan. 31 and have 27 hours and 45 minutes of weekly instruction.
• Has the same requirements as Kindergarten: staffed by certified teachers and paraprofessionals; developmentally appropriate learning environment that addresses the whole child; and administration of WaKIDS.
• Funding is provided through state prototypical school formulas for Kindergarten students. Statewide, Kindergarten students generate, on average, approximately $11,379 in the 2021-22 school year, but that amount can vary based on regionalization or other factors.
• Current funding is $3 million a year. However, caseloads are projected to expand with a total of $11.8 million projected in spending for the 2021-2022 school year. The Governor’s budget for fiscal year 2023 includes $12.6 million.
• Enrollment of 820 students in 35 districts during the 2020-21 school year (note this was during COVID).

New Bill for Dolly. It was a quiet week for introduction of early learning related bills, but on Dolly Parton’s birthday, Representatives Stonier and Abbarno introduced HB 2068 which would bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to families throughout Washington state. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides no-cost books to young children.

Key Hearings

HB 1872 (Senn and Slatter). Wednesday, the House College and Workforce Development Committee held a public hearing on HB 1872 which would establish a care worker center to elevate care sectors as a respected sector of the workforce, increase retention and recruitment and promote the value and different employment options of a care worker. The bill calls out three caregiving professions: child care, long-term care and personal care attendants for people with disabilities.

A number of child care advocates testified on the bill, stressing the importance of increasing compensation for the child care workforce and urging that compensation measures in this bill be tied to the Child Care Collaborative Task Force’s Cost of Quality work. The bill is scheduled for Executive Session in the House College & Workforce Development Committee Jan. 26.

HB 1890 (Callan). Heard in the House Children, Youth and Families Committee Monday and voted out Thursday, HB 1890 brings forward recommendations from the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup, including a call for the development of a strategic plan and inclusion of compensation of up to $200 a day for individuals with lived experience participating in the workgroup or its advisory bodies. The Committee heard from a range of testifiers speaking to the need to accelerate behavioral health efforts for children and youth as well as the importance of including (and compensating) people with lived experience in policy development. The bill now moves to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SB 5793 (C. Wilson). SB 5793 looks to change current statute to allow for individuals with lived experience participating in state boards, commissions and other workgroups and advisory bodies to be compensated for their engagement. It received a groundswell of support in a Wednesday public hearing in the Senate State Government & Elections Committee and is scheduled for Executive Session (vote) Friday morning – about the time this update hits your inbox.

As a reminder, Start Early Washington’s Resource Page contains a bill tracker with the latest information on bills we are following.

What’s Up Next?

The pace of introduced bills slowed dramatically this week. This is expected because the first deadline (called “cutoff”) is just under two weeks away on Feb. 3 for bills to be voted out of policy committees. Next week, expect full committee hearing schedules as well as the Senate’s focus on the long-term care program delay bills. The House Children, Youth and Families Committee will hold hearings on bills related to the composition of the Department of Children, Youth and Families Oversight Board as well as a bill (HB 1843) which would adjust licensing requirements for child care centers and outdoor early learning programs.

Trivia!

In Olympia lingo, what is an “X file?”

Highlights of Week One

In a mostly virtual format, the Legislature kicked off its 60-day legislative session Monday. They wasted no time getting down to bill hearings and work sessions. However, the traditional “first day of school” vibes were not felt given nearly all lawmakers, staff and lobbyists were working remotely.

Tuesday, Governor Inslee provided his State of the State address in an empty State Reception Room rather than to a joint session of the Legislature. In his remarks, Governor Inslee urged lawmakers to focus on the urgent crises facing the state, including housing, transportation, the needs of our students and poverty reduction.

Fiscal Committee Hearings. Early in the week, the budget committees held public hearings where more than 100 interested parties in each hearing urged budget writers to include their top issue (fully funded of course) in the final adopted supplemental budget. Testifiers were limited to one minute and, even with that limitation, both hearings ran over two and a half hours. Throughout both hearings, a common theme was around stress within the workforce, particularly in the health and human services arena. Low compensation and fatigue – fatigue exacerbated by nearly two years of a pandemic – were discussed frequently.

In both hearings, David Schumacher, the Governor’s Budget Director, provided an overview of Governor Inslee’s proposed $62 billion budget. Schumacher stressed that with the many urgent needs facing the state, this is not a typical supplemental budget in that it proposes a number of significant investments when most supplemental budgets include tweaks and minor increases. Schumacher cited increased federal funding (most of which is one-time), continued growth in state revenue, declining caseloads in some areas as well as continued uncertainty with the pandemic as factors that influenced budget decisions.

Legislative budget writers will weigh the Governor’s proposal, the testimony received, individual legislative requests and more up-to-date revenue numbers that will come out mid-February and work to craft a final budget before Sine Die March 10.

Work Sessions. Often in the first week or two of the legislative session, committees will hold “work sessions.” In these work sessions, speakers are invited to educate committee members on various issues instead of advocating for the passage of specific bills.

Wednesday, the House Children, Youth and Families Committee held a work session on Fair Start for Kids Act implementation. Nicole Rose, Assistant Secretary for Early Learning and Allison Krutsinger, Director of the Office of Government Affairs and Community Engagement presented for DCYF. They spoke from this PowerPoint which includes a lot of rich data and information. Following are some highlights:

• As of Dec. 31, 2021, nearly $260 million in child care stabilization grants were awarded to 4,319 providers.
• For the state Fiscal Year 2022 ECEAP expansion, DCYF received applications for 1,358 slots.
• For the Early Learning Facilities grant program, more than 140 applicants requested $73 million for projects. Only $22 million in funding was available.
• For home visiting expansion, 7 programs received funding to serve 185 more families with applications for expansion far exceeding available funding.

Following the DCYF presentation, DeeAnn Puffert, CEO of Child Care Aware, updated the committee on implementation from Child Care Aware’s unique perspective as the operator of the statewide call center. Puffert provided a number of examples of families positively impacted by the benefits of the Fair Start for Kids Act, highlighting one family’s joy and relief in learning their child care costs would be reduced by $18,000 a year with the reduction in co-payments.

Finally, the committee heard from two child care providers – Laura Murphey and Jennifer Kelty – who spoke of their on-the-ground experience as providers. They discussed the challenges of navigating providing child care with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the need for continued investment to stabilize the industry.

Bills, Bills – and more Bills!

It has been a flurry with lawmakers introducing a lot of bills. I check the bill introductions each night and, although there are fewer early learning bills per se, there are a number of bills of interest. Visit Start Early Washington’s resources page to view the latest list of bills we are tracking.

It is important to note that not every bill introduced will receive a hearing, and there are many steps before a bill becomes a law. We will do our best to keep you updated on relevant bills.

Here are some bills that jumped out to me that are a little outside of traditional early learning, but related:

HB 1872 (Senn and Slatter). Establishes a care worker center with the purpose of elevating care sectors as a respected sector of the workforce, increasing retention and recruitment and promoting the value and different employment options of a care worker. The bill calls out three caregiving professions: child care, long-term care and personal care attendants for people with disabilities.

HB 1881 (Harris-Talley and Entenman). Creates a voluntary certification process for birth doulas. The bill specifies that doulas do not need to be certified to continue to practice. It also calls for the joint creation of competency-based requirements with community partners who advance equitable access to improve perinatal outcomes and care through holistic services for black and brown communities.

HB 1890 (Callan). Brings forward recommendations from the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup, including a call for the development of a strategic plan and inclusion of compensation of up to $200 a day for individuals with lived experience participating in the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup or its advisory bodies.

HB 1947 (Frame). Provides a monthly diaper subsidy for parents or caregivers of children under age 3 participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

SB 5793 (Wilson). Provides the ability for state boards, commissions, councils, committees and other similar groups to provide stipends for community members with lived experience engaging in such entities.

What’s Ahead?

With the first big cutoff quickly approaching Feb. 3 for bills to be voted out of policy committees, the next 2.5 weeks will focus on policy committee hearings.

Of the bills listed above, the following are scheduled for Public Hearings next week:

• HB 1872 is scheduled in the House College and Workforce Development Committee Jan. 19 at 8:00 a.m.
• HB 1890 is scheduled for a Public Hearing in the House Children, Youth and Families Committee Jan. 17 at 1:30 p.m. and for an Executive Session (vote) Jan. 20 at 10:00 a.m.
• HB 1947 will receive a Public Hearing Jan. 21 at 10:00 a.m. in the House Housing, Human Services and Veterans Committee.
• Finally, SB 5793 is scheduled for a Public Hearing in the Senate Government and Elections Committee on Jan. 19 at 8:00 a.m. and for an Executive Session (vote) Jan. 21 at 10:30 a.m.

In short, the next 2.5 weeks will involve a lot of watching TVW – and waiting for bills of interest to be heard.

How Can I Make My Voice Heard?

If you are interested in following a bill, you can sign up to receive email notifications. That option is on the right side of each bill information page. (I included the doula certification bill as an example). Once you sign up for notifications, you will be notified when there has been activity on the bill.

When a bill has been scheduled for a hearing, you can sign up to provide oral testimony, written testimony or make your position noted for the record. To do this, go to the committee sign-up page. You then identify which chamber the bill is to be heard and click down for the committee and date of the hearing. From there, you click on the agenda item and can sign up. The committee sign-up page also has detailed information.

Events to Promote Racial Equity Dialogues

As we approach the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the National Day of Racial Healing, here are just a couple opportunities to take action and reflect:

• Jan. 18, 12:00 p.m. – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is hosting an annual observation of the National Day of Racial Healing. Join the conversation to share values and create a blueprint for healing from the effects of racism. “Launched on Jan. 17, 2017, it is an opportunity to bring ALL people together in their common humanity and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.”
• Jan. 19, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. – The United Way of King County is hosting a virtual conversation about advancing racial equity with the author of “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America,” Clint Smith and a dynamic panel of experts.