The Illinois Policy Team at Start Early is pleased to release our annual Illinois Legislative Agenda, a snapshot of the budget requests and legislative priorities for which Start Early will be advocating during the spring 2022 legislative session in the state.

With the new legislative session underway, our team is focused on moving forward funding requests and legislation that will support families and providers across our early childhood system.

Our goals for the year include:

• Securing additional funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant at the Illinois State Board of Education and voluntary home visiting programs, the Early Intervention (EI) program, and the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) at the Illinois Department of Human Services
• Codifying existing timeline for the initiation of EI services
• Expanding eligibility to CCAP and EI for kids involved in the child welfare system
• Passing legislation to create paid family leave program, among other priorities

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.

Earlier today, Governor J.B. Pritzker introduced his administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023) budget framework, which includes a welcome increase of 10% in state funding for preschool, evidence-based home visiting services and center-based infant-toddler programs funded by the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Unfortunately, the budget proposal maintains current funding levels for other key early childhood programs, like Early Intervention (EI), the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and IDHS-funded home visiting programs. A more holistic approach to funding early childhood is needed to ensure the state can address the many disparities currently experienced by expecting families and those with young children based on factors like race, income and geography.

“To have the early childhood system our youngest learners deserve, Illinois must approve meaningful increases in state funding every year for the core programs and services families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers need,” Ireta Gasner, Start Early vice president of Illinois policy, said. “We thank Governor Pritzker for his thoughtful education budget, and look forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly to increase funding for the remaining key early childhood programs by 10%, particularly those operated by the Department of Human Services.”

Start Early believes we must build an early care and education system that provides young children and their families with high-quality educational and child development services and supports, beginning prenatally. Only with annual funding increases will we have a system that is resourced to improve the earliest days of a new baby’s life, to ensure young children with disabilities and developmental delays receive the supports they need to thrive, and to provide quality care to families facing considerable challenges.

Despite the notable appropriations approved annually by the General Assembly, early childhood services in Illinois remain woefully underfunded and programs face a critical workforce shortage, fueled heavily by low wages. The final report published by the Pritzker administration’s Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding states the problem plainly: billions of additional dollars in state and federal funds will be needed over time. The state must make a meaningful down-payment in FY 2023 to build toward a system that serves all children and their families effectively – from birth through kindergarten entry.

Today’s budget proposal comes on the heels of many praiseworthy actions taken by the Pritzker administration over the past two years to support early childhood programs during the global pandemic. Without initiatives like the Child Care Restorations Grants, the Child Care Workforce Bonus and the new Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grants, the state’s early childhood system may have crumbled. That said, these short-term programs funded with federal relief dollars do not translate to the kinds of permanent, systemic improvements the state so desperately needs.

Start Early is eager to partner with the legislature and the administration to build the early care and education system that works for every child in Illinois.

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.

Trivia

What is the average annual snowfall in Olympia?

Welcome!

Today marks the return of Start Early Washington’s weekly “Notes From Olympia.” Our weekly newsletter aims to deliver the latest updates on activity in Olympia to your inbox every Friday morning. If you have suggestions for items to cover, we would love to hear!

Additionally, we linked our bill tracker at the top of our resources page so you can follow the progress of bills that impact the state budget and early learning. Look for the updated link at the top of the page each Thursday. Tracking bills will be a feature of our weekly “Notes From Olympia.”

What Will the 2022 Legislative Session Look Like?

I will dispense with any attempt at a witty saying or cliché about uncertainty because I think we are all over them!

Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases statewide, both the Senate and House of Representatives recently adjusted their operational plans to begin their work in a largely virtual fashion. All committee hearings will be virtual and, initially, only a limited number of legislators and staff will be in-person for floor sessions. There will be no in-person meetings on the Capitol campus.

After two weeks, both bodies intend to revisit these plans and potentially make adjustments based on public health guidance. These adjustments could include increasing the number of legislators present for floor sessions and allowing a limited number of members of the public in the Senate and House galleries.

Week One Committee Activity

The short, 60-day sessions run at a frenetic pace, with public hearings on legislation starting the first day. With the first cutoff for bills to get out of policy committees rapidly approaching on Feb. 3, there is no easing in!

For early learning, we expect a relatively lighter year given the passage of the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021 and the systemwide work underway to implement this historic measure. There will, of course, be legislation and budget items related to early learning, but we do not expect legislation of the magnitude of the Fair Start for Kids Act.

Speaking of Fair Start for Kids, the House Children, Youth and Families is holding a work session on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 8 a.m. focusing on Fair Start for Kids implementation. We will provide a summary in next week’s “Notes From Olympia.”

The legislative session will kick off with a focus on the supplemental budget as the House Appropriations Committee on Monday, Jan. 10 and the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 11 dedicate committee time to the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget. Both hearings will begin with a presentation by David Schumacher, the Governor’s Director of the Office of Financial Management, who will outline the Governor’s proposed budget, followed by an opportunity for the public to respond to what was included (or more importantly, not included) in the Governor’s budget.

The fiscal committees are scheduled at the end of the day as they often exceed the usual two-hour committee block and these initial hearings typically run into the night. These budget hearings are interesting for many reasons, including giving good insight into what other budget items are “in play” for the session.

Resources

With legislative session starting on Monday, here are some handy resources to help track bills, hearings, amendments and other developments:

Washington State Legislative Website. The #1 go-to for all legislative information. This is where you can read the latest bills; sign up to testify; find the legislative calendar; look up legislative committee schedule; and much more.

TVW.org. With much of the legislative activity virtual, TVW becomes all the more important, airing all legislative hearings and floor sessions live. If you miss something, you can go back and catch it in their archives. TVW also produces a number of documentaries and informative shows, including Inside Olympia and The Impact. TVW’s website was updated over interim to make it more user friendly – check it out!

Holiday Trivia!

On a quick trip to Olympia earlier this week, I was able to walk through a deserted Legislative building and snap these pictures of three beautifully lit holiday trees. This got me thinking about the history of celebrating the holiday season in our state’s Capitol.

When was the first holiday tree lighting ceremony in the Washington State Capitol building?

Release of Governor Inslee’s Supplemental Budget

With the passage of the sweeping Fair Start for Kids Act in the 2021 legislative session, the focus in early learning is on implementing the various aspects of the new law. As a result, the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget, as expected, does not include many proposals related to early learning.

The supplemental budget proposed the following:

• Working Connections Child Care Co-Pay Waiver Adjustment ($9.5 million). This funding would backfill co-pays that were waived from July through September 2021.
• ECEAP Slot Conversion ($9.327 million). This funding would support the conversion of some part-day ECEAP slots to school and full-day converting a total of 2,077 slots: 1,765 from part-day to school-day and 312 from part-day to full-day.
• Summer ECEAP ($5.970 million). This funding would support nearly nine weeks of ECEAP services in the summer, leveraging 2,212 school-day slots on 2 tracks; 2,011 full-day, in-person slots; and 201 wraparound slots.
• ECEAP Quality Supply Rate ($1.268 million). This funding would support the continuation of an enhanced rate for ECEAP providers to provide child and family assessments and have access to research-based curriculum and professional development.
• Background Check Fees ($1.267 million). This funding would cover application and processing fees for child care providers, thereby reducing the time it takes to complete a background check by 3-5 days.
• Mental Health Consultation ($260,000). This funding would support two tribal mental health consultants.
• Lived Experience Work ($955,000). Within the Department of Social and Health Services budget summary, the Governor lays out his proposal to better include and compensate individuals with lived experience in budget and policy decisions. This funding would include a technical advisory group, funding for the Office of Equity on best practices to engage communities when creating equitable policies as well as for stipends for individuals participating in boards, commissions, workgroups, etc.

Overall, Governor Inslee’s nearly $62 billion supplemental budget proposes almost $3 billion more in spending than the biennial budget passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor this spring. In his press conference remarks, Governor Inslee stressed the state’s need to respond with urgency to its many challenges, including housing, climate, behavioral health, COVID-19 and poverty. The Governor resisted calls to issue tax cuts and proposed investing $600 million of the budget surplus into the state’s rainy day fund.

With the Governor’s proposed budget release, activity now shifts to the legislative arena. Expect both the Senate Ways and Means and the House Appropriations Committees to hold public hearings during the first week of the legislative session to hear feedback on the Governor’s proposals.

Detailed budget documents and high-level overviews are on the Governor’s Office of Financial Management website.

2022 Legislative Session Logistics

Before we know it, the 2022 legislative session will be upon us. The short, sixty-day session kicks off Monday, Jan. 10 and will conclude (fingers crossed!) March 10.

The Senate and House of Representatives have each announced different approaches for operation during the 2022 legislative session.

In short :

• Both Senate and House committee hearings will continue to be virtual.
•  In the Senate, floor sessions will be in person for all members and a small number of staff (after confirmation of a negative rapid test each day of floor session).
• Given that the House has twice the number of members as the Senate, their floor sessions will be in person for a rotating cohort of vaccinated legislators.
• In both bodies, a limited number of members of the public may view the activity from the galleries, with specified safety measures in place.
• Senators are encouraged to continue to hold meetings remotely, but will be permitted to hold in-person meetings in their offices for three members of the public, if they choose.
• House members will continue to hold all meetings with the public virtually with no in-person option on the Capitol campus.
• Legislative staff are encouraged to continue to work remotely.

It is important to recognize these operating plans are all subject to change depending on how the session proceeds and the status of COVID-19 infections.

Bill Introductions

Pre-Filed Bills. Lawmakers have begun pre-filing bills in advance of the Jan. 10 legislative session start date. A look through the pre-filed bill list illustrates the myriad of issues legislators consider throughout the legislative session – ranging from Senator Wellman’s SB 5537 which would lower the age for compulsory K-12 education to children ages five, six and seven to Representative Walen’s HB 1615 which addresses the sale of cosmetics tested on animals.

The volume of introduced legislation can be a lot to wade through, so Start Early WA will be producing and sharing a bill tracker weekly on our website on bills related to child and family issues. We will also include a link in future issues of this newsletter to keep you up to date on the status of key early learning and related bills.

Redistricting Updates

Our Nov. 19 Notes From Olympia provided an update on the state’s Redistricting Commission narrowly missing the Nov. 15 deadline to adopt final Congressional and legislative maps to send to the Legislature for approval. Our state’s Constitution provides that when the Redistricting Commission fails to meet the Nov. 15 deadline, the responsibility falls to the state Supreme Court to finalize proposed plans.

Instead of undertaking the process of redrawing political boundaries themselves, the Supreme Court instead announced Dec. 3 they would accept the Redistricting Commission’s work and submit their proposal to the Legislature for approval.

Crosscut’s Melissa Santos continues to be my “go to” reporter on these complex developments and her Dec. 3 piece provides a great summary of the Supreme Court’s actions and the ramifications.

The drama is far from over; judicial challenges over the process and whether the final maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act are in play.

It is interesting to check out the final maps as some districts saw significant changes. For example, my district moved BACK to the district we were moved FROM during the last redistricting. It will be interesting to see if my neighbors are aware of this change during our next election. During the last election after redistricting, people were promoting candidates who were no longer our representatives! It is confusing.

By Mina Hong and Carrie Gillispie

Amid all the disruption to in-person learning due to the pandemic, it’s time to focus on children with disabilities, which account for 1.2 million young children birth through five. Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), first enacted in 1975, inclusive early care and education (ECE) programs, where children with disabilities learn alongside children without disabilities, is integrated in the federal special education law. Inclusive education has many benefits for all children, regardless of disability status. In fact, inclusion is so essential to child development that it is integrated in federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirement, IDEA calls for young children with developmental delays and disabilities to receive special education and related services alongside typically developing peers in all settings. For young children, LRE includes school-based preschool and community-based settings like Head Start and child care; yet, far too few children with disabilities have had access to these high-quality inclusive options.

Now, Congress has the power to change that with the Build Back Better Act (BBB) and increased IDEA funding in the federal Fiscal Year 2022 (FFY2022) budget. By leveraging these federal investments, states can revolutionize ECE to be truly inclusive and equitable for our nation’s youngest learners with delays and disabilities.

BBB combined with anticipated IDEA funding increases in FFY2022 provides a historic opportunity to expand full inclusion across early childhood settings. BBB significantly invests in expanding equitable access to ECE for families who have been historically underserved — families with lower incomes, families of color, and families of young children with disabilities. Though BBB prioritizes enrollment of young children with delays and disabilities in ECE programs, additional dedicated funding in BBB to support their inclusion is not explicitly defined. Therefore, it is paramount that these expanded early learning opportunities are directed to underserved children with delays and disabilities – particularly children of color – in school and community-based settings that best meet families’ and children’s needs. The anticipated funding increase in the FFY2022 budget will further support the delivery of early intervention, special education and related services to young children under IDEA Part C and IDEA Part B 619. Together, BBB and the IDEA funding proposed in FFY2022 can support the expansion of full inclusion across high quality ECE in all settings.

Despite best efforts, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) face barriers to providing inclusive community-based services outside of school district classrooms including limited guidance, budgetary constraints, and workforce shortages. LEA leaders have expressed the need for guidance and examples of effective service delivery and staffing models to support inclusive special education and related services to all children residing in their districts across ECE settings. Unfortunately, the children who are disproportionately impacted by this are young children from families with lower income, particularly families of color. This group of children are often forced to attend both their community-based program and a school-based program to receive special education services, resulting in multiple bus rides and transitions in a single day. Some families even forego critical special education services to avoid these transitions. Additionally, the workforce crisis that has plagued the early childhood field has led to a staff shortage, which is also acutely felt by the early childhood special education field. While BBB includes provisions to boost compensation for the ECE workforce, funding is also needed to attract and retain special educators. Coupling BBB and FFY2022 funding can support LEAs and their ECE partners as they create equitable systems to ensure programs have the financial resources, workforce capacity, and clear federal guidance needed to support equitable inclusion.

Given this, it is paramount that the U.S. Senate pass the Build Back Better Act in a timely manner while Congress approves the FFY2022 budget with the IDEA Part C and Part B 619 funding increases. Once passed, the federal government should provide clear guidance on how states and communities will ensure children receive special education and related services in all settings. And states, communities, and LEAs should plan how they will collaborate to equitably support young children with disabilities in early childhood settings expanded through new federal dollars. Here’s how:

• Clearly delineating in state plans the ways in which state and local policies and practices will operationalize equitable access and quality in ECE for young children with disabilities and developmental delays across settings. Specifically, plans should prioritize families with low incomes, dual language learners, and from other underserved populations as defined in BBB.
• Prioritizing inclusion in mixed delivery settings, including giving all educators access to resources on high-quality inclusion practices and giving LEAs clear guidance and sufficient funding to do so. This also includes professional development and systems of support for educators to reduce the suspension and expulsion of young children with disabilities and children of color.
• Providing equitable and accessible pathways to obtaining early childhood special education qualifications in order to strengthen the workforce; providing service scholarships and loan forgiveness programs for special education trainees to increase incentives to enter the profession; and most importantly, providing adequate compensation for the entire ECE workforce including special education teachers.
• Collecting and publicly reporting data on district- and program-level adherence to LRE across early childhood settings and disciplinary data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, family income level, gender, dual language learner status, and disability category under IDEA.

Young children with disabilities have always faced systemic barriers to the strong start they deserve. Now is the time for Congress, states, LEAs, and communities to each do their part and collaborate, so that young children with delays and disabilities can access the equitable and inclusive services and supports they need and deserve.

With contributions by Karen Berman, Katie Fisher and Amanda Schwartz

Start Early is pleased to announce Yvette Sanchez Fuentes as Vice President of National Policy. In her role, Yvette will lead the organization’s national strategy to advance both the Start Early and Educare Learning Network policy agendas and strengthen partnerships with peer organizations and federal agency staff.

Yvette is a nationally recognized early childhood expert and advocate for children and families who has been influential engaging groups to drive effective policy and practice change at the local, regional and national level,” says Kristin Bernhard, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at Start Early.

Yvette has dedicated her professional career to understanding how policy, research and implementation impact lifelong outcomes for young children and their families struggling with adversities, including low-income families, migrant and seasonal farm workers, immigrant communities, American Indian and Alaska Natives, and dual language learners.

Most recently, Yvette served as the Associate Secretary for the Delaware Department of Education and her extensive work in the field includes former positions as deputy chief for policy and research at Child Care Aware of America and president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Families. As the director of the federal Office of Head Start within the Department of Health and Human Services, she led the agency in shepherding in sweeping reforms including the release of the Head Start Roadmap, the creation and rollout of the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework, the design and implementation of the designation renewal system and launched a pilot program that allowed grantees spending flexibility for creating programs for children ages birth to 5 that led to the implementation of the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP). She began her career at Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, Inc. where she managed the family child care initiative in the migrant and seasonal Head Start program.

“Yvette’s depth and breadth of experience will undoubtedly shape and catalyze the National Policy Team’s work working closely with partners to advance the Start Early Policy Agenda and the Educare 5 policy priorities. We are thrilled to have Yvette at Start Early and in supporting the Educare Learning Network in centering equity, parent and provider voice, and research evidence in policy solutions,” Bernhard concludes.

Follow Yvette on Twitter (@ysanchezfuentes) or LinkedIn.