Bill > HB1649

This bill redesigns the community-based training pathway for licensed child care providers by addressing current limitations in the existing Provider Access to a Community Equivalent (PACE) program. The legislation recognizes that the current pathway is underutilized and overly complex, leading many participants to drop out. The bill directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to create a new training pathway modeled after the previously successful Building Bridges program, with several key requirements: the pathway must align with early learning professional competencies, be available in multiple languages, include culturally relevant practices, cost no more than $250 per person, and be accessible in both rural and urban settings, including online formats. The bill also extends the compliance deadline for child care providers to meet professional education requirements until at least August 1, 2035, or 10 years after full implementation of the new pathway. Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision allowing providers to demonstrate work experience-based competency after working in a licensed child care setting for at least three years, which does not need to be a continuous period, and removes the requirement for annual in-service training to prove such competency.

Education

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1649&Year=2025&Initiative=false