(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the department shall allow licensed child care providers until August 1, 2030, to demonstrate experience-based competency as an alternative means to comply with child care licensing rules that require a provider to hold an early childhood education initial, short, or state certificate, when the provider has all of the following documented in the department's electronic workforce registry:
(a) Active employment in a position that requires an early childhood education initial, short, or state certificate;
(b) Employment in a licensed or certified child care center or licensed family home provider without a break in service since August 1, 2021, as of July 27, 2025, or a cumulative five years of employment in a licensed or certified child care center or licensed family home provider; and
(c) Completion of and maintained compliance with all health and safety and child care or school-age care basics training required by the department.
(2) Nothing in this section prohibits the department from establishing more restrictive requirements for providers serving the early childhood education and assistance program including, but not limited to, excluding experience-based competency as an alternative means to fulfill staff qualification requirements, nor does it prohibit the department from excluding experience-based competency from the calculation of early achievers professional development points.
Findings — Intent — 2025 c 281: "(1) The legislature finds that the COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on all people, but had a particularly dramatic impact on child care and the child care industry. Many child care facilities closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and providers left the child care field. It became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic how critical child care is to the success of every industry as parents need child care to work.
(2) The legislature further finds that because of the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the child care industry, the plans of many child care providers to receive education were put on hold as efforts were focused on addressing the immediate needs of child care providers and families. Additionally, the current market-based funding model results in wages so low that affording college tuition is often impossible for child care providers. The limited availability of college courses in multiple languages and the scarcity of early childhood education college programs further hinders access to required training and certification. Similar to the mixed delivery system of early learning, child care providers should also have access to a mix of pathways to meet staff qualification requirements.
(3) For those reasons, the legislature intends to delay the requirement for child care providers to meet certification and training qualification conditions and honor the experience of child care providers by extending the timeline for licensed child care providers to demonstrate experience-based competency. Extending these timelines will support child care providers in their professional journey." [ 2025 c 281 s 1 .]
Stakeholder group — Early learning and school-age staff qualifications — 2025 c 281: "(1) The department of children, youth, and families shall convene a stakeholder group to assist the department in identifying strategies to improve early learning and school-age staff qualification requirements and verification processes including, but not limited to:
(a) Identifying measures to streamline and clarify relevant administrative rules and department policies;
(b) Defining criteria and methods by which to honor equivalent out-of-state education and training; and
(c) Identifying options for offering the community-based training pathway in an online format.
(2) At a minimum, the stakeholder group must include:
(a) Family home and child care center providers, including at least one provider from a child care center that is part of a national chain or has 10 or more sites; and
(b) Representation from the following organizations:
(i) The statewide child care resource and referral network;
(ii) A community-based training organization that provides training to licensed family day care providers;
(iii) A statewide organization that represents the interests of family day care providers;
(iv) A statewide organization that represents the interests of licensed child day care centers;
(v) The statewide out-of-school time intermediary organization;
(vi) An organization that represents the interests of refugee and immigrant communities;
(vii) A bilingual child care provider whose first language is not English;
(viii) An organization that advocates for early learning;
(ix) An organization representing private and independent schools; and
(x) The state board for community and technical colleges.
(3) The department of children, youth, and families shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2026, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036 , on strategies identified by the stakeholder group and the department's plans and timelines under which to carry out those strategies.
(4) The department of children, youth, and families must convene the stakeholder group and produce the report as required in this section within existing resources.
(5) This section expires July 1, 2028." [ 2025 c 281 s 4 .]