Governor signs legislation to provide regulatory relief for child care industry
CONTACT: Kurt Hammond, Senior Public Information Officer for Rep. Tom Dent | 360-786-7794
Hanna Scott, Public Information Officer for Rep. Carolyn Eslick | 360-968-3938
Governor signs legislation to provide regulatory relief for child care industry
Legislation to help address Washington state’s child care crisis has been signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
House Bill 1648 will extend qualification timelines for providers, recognizing experience-based competency, and removing unnecessary barriers that push skilled professionals out of the workforce.
Rep. Tom Dent, who has been working with the child care providers for several years, sponsored the legislation.
“The child care industry has made it clear that burdensome rules and regulations are a major reason behind the workforce shortage and the crisis we’re seeing in child care across Washington state,” said Rep. Dent, R-Moses Lake. “This legislation gives providers more time to meet qualification requirements and recognizes that hands-on experience in the field should count toward education standards.”
House Bill 1648:
- Extends the timeline for child care providers to complete staff qualification requirements to at least August 1, 2030.
- Provides that five years of cumulative work experience in licensed child care qualifies as a demonstration of experience-based competency in fulfilling staff qualification requirements.
- Requires the DCYF to convene a stakeholder group to assist in identifying strategies to improve staff qualification requirements and verification processes and report to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2026.
“This change is great news for our child care operations,” said Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, who co-sponsored the bill. “It will ensure we can have enough qualified staff to keep facilities running and stabilize capacity while we work on a more permanent solution to address the child care crisis in Washington state. I am proud to have worked with Tom on this critical policy for our families.”
A Department of Commerce report shows 63 percent of children under age five live in a child care desert, which means they do not have access to a nearby child care provider.
According to a recent study, the average annual cost of infant care in Washington is $1,723 per month, the 7th-highest in the U.S.
“Affordable and quality child care is tough to find in Washington state, especially in rural communities. This is just one of the barriers we need to address to keep our child care facilities open,” Dent added.
The bill takes effect on July 27, 2025.
