First responders/child care

AN ACT Relating to incentivizing child care providers to care for 1
children of first responders through a pilot program that utilizes 2
state and nonstate resources; and adding a new section to chapter 3
43.31 RCW. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.31 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for 8
this specific purpose, the department shall establish a pilot program 9
to incentivize and make child care more accessible to first 10
responders. 11
(b) The department must award grants with funds appropriated to 12
local jurisdictions to provide incentive payments to licensed or 13
certified child care providers who care for children of first 14
responders. Incentive payments must be prioritized for licensed or 15
certified child care providers that offer child care during 16
nonstandard work hours, on short notice, and when a child has an 17
illness. 18
(2)(a) The department must select at least four local 19
jurisdictions, one in each of the north and south regions of 20
S-3438.2
SENATE BILL 6206
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Dhingra, Alvarado, Cortes, Harris, Hunt, Lovick, Nobles,
Saldaña, Shewmake, Valdez, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 6206
Washington state and on each side of the Cascade mountains to receive 1
state grants. 2
(b) Selected local jurisdictions must be able to provide a plan 3
of how they can equally match state grants for incentive payments 4
with nonstate resources. The plan may include future nonstate 5
resources, including revenue collected under RCW 82.14.345.6
(3) By November 1, 2029, the department shall submit a report, in 7
compliance with RCW 43.01.036, to the governor and appropriate 8
committees of the legislature that includes the outcomes of this 9
pilot program. At a minimum, the report must describe the impact on 10
recruitment of personnel, personnel retention, and discernable job 11
satisfaction, resulting from program benefits and accessibility.12
(4) For the purposes of this section the following definitions 13
apply: 14
(a) "First responders" means firefighters, law enforcement 15
officers, public safety telecommunicators, emergency medical 16
personnel, as licensed or certificated by this state, and human 17
service professionals that respond to emergency situations involving 18
behavioral health crises and people experiencing complex medical 19
needs including, but not limited to, social workers, behavioral 20
health clinicians, advanced practice registered nurses, registered 21
nurses, community health workers, and peer support specialists; and22
(b) "Licensed or certified child care providers" means child care 23
centers or family home providers as defined in RCW 43.216.010.24
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p. 2 SB 6206