Proposed changes to child care provider qualifications spark debate in Washington
By Alexandra Coenjaerts
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SPOKANE, Wash. (KXLY) — The legal qualifications for child care providers in Washington could change soon. Lawmakers are proposing changing the requirements to work as a child care provider to address what they call a ‘child care desert’.
The Nest Community School says while it faces many regulations, changing qualifications for teachers feels like a move in the wrong direction.
“We don’t need to stop the regulation that’s keeping children safe and keeping educators accountable,” said Chelsea Inman, the director of the Nest Community School.
House Bill 1648 increases the time a child care worker has to meet qualifications and what the education one needs to do to get them.
“What that’s going to mean in the long run is delegitimizing and professionalizing the early education sector,” Inman said.
For others, strict regulations have been a barrier.
Shug Villella, the director of the Southeast Day Care Center, feels the many regulations are a burden that makes it hard to stay fully staffed.
“I’ve been trying to hire somebody just recently,” Villella said. “Yeah, you can find workers and if you do, they’re not people who have the education that is desired.”
For Villella, removing some of these regulations could help with the struggles her facility is facing. For others, it feels as an easy out that’s ignoring the root cause of the issue.
“The problem is, or the solution is, to invest funds and there are a lot of pathways for teachers to be able to get their education,” said Inman.
HB 1648 has already made its way through the House and is currently going through the Senate. If passed, it’s would go to the Governor Bob Ferguson desk to be signed into law.
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