This bill reenacts and amends several existing early learning statutes (RCW 43.216.505, 43.216.556, 43.216.802, and 43.216.810) to change program definitions, phase in full implementation of the statewide early learning program, and change eligibility and procedural rules for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program. It is a statutory amendment and implementation schedule change rather than the creation of a new criminal offense or penalty change. Key changes include a phased full statewide implementation of the early learning program by the 2030-31 school year; revised definitions used across specified early learning RCW sections (including definitions for “eligible child,” “family with financial need,” and related terms); WCCC income eligibility set at or below 60% of state median income for current eligibility, expanded to households above 60% and at or below 75% beginning July 1, 2029, and further expanded to households above 75% and at or below 85% beginning July 1, 2031 subject to appropriations. The bill allows applicants enrolled in a state registered apprenticeship program to receive WCCC benefits for their first 12 months of enrollment if household income meets the specified threshold (75% initially, with a possible increase to 85% on July 1, 2031 if funds are appropriated), requires the department to adopt a copayment model aligned with RCW 43.216.804, requires the department beginning November 1, 2024 to treat applicants who are in assistance units receiving basic food benefits as meeting income eligibility, and prohibits considering a child’s citizenship status when determining WCCC eligibility. It also specifies that “family with financial need” is set at 36% of state median income until the 2034-35 school year and rises to 50% beginning in 2034-35. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, with Section 2 effective August 1, 2034 and Sections 4 and 6 effective July 1, 2026. The text repeatedly refers to “the department” without naming which state department is responsible. The bill does not include specific funding amounts, detailed copayment levels, the exact income phase-out rules, or a definition of “state median income adjusted for family size”; full effect will require the referenced RCW texts and the administrative rules the department is directed to adopt.

If enacted, more children and families will become eligible for state early learning and child care supports over time, with the statewide early learning program phased in fully by the 2030–31 school year and Working Connections Child Care income eligibility expanding from the current cutoff at 60% of state median income to include households up to 75% in July 2029 and potentially up to 85% in July 2031 if the legislature provides money. Apprenticeship participants will be able to get child care benefits for their first 12 months if their household income is under the new thresholds, and anyone in a household receiving basic food benefits (SNAP or state food assistance) will be treated as meeting the income test beginning November 1, 2024; the department is also barred from considering a child’s citizenship when determining eligibility. These changes will likely increase demand for slots, reduce eligibility barriers for lowand moderate-income families, and shift more families into subsidized care over the next several years. State agencies, school districts, and approved early learning contractors will need to adopt new contracting, funding distribution, and rulemaking practices, create an aligned copayment model, and manage income phase-outs and expanded enrollments; however, the law does not specify dollar amounts, exact copayment rates, which department is responsible by name, or the detailed rules for phase-outs and the definition of “state median income,” so the timing, budget impact, and precise benefit levels beyond the stated dates remain uncertain and will depend on later appropriations and rulemaking.