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Witnesses back SB 5297 to ease matching rules, add emergency grants for early learning facilities
Summary
Stakeholders, including Start Early Washington and childcare developers, told the Senate committee that Senate Bill 5297 would reduce barriers to facility projects by waiving match requirements for applicants in financial hardship and by establishing emergency grants; Commerce staff described likely startup costs in a fiscal note.
Wendy Brown, staff to the Senate committee, opened the public hearing with a staff report on Senate Bill 5297, which would change the Early Learning Facilities (ELF) Grant and Loan Program administered by the Department of Commerce.
"The Department of Commerce administers the Early Learning Facilities Program, which provides grants and loans to eligible organizations and school districts to plan, renovate, purchase and construct early learning facilities," Brown said. She summarized the bill's main changes: removing match requirements for applicants experiencing financial hardship, encouraging Commerce to leverage private and public matching funds when feasible, prohibiting Commerce from considering the level of project match when selecting projects for funding, expanding project eligibility for slot conversions, adding tribal compact schools as eligible recipients, and establishing an emergency grant…
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