Washington 4th in Nation for Child Care Oversight

For Immediate Release: March 1, 2007

OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire and Department of Early Learning Director Jone Bosworth today responded to a report from the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) that ranks Washington fourth in the nation for state child care center licensing and oversight activities.

�There is a fundamental need to provide our children with a quality early education to ensure they are ready to learn by the time they reach kindergarten, setting them up for success for the rest of their life,� said Governor Gregoire. �It is exciting to see national recognition for the work we are doing in Washington, however, we know more must be done to strengthen oversight and raise our standards even higher.�

�This report reinforces why Governor Gregoire�s early learning initiatives are so important. Investing in quality early childhood education offers real hope for our children, and state, and our future. This includes working collaboratively with parents and providers in a negotiated rulemaking process to bring even greater clarity and common sense to our child care regulations,� said Director Bosworth.

To establish the ranking, NACCRRA scored states on nine standards for childcare centers and five elements of their oversight system. Only the U.S. Department of Defense and the states of New York and Illinois ranked higher.

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