Page 1159

extent practicable, at least 10 percent of each grant awarded to an 1 eligible child care provider must be used for compensation increases 2 to employees working at a provider's facility. The department must 3 make its best efforts to distribute 75 percent of the funding 4 provided in this subsection by January 1, 2022, with the remaining 25 5 percent distributed by June 30, 2022. To the extent practicable, the 6 department must prioritize: Providers in child care deserts; 7 providers serving or located in marginalized, low-income communities 8 or communities of color; and providers that help support racial 9 equity across the state. In processing applications, to the extent 10 practicable the department must also prioritize grant applications 11 that include funding for the following purposes: 12 (A) Rent or mortgage payments; 13 (B) Copayment or tuition waivers for families receiving care, 14 including refunds or credits to families who are not attending but 15 are paying tuition in order to maintain a child's spot in the 16 facility; 17 (C) Child care for historically disadvantaged populations; 18 (D) Child care during the summer months; 19 (E) Child care during nonstandard hours; 20 (F) Child care for school-age children; 21 (G) Outreach to families who may have stopped attending due to 22 cost; 23 (H) Mental health supports for children and employees; 24 (I) Broadband access for child care providers that care for 25 school-age children; and 26 (J) Personnel costs, including compensation, benefits, health 27 care premium pay, or paid leave. 28 (iv) $13,000,000 of the general fund—federal appropriation (ARPA) 29 is provided solely for the department to administer noncompetitive 30 workforce retention grants that will provide a one-time payment to 31 on-site workers at providers meeting the licensing requirements 32 outlined in (a) of this subsection (22) and who previously applied 33 for a child care stabilization grant. The one-time payments will be 34 the same amount for each worker. The department must make its best 35 effort to distribute the funding by October 31, 2022. 36 (b) Nothing in this subsection changes the department's 37 responsibility to collectively bargain over mandatory subjects 38 consistent with RCW 41.56.028(3) or limits the legislature's 39 authority to make programmatic modifications to licensed child care 40 p. 1158 ESSB 5187.SL