(1) The department must expend moneys from the early learning facilities revolving account: (a) To provide state matching funds for early learning facilities grants or loans to provide classrooms necessary for children to participate in the early childhood education and assistance program and working connections child care; and (b) for emergency grants for eligible organizations as identified in this chapter.
(2) The department must expend moneys from the early learning facilities development account for early learning facilities grants to provide classrooms necessary for children to participate in the early childhood education and assistance program and working connections child care.
(3) Funds expended from the accounts as specified in subsections (1) and (2) of this section may fund projects only for:
(a) Eligible organizations identified in RCW
43.31.575;
(b) School districts; and
(c) Tribal compact schools.
(4) The department shall:
(a) In consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, implement and administer the early learning facilities grant and loan program for school districts and tribal compact schools as described in RCW
43.31.579(3) and
43.31.581(1); and
(b) Contract with one or more nongovernmental private-public partnerships that are certified by the community development financial institutions fund to: (i) Implement and administer grants and loans funded through the early learning facilities revolving account or for a grant funded through the early learning facilities development account, for eligible organizations; and (ii) subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, award and administer emergency project grants on an ongoing basis to eligible organizations.
(A) Emergency projects are projects that are made necessary by a natural disaster or another immediate health or safety threat resulting from unforeseen circumstances. Emergency projects may include the construction, repair, reconstruction, replacement, rehabilitation, or other improvements to early learning facilities that are necessary to restore a safe and healthy early learning environment, preserve existing capacity, or to mitigate situations that obstruct children's access to early learning.
(B) The grant administrator must adopt policies and procedures to ensure that funding from emergency grants does not duplicate payments resulting from insurance proceeds or other payment from any other source. The grant administrator may receive administrative costs associated with conducting application processes, managing contracts, and providing technical assistance for emergency project grants.
(5) Any nongovernmental private-public partnership that is certified by the community development financial institutions fund that is seeking early learning fund resources must demonstrate an ability to raise funding from private and other public entities for early learning facilities construction projects.
(6) The department may allow the application of an eligible organization for a grant or loan from the early learning facilities revolving account or for a grant from the early learning facilities development account created in RCW
43.31.569 to be considered without the involvement of the nongovernmental private-public partnership that is certified by the community development financial institutions fund if a nongovernmental private-public partnership certified by the community development financial institutions fund is not reasonably available to the location of the proposed facility or if the eligible organization has sufficient ability and capacity to proceed with a project absent the involvement of a nongovernmental private-public partnership that is certified by the community development financial institutions fund.
(7) The department shall monitor performance of the early learning facilities grant and loan program. Any nongovernmental private-public partnership that is certified by the community development financial institutions fund receiving state funds for purposes of this section and RCW
43.31.577 and
43.31.579, shall provide reports by July 1st of each year, to the department. The reports must include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) A list of projects funded through the early learning facilities grant and loan program for eligible organizations to include:
(i) Name;
(ii) Location;
(iii) Grant or loan amount;
(iv) Private match amount;
(v) Public match amount;
(vi) Number of early learners served; and
(vii) Other elements as required by the department;
(b) A demonstration of sufficient investment of private match funds; and
(c) A description of how the projects met the criteria described in RCW
43.31.581.
