In the last two years, Washington began requiring childcare workers to maintain minimum education standards to be licensed. A childcare worker must have a minimum of 20 hours of early childhood education plus 10 hours per year of continuing education. Center directors must have at least a two-year degree in early childhood education. In the magazine's August 1999 issue, it rated Washington as one of the 10 best states for childcare. The magazine rates each state in the categories of quality, safety, availability, and commitment.
Safety includes inspections, playground surfaces, adult supervision, and hand-washing practices.
Commitment focuses on new initiatives generated by the state. Washington scored top marks in all areas except safety, where the state got an average grade. The magazine noted that Washington had introduced new initiatives to improve childcare standards. Other top states in the survey were California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Labor's push for child care Organized labor has long held an interest in both ends of the childcare picture.