Families and child care providers can tell you first-hand about the child care crisis in this state. Sustainable communities offer affordable care that also compensates providers with a living wage, providing more stability for working families and for employers. But the looming possibility of state and federal budget reductions may imperil the child care and early learning system. The Child Care Action Council (CCAC) says that’s why it’s critical to advocate now at the State Legislature. And the CCAC provides many ways for parents of young children, and others, to get involved in the legislative process in Olympia.
“The child care crisis is real,” says Policy and Advocacy Manager April Messenger.
“At the State Capitol, child care is a bipartisan issue,” she adds. “And legislators on both sides of the aisle don’t want to cut early learning. But when we are looking at an all-cuts budget, it can be an ugly waiting game.”
Child Care Action Council Identifies Legislative Issues to Include Accessible Affordable Care and Living Wages for Providers
A 2024 ECOnorthwest study reports that high-quality child care is critical. However, the study says, “Washington falls far short of this ideal – the state ranks as the 11th least affordable state for child care, child care workers struggle with low pay and difficult working conditions, and providers struggle with high turnover and recruitment challenges.”
The Child Care Action Council joined with Child Care for Washington, a campaign of parents, providers, businesses, and organizations, to advocate for fixing the issues causing the crisis, like these.
- Boost Provider Rates and Access to Affordable Child Care. Advocates seek to maintain the Fair Start for Kids Act promise in the state operating budget. That 2021 act provided scheduled increases to provider rates and for expanding eligibility to the state’s child care subsidy program from 60% to 75% of state median income. But with state budget shortfalls and competing priorities, the act might not be funded this year. “The legislature is looking at pausing these increases,” says Messenger.
Increased provider rates are also provided in Senate Bill 5500/House Bill 1350. This bill would modernize rates to reflect the actual costs of providing high quality child care more accurately for the Working Connections Child Care program. “Right now, subsidy rates are based on an outdated version, of market rates,” says Messenger. “The cost of quality care should be established at a rate that provides resources needed to pay living wages to staff and offer benefits like health care and sick time. The impact this bill has will be great.” In addition, House Bill 1865 would expand access for small business employees.
- Increase and Improve Facilities and Capacity. House Bill 1314/Senate Bill 5297 would expand the Early Learning Facilities program and create an emergency fund to address repairs. “This bill would make it possible for eligible providers to increase capacity, and make facility fixes such as when a pipe breaks,” explains Messenger. This bill also would increase the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program capacity for 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers.
For more 2025 legislative agenda details, see the campaign webpage.
Why Child Care Action Council Says Advocating to Support Child Care and Early Learning Matters
The crisis impacts everyone from families who search for affordable care so they can go to work or school, to employers hiring and retaining good employees. Pew Research Center 2024 data documents that many families spend a “sizeable share” of their income on child care, particularly families with lower incomes. This reality also means families have fewer resources for other expenditures. “Without child care, we don’t have an economy,” says Messenger. “We have lost $6 billion in state revenue due to the loss of child care.”
The CCAC is dedicated to changing that in Washington State. “Our long-term goal is for families to pay 7% of their income for child care,” says Messenger. “And we want to increase rates for providers so they can make a living.”
How to Get Involved in the Child Care Action Council’s Advocacy
The Child Care Action Council’s advocacy webpage explains how to get involved, including through a QR code linked to a survey gathering stories from Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, Clallam, and Grays Harbor counties’ residents. These stories can provide legislators with real-life impacts of lack of affordable child care and inadequate provider reimbursements.
The CCAC organizes cohorts of parents and providers and provides them advocacy and media training, community forums, lawmaker meetings and monthly gatherings. “We talk about how we can all work together,” says Messenger. The CCAC partners with the Association for Washington Business, Thurston County Economic Development Council and employers to seek support on these issues impacting their employees and companies.
To learn more, visit the Child Care Action Council website, or contact Messenger at April.Messenger@ccacwa.org to be placed on an email distribution list of weekly legislative updates.
Child Care Action Council
3729 Griffin Lane SE, Olympia
360.786.8907
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