Senator Murray and state leaders outlined how her child care proposal will work with Washington state programs to make child care more affordable and accessible for families
ICYMI: Senator Murray’s Child Care Plan Would Increase Access to Child Care for Washington State Families, Lower Costs According to New Report – MORE HERE
***WATCH VIDEO OF THE EVENT HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former preschool teacher and Chair of the Senate education committee, held a press call with state leaders from Olympia on how her federal child care policy would build on Washington state’s Fair Start for Kids legislation to drastically cut child care costs for parents and make child care more accessible for everyone. Senator Murray was joined by state Senator Claire Wilson, the Senate sponsor of Fair Start for Kids; state Representative Tana Senn, the House sponsor of Fair Start for Kids; Lois Martin, Co-Chair of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Early Learning Advisory Council; and Mary Curry, a home-based child care provider.
“After years of banging on doors in the other Washington, trying to get my colleagues to talk about child care, COVID-19 has thrust this once silent epidemic to the center-stage—and now, my colleagues have been coming up to me saying, ‘Patty, child care is a big problem,’” said Senator Murray. “It’s finally clear we need child care and early learning systems that ensure: working families can find and afford child care, workers get the pay they deserve, and children can get a quality early education.”
“The state’s efforts here have put us on the right path, but it’s going to require a major federal investment—that bolsters what the state is doing—to meet the full scope of this crisis. And I’m pushing to get that done in the other Washington,” continued Senator Murray.
During the call, Senator Murray and the other speakers highlighted how her proposals included in the Build Back Better package, along with ongoing priorities in this year’s legislative session, would greatly benefit working families and child care providers in Washington—including offering parents the option of free pre-K for three-and-four-year olds, improving the quality and supply of child care for all children, and increasing pay for child care staff. Senator Murray hailed the work happening in the state to lower the cost of child care for working families, and emphasized her commitment to meet the needs of families and child care workers in Washington state and across the country.
“The future of our economy depends on meeting this critical need for children’s success throughout school and life with urgency,” said Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Federal Way). “By passing the Fair Start for Kids Act, Washington State took a leading role in making childcare more affordable and accessible. We’ve seen what good policy being matched at the state and federal level can do and we are counting on Congress to match that and pass Build Back Better.”
“Investing in child care is one of the best things we can do to improve our economy,” state Rep. Tana Senn said. “By making child care more affordable and accessible, we can help get parents back to work, reduce racial disparities in employment and education, and lower the cost of living for families. That’s why the Washington state Legislature passed the Fair Start for Kids Act, and it’s time for Congress to pass the Build Back Better bill.”
“Our country cannot afford to wait until children are in the K-12 system and think magical learning will happen. We must be intentional in providing students with the needed educational tools to be successful from the time they are born,” said Lois Martin, Co-Chair of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Early Learning Advisory Council. “In order to have a sustainable child care system, our country must implement Federal investment in children ages birth to 12 because learning begins before age three, provide funding to a mixed-delivery environment like homes, centers and schools, and support parent choice—without families having to jump through qualification hoops.”
“As the Family Childcare and Family Friends and Neighbor Chapter President, I want to say, COVID may have shined the light on childcare but the childcare crisis was already here,” said Mary Curry, SEIU 925 Child Care Chapter President from Tacoma. “FCC/FFN providers during the pandemic stayed open at the risk and health of our families, knowing that representatives Murray, Rep Sen and Sen Wilson kept our concerns near and dear to their action and policies. We support the build back better in tandem with the Fair Start Act as it helps family choice, and providers sustainability. Early Learning starts from birth and these legislative policies support all community members from the youngest learner through school age.”
Senator Murray’s child care and preschool policy proposals in the Build Back Better Act would dramatically lower child care costs for the vast majority of working families in Washington state and across the country, dramatically increase the number of child care providers in Washington state, raise child care workers’ wages, and offer parents the option of free pre-K for three-and-four-year olds. Under Murray’s proposal, no family of four in Washington state making less than $254,000 would spend more than 7% of their income toward child care, with many spending even less or nothing at all.
Right now, Washington state’s child care crisis is causing a massive financial strain on working families, forcing parents—and in particular, women—out of the workforce. With the average cost of center-based infant care in Washington state currently $1,390, families with infants would need to pay more than $16,000 per year on average to cover the cost of high-quality child care. Sixteen thousand dollars is 21% of the U.S. average income for a family of three. At the same time, many child care educators are struggling to make ends meet and staff retention is major challenge for child care providers.
In addition to making child care more affordable, Senator Murray’s plan would greatly increase the supply of child care in local communities. And even for families who can afford child care—too many can’t find it. More than 50% of Americans—and 60% of rural Americans—live in child care deserts, or communities with an inadequate supply of licensed child care—and this was before COVID-19 forced many providers to close their doors. Senator Murray’s child care proposal would invest in building up our child care supply so that every family has access to quality child care that they can afford.