OLYMPIA, Wash. — Childcare advocates in Washington are voicing concerns over proposed funding cuts in Governor Bob Ferguson’s new budget plan. They warn that the cuts could impact thousands of families.
A coalition of 14 organizations claims the proposed budget could cause 14,000 low-income families to lose access to childcare. They argue that reductions would dismantle support systems and strain an already struggling sector, especially if the Working Connections subsidy gets capped.
Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations for Child Care Aware of Washington, expressed concern about potential consequences for childcare providers.
“That’s a significant cut and is really going to force a lot of providers to stop serving children on subsidy, or jack up the prices for their private-pay parents who already are struggling to afford child care,” said Stokes.
The budget proposal includes a 50% cut to professional development funding for childcare providers. Stokes noted this would disproportionately affect women, who dominate the field, hindering career advancement and lowering care quality.
Stokes explained that the state’s economy already loses an estimated $6 billion annually due to parents missing work because of childcare issues. This affects parents’ ability to work full-time or accept promotions.
“Child care is how your nurses get to their jobs. It’s how construction workers get to their building sites. It’s how your farmworkers are able to get onto the fields,” said Stokes.
Stokes also claimed that the proposed cuts would hit an industry already strained by federal cuts to Medicaid and other public service programs, as well as federal immigration policies. She noted that more than a quarter of early childhood educators are immigrants, with about 40% relying on public assistance.
