Featured Archives - Child Care Aware WA

June 30, 2021

Child Care Providers & Families to Benefit from Fair Start for Kids Act

Washington State Governor Inslee signed the Fair Start for Kids Act May 7, 2021. This historic legislation strengthens Washington’s child care system by assisting families with young children and licensed child care programs. Families with young children and child care providers will begin seeing the benefits of the new law starting in July 2021. For example:

In July – September 2021, families using Working Connections Child Care subsidies will not have to pay child care copayments, thanks to the Fair Start for Kids Act. Then from Oct. 2021 through 2022, family copayments will be capped at $115 per month. Some families will pay less.
Starting July 2021, the state will increase the reimbursement rates it pays to child care providers who serve children on Working Connections Child Care subsidies.

To learn more about the benefits of the Fair Start for Kids Act, click here.

April 30, 2021

Child Care Aware of Washington Statement On President Biden’s Universal Preschool Plan

The early childhood investments included in President Biden’s American Families Plan have the potential to be transformative for America’s children, families and child care providers. The United States has long lagged other developed countries in our investments in families and children, particularly our youngest children. The American Families Plan has the potential to move us forward, at last.

In Washington State, our child care and early learning system has invested for years in a robust quality improvement program so that licensed child care programs deliver what many used to consider separate “preschool” services. In quality child care programs, play-based early learning happens every day, all day, so that parents and guardians can work while their youngest children are safe and learning in nurturing environments.

Child Care Aware of Washington urges the Biden administration to consider that traditional preschool that operates only a few hours per day will not meet the needs of a majority of American families, most of whom have all adults working. Working families need quality, reliable, full-day, year-round child care in their communities that emphasizes early childhood education and social-emotional learning.

We highly recommend that full-day, full year universal preschool options should be offered through the existing licensed child care system. In cases where programs also serve children ages 0 – 3 there should be additional investment so that families can find care for all children under the age of 5 in the same program. A free, universal system of care for preschool age children should not pull those children from existing child care programs to be cared for in a single preschool-focused system making it difficult for families with multiple children to get their care needs met in one place. Child care for infants and toddlers is more expensive to provide and is already the most difficult to find. Removing “preschool” to another system of delivery will further erode access to 0 – 3 care because preschool income frequently subsidizes 0 – 3 financial losses.

Additionally, many child care small businesses are owned and directed by women of color. These small businesses are often sources of essential support to working parents in their communities. Pulling preschool-aged children from these licensed programs to a new, free system would devastate these small businesses, causing unintended harm to a BiPOC economic sector that has already experienced a disproportionate share of economic losses due to the pandemic.

A majority of Washington’s child care programs have stayed open to provide care to frontline workers during the pandemic; we cannot leave them behind if a free universal preschool option results in moving the children they care for to another program. We welcome investments and actions that will allow America to increasingly become a country where all children and families are valued and provided with the opportunities that meet their real-life challenges of balancing work and family life.

April 21, 2021

Child Care Aware of Washington Statement on Verdict of Derek Chauvin Trial in George Floyd’s Murder

Yesterday’s announcement of a guilty verdict on all counts in the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd is the culmination of a year of racial reckoning in our country. A year filled with continued racist and, often violent, acts and events against Black people in our communities. Child Care Aware of Washington feels the impact, the call to action and the significance this trial’s verdict has for all of us and especially for the work we do. We believe it is essential that we pull together and truly listen and learn from communities of color and particularly the Black community who are targeted and exposed by these events.

As we move forward, Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA of WA) commits to find ways we can support and take action to address the impacts of racism with Washington’s children. We are committed to work with today’s young children and those who care for them to create spaces where children and their caregivers feel safe and their identities are fully embraced and celebrated. CCA of WA will provide support and coaching centered in our collective racial equity learning so that children and their caregivers have a clear understanding that racism is wrong and know how to address it. We will take action to systematically eradicate racism in our early learning spaces. We will do this by listening to those we serve so we understand how we can support and ensure the inclusion of the entire community during this time and always. At the core of our support is our desire and ability to build supportive relationships with families, caregivers, and child care providers who are helping children, especially children of color, navigate trauma from this racist incident, racially-driven police violence, and other racist acts. We have developed a list of resources as a start. Our goal is a world where racism is eradicated and we believe beginning with the early years will have significant impact.

While the verdict is a huge win in the moment, there is still much we need to do to address all the others who have paid the same price in the past and to ensure that justice for all becomes a reality. Our children deserve a better tomorrow. Today and on all days, we stand in solidarity.

“A reminder that victory would be George Floyd being alive. Every day Black Americans worry if they will be next is another day without justice.” ~Amanda Gorman

March 18, 2021

Child Care Aware of Washington Stands With Asian Communities

Child Care Aware of Washington stands with Asian communities and all families of color who face the long-lingering impacts of racism and police brutality. We remain committed to ensuring that all children and families, especially those who are furthest from opportunity because of systemic racism, have access to equitable, quality child care and early learning programs that lead to thriving families, caregivers, providers and communities.

Child Care Aware of Washington condemns the horrific murders in Atlanta, as well as recent anti-Asian hate crimes in our own communities and we are outraged that, once again, racism has led to deaths. The fact there has been such harm to Asian people, demonstrates once more that racism in all its forms must stop.

We condemn the racial hatred espoused by individuals and hate groups that too often use inexcusable violence. We oppose white supremacy in all its forms. Rhetoric that dehumanizes people is unacceptable always, and we abhor the violence too many people of color have experienced.

Read our equity statement here.

March 2, 2021

We Are Ready to Support WA’s Efforts to Vaccinate Child Care Providers

Child Care Aware of Washington is ready to support our state’s efforts to vaccinate Washington’s child care providers, most of whom have worked tirelessly since the onset of the pandemic to keep their doors open to serve children of essential workers and working parents. Since the pandemic began, we have been raising the needs of the provider community and implementing practical solutions to keep these essential programs operating safely. Today’s directive from President Biden gives us hope that our willingness to support efforts to ensure the vaccination of thousands of child care professionals will be tapped sooner rather than later. This support could include outreach to providers with clear communications about their vaccine options, offering spaces and support staffing for pop-up vaccination clinics and collaboration with partners who share the same goal – making sure Washington’s child care providers and the children and families they care for stay safe during these challenging times.

January 12, 2021

New Child Care Collaborative Task Force Report Outlines Multiple Options for Strengthening WA’s Child Care System

Washington’s lawmakers have numerous options to help strengthen our state’s child care system, according to a new report by the Child Care Collaborative Task Force. The options include financial relief for child care providers, support for working parents and ways to offer health insurance to providers who do not have it.

Child care has always been crucial to Washington’s economy, and now, as the arrival of new vaccines allow us to begin to recover from the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic, it is more important than ever. Yet the child care system in Washington and across the country has been particularly hard hit by COVID-19. Last year, up to 24% of licensed child care programs were closed. Currently, 14% of our licensed providers are closed, some of them permanently.

“This year, we have seen the child care industry demonstrate its value and resilience despite an inherently flawed model. Child care delivers a public good through, primarily, small businesses that cannot charge customers (working families) the price necessary to cover costs associated with the essential service provided. High-quality child care promotes healthy childhood development, lets parents go to work and helps employers retain talent and maintain productivity. Families, employers and our state’s economy recovery require a stable and multifaceted child care industry with options to meet families’ varying needs.” ~ Child Care Collaborative Task Force “2020 Child Care Policy Recommendations: Modeling the Cost of Quality, Improving the Working Connections Subsidy Program & Supporting Workforce Compensation and Development” report

You can read the Task Force report here.

January 11, 2021

Resources for Child Care Providers and Families – Supporting Each Other After the Attack on Our Capitol

The recent attack on America’s Capitol has shocked thousands, leaving us and our children with strong and difficult emotions. How can the important caregivers in children’s lives best talk about what happened and the emotions that have followed? We have cultivated this list of helpful resources and tips so we can safely navigate these very challenging times.

National Association for the Education of Young Children – multiple resources for supporting young children and families

Child Mind Institute – ways to talk with children about the violence at the Capitol

Teaching Tolerance – ways educators can support students after violence and disasters

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – specific steps families can take to reduce the negative impact of violence in the Capitol on children

American Psychiatric Association – common reactions to trauma in adults and children and lists of supports for both

CNN – tips for conversations with children about the attack on the Capitol

Washington State Department of Health – list of hotlines and chatlines for mental health and suicide prevention

November 23, 2020

Child Care Aware of Washington Recognized by the Association of Washington Business

Child Care Aware of Washington was recognized Nov. 19 by the Association of Washington Business as the 2020 recipient of the Washington Advance Award. The award recognizes a Washington state business or organization that has had a significant impact in their sector contributing to the advancement of their community and/or the statewide economy. The award was presented virtually during AWB’s Evening of Excellence online gala. This is the first time Child Care Aware of WA has been recognized by the business community.

While we are thrilled to have won this award, we acknowledge that the real heroes for the business community are the child care providers across our state who care for the children of working parents every day. During the pandemic, Washington’s child care providers have been deemed essential by Governor Inslee. Their crucial work makes it possible for working parents to work, so businesses can keep operating, and at the same time, they also are contributing to the development of our future workforce by providing important play-based early learning.

“All of us at Child Care Aware of Washington are deeply honored to have our contributions acknowledged by the Association of Washington Business. We appreciate AWB’s recognition of the important role quality child care plays in keeping our economy going, especially during these challenging times. We share this award with all of Washington’s child care providers whose work with children is keeping medical facilities, groceries, utilities and so much more available for all of us,” said Deeann Burtch Puffert, Chief Executive Officer of Child Care Aware of WA.

August 25, 2020

Washington’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Nearly 550,000 Children Without Child Care

TACOMA, WA – Aug. 25, 2020 – Thousands of children across Washington are unable to attend licensed child care because our state’s child care system cannot meet the needs of working families. Nearly 550,000 children under the age of 12 have no access to child care, despite the fact that 60 percent of children 0-12 in Washington live in homes where all adults work.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced our child care supply even further because some providers have reluctantly closed their doors due to financial difficulty with not having enough children to care for as some working parents are keeping their children home, fear of the virus or actual exposure to the virus. Since March, up to 24 percent of Washington’s licensed child care programs have closed. Currently, 18 percent of our state’s child care programs are closed and not serving children.

Now, as most school districts have moved to remote-learning only, parents are scrambling to create child care plans for their school-age children, but there are even fewer options than there were before COVID-19. For those families that do find child care for their school-age children, they will face the additional challenge of paying for child care during the hours their children would have typically been in school. This is a huge financial burden for middle class families. Child Care Aware of Washington is helping child care providers who want to care for school-age children full-time make necessary preparations, and our Family Center is helping families find child care options for school-age children near them.

“Today’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force report illustrates the depth of Washington’s child care crisis. The supply of quality, affordable child care has not met the needs of our working families for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse as some child care programs have had to make the financial decision to close their doors,” said Deeann Burtch Puffert, chief executive officer for Child Care Aware of WA. “Everyone at Child Care Aware of WA is working to help keep programs that want to stay open, stay open, and connect families to child care near them.”

Nearly half of Washington’s licensed child care providers report they are at risk of closing permanently due to the devastating impacts of the pandemic. The loss of these high-quality programs would significantly hurt Washington’s economy because working parents cannot work when they do not have child care for their children.

Our state’s child care crisis has already cost employers $2.08 billion in direct costs in 2017, and $6.5 billion in direct and opportunity costs, according to the 2019 report, The Mounting Costs of Child Care, from the Washington State Department of Commerce and other member organizations of the state’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has added stress and uncertainty to what the industry assessment revealed was already a fragile child care system,” said Child Care Collaborative Task Force tri-chair Ryan Pricco, director of policy and advocacy for Child Care Aware of WA. “Investments are needed to keep our child care system operating. Investments in the child care industry are investments in all other industries because child care supports all employers.”

Child Care Aware of Washington is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to connecting families to local, high-quality, licensed child care and early learning programs, and to supporting providers who deliver high-quality care. As a statewide network of six regional agencies, we work side-by-side with child care providers, offering professional development services and higher education scholarships to help providers integrate research-based, best practices into their programs. We track child care supply, demand and cost data statewide and in every county. We are committed to ensuring that each and every child in Washington, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, culture, primary language or economic status, has access to the quality care and early learning they need to succeed in school and life. For more information, please visit our website at http://wa.childcareaware.org and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Child-Care-Aware-of-Washington-149636987661/ and on Twitter @childcarewa.

July 15, 2020

State Early Learning & Business Leaders Focus on Child Care Solutions

July 8, 2020 – The Association of Washington Business held an important webinar featuring state early learning and business leaders to discuss child care solutions during these times. Washington State First Lady Trudi Inslee joined Child Care Aware of Washington CEO Deeann Puffert and Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Secretary Ross Hunter to focus on the importance of early learning and child care to our economy and on the ways COVID-19 has impacted the child care market in Washington.

Child care matters to employees who are parents, and businesses rely on working parents. Most children under the age of six in Washington live in homes where all adults work. Without child care, these employees cannot work. Plus, when young children attend quality child care, they experience great early learning during the crucial years from 0-5 when most brain development happens.

Employers can retain talent, protect their investment in employees who are parents and built long-term loyalty by:

Allowing for a great deal of work-schedule flexibility for employees with young children
Training supervisors to support employees with young children
Allowing employees who can work from home to do so
Contributing to employees’ Child Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Providing financial support to employees with children and/or to the child care programs that care for their children
Share our free child care referral information with families – 1-800-446-1114 https://childcareawarewa.org/families /
Using your influential voice to tell elected officials to prioritize funding for child care to boost economic recovery (less than 1% of WA’s operating budget is dedicated to child care)

To learn more or to view the webinar, visit AWB by clicking here.