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Washington state lawmakers can take a big step towards solving the child care crisis for Washington families by taking two important actions. Photo: iStock
Let’s get real. There is a child care crisis in Washington state, but racist attacks targeting Somali child care providers won’t solve it.
Instead of addressing the factors driving our nation’s child care shortage – low wages for workers and high costs for parents – the Trump administration, allied xenophobic individuals and social media influencers are making allegations of faud without evidence. Locally, this has led to the harassment of small businesses that provide essential child care in our communities, compounding the harm being done by the ICE deportation campaign.
The fact is child care is one of the most highly regulated industries in our local economy, with intensive requirements for licensing, auditing and reporting, including oversight by state agencies and inspectors. The state has the authority to investigate and take action when problems are documented. Attacking, disrespecting and harassing child care providers is making the real problems working families face worse.
Washington state lawmakers can stand up to the Trump administration’s bullying and take a big step towards solving the child care crisis for Washington families by taking two important actions. First, commit to halting state budget cuts to child care funding. Second, pass 2SHB 1128, establishing a Child Care Workforce Standards Board. The board will give early educators and parents a seat at the table to make recommendations on how to address low wages, understaffing, high turnover and high costs for parents.
I have worked in the child care industry since babysitting in my youth. I pursued a degree and a career in early education. Today I train coaches who support child care educators in effective teaching practices forward.
While working in education is highly rewarding, passion doesn’t pay the bills. As a single mother living paycheck to paycheck, sometimes I have to choose between getting an eviction notice and putting food on the table. The cost of living continues to rise, everything is more expensive, yet income for child care workers isn’t rising to meet the increased expenses of rent, food and healthcare.
The majority of child care workers are women, immigrants and people of color. I can attest that our workforce is at the breaking point. Child care providers care for young children so parents can work, and they help children cultivate the skills they need to succeed in life. But they are paid poverty-level wages, and often denied basic benefits like health care. The lack of livable wages, training and respect for the profession are driving high turnover and short-staffing. Young people inspired to get into this workforce are quickly leaving it for higher paying, less stressful jobs.
A recent survey of childcare center workers found 88 percent don’t make enough to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment in Washington. Eighty-one percent have skipped rest or lunch breaks, or worked while sick or with a serious medical condition due to understaffing, limited understanding of their rights or inadequate paid time off. More than half say accessing affordable health insurance is a big challenge.
Early educators are burning out when they can’t afford medical bills to take care of themselves, or when the attacks and misinformation cause them to lose business. High turnover and short-staffing degrade the quality of child care, which has long-lasting effects on our communities. Additionally, many parents can’t afford child care, and have no choice but to leave their jobs to care for their young children, losing income, stability and career advancement opportunities.
Unjustified attacks on immigrants are grabbing the headlines, but a strained workforce is one of the biggest factors driving the real child care crisis and that demands action from our local elected leaders. We need Washington state senators to pass 2SHB 1128 to establish a Child Care Workforce Standards Board, giving early educators a voice in shaping the future of child care.
What parents can do
Add your voice to the conversation and urge your state senator to pass 2SHB 1128.
Editor's note: ParentMap publishes articles, op-eds and essays by people of all experiences and from all walks of life. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own and are not endorsed by ParentMap.
