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Statement

Fair Start for Kids Act Will Be a Huge Boost for Kids, Families in Washington State

April 9, 2021
Early Care & Education, Washington

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, including more than 40,000 in Washington State, on State House passage of the Fair Start for Kids Act:

“By passing the Fair Start for Kids Act, bipartisan state legislators took a major step to give Washington’s youngest learners the high-quality early education they deserve, and their families the financial stability and support they urgently need. This is what responsive lawmaking looks like!

“The Fair Start for Kids Act, which was previously passed by the Senate and awaits formal concurrence before arriving at Governor Inslee’s desk, will be the largest investment in early learning in our state’s history. At this time when our state and our country are reeling from the damage caused by the pandemic, our legislators have chosen a path to recovery that centers the needs of children and families. The Fair Start for Kids Act will make early learning – including child care, preschool, and programs for infants and toddlers – more affordable and accessible for families and more sustainable for providers. This legislation will boost families’ economic security and help parents access the child care they need to hold jobs. It also includes much-needed rate increases for providers, who are disproportionately women of color, and who frequently serve their communities at the expense of their own economic security. It will make our state stronger and more successful.”

-Statement of Casey Osborn-Hinman, Washington State Senior Campaign Director, MomsRising

“MomsRising member Patty Liu, a mom of two from South Seattle, testified that her child care costs $2,525 per month – more than her family mortgage and car payments combined. She testified: ‘The difficulty finding and affording quality child care takes a huge toll on women. The system we have now isn’t working. And when child care doesn’t work…neither can we.’

“Patty is right. Washington State, and our country, need a robust care infrastructure if families are to succeed and the Fair Start for Kids Act will help build one. With full funding in the final budget, including through a capital gains tax on extraordinary wealth, the Fair Start for Kids Act will help combat structural racism, sexism, and income inequality in our state and support a just recovery from the pandemic.

“This victory was made possible by a dedicated, diverse coalition of parents, advocates, and legislators, and in particular Sen. Claire Wilson and Rep. Tana Senn. We also commend former Rep. Kristine Reeves, who laid the foundation for the Fair Start for Kids Act with her Washington Child Care Access Now Act in 2019. We look forward to concurrence on the bill and urge Gov. Inslee to quickly sign it into law, to help build an economy that works for all of us.”

-Statement of MomsRising team members Maggie Humphreys, Mandy Kwan, Hannah Lidman, Nina Perez, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.