“The Washington Childcare Access Now (CAN) Act is vitally important legislation that has the potential to address the childcare crisis that is plaguing our state. Making quality childcare affordable for all families is of paramount importance to MomsRising and its members. Right now in Washington, the average cost of infant care is nearly equal to mortgage payments for a year and more than three in five families live in a ‘childcare desert,’ without access to the affordable, quality care they need. Families across Washington struggle without access to affordable childcare – and the early learning workforce is suffering because of low pay; here in Washington, on average pet groomers are paid more than childcare workers.

“This historic bill would holistically address the childcare crisis to meet the needs of children, families, childcare providers, and our state’s economy by capping childcare costs at 7 percent of a family’s income by 2025; increasing the Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates to 75 percent of market rate to stabilize the childcare market; and raising the wages of the childcare workforce by adopting a compensation pay scale and investing in the Career & Wage Ladder. This bill is a cornerstone of the work to increase access to childcare and it provides a great opportunity for more families to access critical programs like ECEAP, state prek, and others.

“Nothing is more important to our economy and to the health, prospects and financial security of Washington families than giving all children and families in the state access to high-quality, affordable childcare. Speedy passage of the Washington CAN Act should be a high priority for every lawmaker.”