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Public Policy Updates: federal, state and local

Public Policy Advocacy: join us

 

Child Care Resources’ mission includes “Advocating for child care solutions that strengthen communities.” For this reason we are involved in advocating for policies on the federal, state and local level. We invite you to join with us in building a community and an early learning system that ensures that “Every child has a great start in school and life”.



Events and Activities


State Budget- Action Needed

The legislature convened in special session  on Monday, March 12. The regular session ended in a budget stalemate. Negotiators are considering a change that would produce revenue to fund programs. One of the major issues to be resolved in budget negotiations relates to Working Connections Child Care.


Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) helps low-income working families pay for child care. Currently, families with incomes below 175% of the federal poverty line (FPL) that work or meet WorkFirst participation requirements are eligible for WCCC. Their monthly child care cost (or co-pay) is determined on a sliding scale based on income.

In 2011, a cap or limit of 33,000 families was instituted for WCCC as a cost-savings measure. Current caseload for WCCC is below the 33,000 cap largely due to administrative barriers.

Early learning programs, including Working Connections Child Care, should be fully funded in the legislature's compromise budget.

Please contact your Senator and Representatives and Budget negotiators (see below for their names and email addresses) with this message:

Please support a final budget that fully funds early learning programs, including Working Connections Child Care.

Families need WCCC to maintain employment while their children are in safe environments. Cuts to WCCC can lead to unsafe situations for children, further economic hardship for low-income working families, and negative impacts on the livelihood of child care providers.


Budget negotiators and key legislators to contact:
Senator Ed Murray edward.murray@leg.wa.gov
Senator Lisa Brown lisa.brown@leg.wa.gov
Senator Mike Hewitt mike.hewitt@leg.wa.gov
Senator Joseph Zarelli joseph.zarelli@leg.wa.gov
Senator Steve Litzow steve.litzow@leg.wa.gov
Representative Ross Hunter ross.hunter@leg.wa.gov
Representative Frank Chopp (House Speaker): frank.chopp@leg.wa.gov


Find your Legislator:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/default.aspx 
You can click on your legislator’s name once you find him/her and follow the prompts to leave a message or call using hotline below

Legislative Hotline (interpreters available)
1-800-1-800-562-6000
 

Early Learning Legislation

Please contact the Governor and her staff to urge that she sign two important pieces of legislation passed during the regular session:
Senate Bill 6226: increases the continuity of care for children by extending Working Connections Child Care authorizations to 12 months.
Senate Bill 6386: makes child care more accessible for working families by revoking a law passed last year that requires families to seek child care support enforcement in order to be eligible for Working Connections Child Care.
http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/
Jim Justin: jim.justin@gov.wa.gov  and
Alexis Oliver at oliver.alexis@gov.wa.gov

Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS) House Bill 2569 is to both solidify the role of QRIS for improving quality care and engaging legislatures in the expansion. The bill will contain new language to replace the current state QRIS law, which simply directs DEL to develop a model for QRIS. It will begin broad scale implementation as of July 2012. This bill is voluntary and subject to available funding but will include supports for those that participate. For more information, go to http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2569.pdf

QRIS UPDATE  DEAD for this session.

QRIS will be implemented using Race to the Top funds. Please thank primary sponsors Representative Tina Orwall http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/Pages/orwall.aspx   and Ruth Kagi http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/Pages/kagi.aspx 

Birth to Five Bill (House Bill 2448) to improve access to high quality early learning programs. The bill will create a more comprehensive, voluntary, high quality preschool program in Washington for all 3 and 4 year olds (when fully implemented) and improve birth-to-three programs as the same time. For more information, see http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2448.pdf  DEAD for this session

Please contact Representative Roger Goodman http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/Pages/goodman.aspx  and Senator Nick Harper http://www.leg.wa.gov/senate/senators/Pages/harper.aspx  , who were primary sponsors, to thank them for supporting this work.

 

Resources for Advocating to Increase Access to High Quality Child Care and Early Learning
 

Facts, Stats and Trends affecting the King County Child Care Community
http://childcare.org/community/facts-stats-trends.asp

Cost of Child Care Data
King County child care rates: http://childcare.org/community/article_stats-facilities-rates-kc.asp
Statewide child care rates: http://www.childcarenet.org/partners/data/home-rates


Child Care and the Economy
http://www.naccrra.org/policy/economy/  “The Current Economy’s Impact on Child Care”
http://childcarenet.org/get-involved/advocacy/policy-resources  “Resource and Referral During Tough Times”
 

Early Learning Action Alliance
The Early Learning Action Alliance is a coalition of organizations in Washington which share that belief that all children in Washington state deserve to have the opportunities and support they need in their first five years of life to be prepared for school and a bright future.
View the ELAA Legislative Agenda Early Learning Action Alliance 2012 Legislative Agenda is available on line at: http://www.childrensalliance.org/sites/default/files/ELAA%20agenda_2012%20Legislative%20Session_1_12_12.pdf

 

Washington’s Child Care Policy Forum
Sign up today for Washington’s Child Care Policy Forum to access the latest information regarding child care policy and to talk easy steps to provide your input to elected officials on how to strengthen the child care system.
http://capwiz.com/naccrra/wa/home


Mom’s Rising
Mom’sRising is a network of people, united by the goal of building a more family-friendly America. Although they focus on a range of issues, “Early Care & Education” is a major focus. Visit them at www.momsrising.org

 

Legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000

For legislative updates and alerts:
• The Child Care Policy Forum (state and national) http://capwiz.com/naccrra/wa/home/
• United Ways of WA and WA State CCR&R Network weekly updates during the legislative session to subscribe, send your name, organization name and email address to erica.hallock@unitedway.org
• The Children’s Alliance (range of children’s issues) http://www.childrensalliance.org/get-involved


Legislative web site

Governor's web site

Washington Learns

The Children's Alliance