Access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential for 

strong families, strong communities, and a strong economy.

Take Action: COMMENT in Opposition to HB2689

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I am writing to express concern about proposed changes to the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program under HB2689. Currently, more than 40,000 Washington families rely on WCCC to afford safe, reliable child care while they work or attend school.

Halting the planned expansion of the program, reducing reimbursement rates to 75% of market value, and switching to attendance-based payment claims will destabilize child care programs and make it harder for families to access care.

When providers cannot offer competitive wages or maintain stable staffing, programs face layoffs, higher child-to-teacher ratios, and increased staff turnover. This reduces the quality and stability of care for children while contributing to burnout among early childhood educators.

These changes would also reduce access to child care. Workforce shortages, limited hours, providers limiting or declining WCCC families, and the potential closure of small centers—especially in low-income communities—would leave many working parents without reliable options.

When families cannot find or afford child care, they are often forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce. This increases demand for public assistance programs and places additional strain on employers already struggling with staffing shortages.

Child care instability also has long-term impacts. It affects children’s early learning and development, limits parents’ earning potential, and widens existing economic and equity gaps across communities.

Cuts to WCCC are more than budget decisions—they affect Washington’s workforce, economy, and the well-being of children and families.

Please protect the Working Connections Child Care program. Families and providers need stability, not cuts.

Thank you for your service and commitment to Washington Communities. 

[YOUR NAME]

Currently, over 40,000 families rely on WCCC. 

Halting expansion of the program, reducing reimbursement rates to 75% of market value, and switching to attendance based claims will hurt families, resulting in:

• Decline in Quality of Care: Due to staffing reductions, layoffs, and the inability to offer competitive wages and benefits, child care programs face increased child-to-teacher ratios and reduced staff stability. This leads to educator burnout, higher turnover, diminished individualized attention for children, and a decline in overall program quality and safety standards. 

• Reduced Access to Child Care: Limited hours of operation, workforce shortages, providers limiting or denying WCCC families, and the closure of small centers —particularly those in low-income communities and specialized private programs (e.g., preschools serving specific age groups, children with specific needs, etc.)— significantly restrict families’ access to reliable care. This disproportionately affects working parents in underserved areas and widens existing inequities. 

• Increased Strain on Social Services: As families reduce work hours or leave the workforce entirely due to child care instability, demand rises for housing, food assistance, and other public support programs. Financial stress also increases the risk of family instability and may contribute to higher rates of child neglect or unsafe care arrangements when families are forced to rely on unlicensed providers.

 Additional Impacts to Consider:

• Economic Consequences: Child care instability reduces workforce participation —particularly among women— and limits families’ earning potential. As parents reduce hours or leave employment due to unreliable care, household income declines, consumer spending decreases, and local and state tax revenues are negatively impacted. Employers also experience disruptions to their workforce pipeline, creating broader macroeconomic consequences that extend beyond individual families.  

• Long Term Child Development Impacts: Inconsistent or disrupted access to high-quality early care and education undermines school readiness and healthy development. Children may experience delays in cognitive, social-emotional, and language development due to instability in care environments. Over time, these disruptions contribute to persistent academic achievement gaps and long-term disparities in educational and economic outcomes. 

• Widening Equity Gaps: Child care shortages disproportionately affect communities already facing systemic inequities. Center closures and staffing shortages are more common in low-income and underserved areas, limiting options for families with the fewest resources. While higher-income families may secure private alternatives, lower-income families face longer waitlists, fewer choices, and increased barriers to stable employment—further widening existing equity gaps.

• Impact on Child Care Providers: Unreliable child care contributes to increased employee absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher turnover rates. Businesses face greater recruitment and retention challenges as working parents struggle to secure stable care arrangements. As a result, employers absorb significant indirect costs associated with child care system instability. 

• Mental Health Impacts: Ongoing child care instability elevates stress and anxiety among parents and contributes to burnout among educators. Financial strain, employment uncertainty, and caregiving challenges place added pressure on family relationships. Over time, chronic instability compounds mental health stressors across households and communities.

Cuts to WCCC are more than budget decisions—they affect Washington’s long-term economic health, workforce participation, public safety, and children’s futures.

We must protect the WCCC subsidy. Families and providers need stability, not cuts.

Your voice matters. 

Thank you for taking the time to support WCCC and the families and communities who rely on it. 

Additional Action: Email Senate Ways & Means Committee 

CC:

june.robinson@leg.wa.gov, derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov, yasmin.trudeau@leg.wa.gov, noel.frame@leg.wa.gov, chris.gildon@leg.wa.gov, nikki.torres@leg.wa.gov, mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov, perry.dozier@leg.wa.gov, matt.boehnke@leg.wa.gov, john.braun@leg.wa.gov, annette.cleveland@leg.wa.gov, steve.conway@leg.wa.gov, manka.dhingra@leg.wa.gov, drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov, bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov, claudia.kauffman@leg.wa.gov, ron.muzzall@leg.wa.gov, jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov, marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov, rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov, keith.wagoner@leg.wa.gov, judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov, lisa.wellman@leg.wa.gov, claire.wilson@leg.wa.gov, susan.brooks@leg.wa.gov, michael.bezanson@leg.wa.gov, james.kettel@leg.wa.gov, jeffrey.mitchell@leg.wa.gov, samuel.brown@leg.wa.gov, michele.alishahi@leg.wa.gov, shani.bauer@leg.wa.gov, wendy.brown@leg.wa.gov, amanda.cecil@leg.wa.gov, kimmy.eide@leg.wa.gov, monica.fontaine@leg.wa.gov, kayla.hammer@leg.wa.gov, jed.herman@leg.wa.gov, josh.hinman@leg.wa.gov, maria.hovde@leg.wa.gov, alia.kennedy@leg.wa.gov,  corban.nemeth@leg.wa.gov, tianyi.lan@leg.wa.gov, trevor.press@leg.wa.gov, sarian.scott@leg.wa.gov, sandy.stith@leg.wa.gov, dana.tietjen@leg.wa.gov, andy.lin@leg.wa.gov 

Subject: OPPOSE HB 2689, Protect the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Program

Dear Senator,

I am writing to express concern about proposed changes to the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program. Currently, more than 40,000 Washington families rely on WCCC to afford safe, reliable child care while they work or attend school.

Halting the planned expansion of the program, reducing reimbursement rates to 75% of market value, and switching to attendance-based payment will have the following impacts on communities statewide, especially in low-income areas and child-care deserts:

• Declining quality of care due to staffing reductions, layoffs, and the inability to offer competitive wages and benefits. This can result in higher child-to-teacher ratios, educator burnout, increased turnover, and less individualized attention for children.

• Reduced access to child care as providers limit or stop accepting WCCC families, reduce hours, or close programs—especially in low-income communities and areas already experiencing child care shortages.

• Increased strain on social services as parents are forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce due to child care instability, increasing demand for housing, food assistance, and other public support programs.

• Economic impacts for families and employers, including reduced workforce participation, lower household income, staffing shortages for businesses, and negative impacts on local and state economic activity.

• Long-term impacts on children’s development, as disruptions in early care and education can affect school readiness and healthy cognitive and social-emotional development.

• Widening equity gaps, with low-income and underserved communities facing the greatest loss of child care options and the fewest alternatives.

Cuts to WCCC are more than budget decisions—they affect Washington’s workforce, economy, and the well-being of children and families.

Please protect the Working Connections Child Care program. Families and providers need stability, not cuts.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City]