Access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential for strong families, strong communities, and a strong economy.

Contact the Legislature Today.

Take Action: Contact Timm Ormsby of Spokane, WA 

Dear Rep. Ormsby,

I am writing to urge you to support the House budget proposal over the Senate proposal, as it better protects the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program. While both proposals include reductions, the House proposal represents the more responsible and protective option, cutting approximately $400 million compared to the Senate’s $800 million reduction.

Around 40,000 Washington families rely on WCCC to remain in the workforce and severe cuts to this program will have serious consequences in our communities. Families will experience reduced access to care due to limited hours, workforce shortages, and closures—particularly in low-income and underserved communities. As parents reduce work hours or leave employment altogether, demand for public assistance programs would increase, placing additional strain on state resources. Providers will face staffing reductions and layoffs, along with an inability to offer competitive wages, leading to higher child-to-teacher ratios, increased burnout, and declining program quality and safety.

The broader economic impacts cannot be ignored. Child care instability reduces workforce participation, lowers household income and tax revenue, disrupts employers’ ability to recruit and retain workers, and contributes to widening equity gaps. Over time, children experience setbacks in school readiness and healthy development that carry long-term consequences for our state.

Cuts to WCCC are more than budget decisions—they directly affect Washington’s long-term economic stability, workforce strength, and the well-being of children and families.

I respectfully urge you to support the House budget proposal and protect the WCCC subsidy. Families and providers need stability—not deeper cuts.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Your voice matters. Thank you for taking the time to support Working Connections Child Care and the families and communities who rely on it. 

Read More: Impacts of the Budget Cuts 

Currently, over 40,000 families rely on WCCC. 

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, 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 our future.

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

Further Advocacy, Copy/Paste Email List: 

CC:

timm.ormsby@leg.wa.gov, mia.gregerson@leg.wa.gov, nicole.macri@leg.wa.gov, t'wina.Nobles@leg.wa.gov, june.robinson@leg.wa.gov, 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, 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

Subject: Support the House Budget Proposal to Protect WCCC

Hello,

I am writing to urge you to support the House budget proposal over the Senate proposal, as it better protects the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program. While both proposals include reductions, the House proposal represents the more responsible and protective option, cutting approximately $400 million compared to the Senate’s $800 million reduction.

Around 40,000 Washington families rely on WCCC to remain in the workforce and severe cuts to this program will have serious consequences in our communities. Families will experience reduced access to care due to limited hours, workforce shortages, and closures—particularly in low-income and underserved communities. As parents reduce work hours or leave employment altogether, demand for public assistance programs would increase, placing additional strain on state resources. Providers will face staffing reductions and layoffs, along with an inability to offer competitive wages, leading to higher child-to-teacher ratios, increased burnout, and declining program quality and safety.

The broader economic impacts cannot be ignored. Child care instability reduces workforce participation, lowers household income and tax revenue, disrupts employers’ ability to recruit and retain workers, and contributes to widening equity gaps. Over time, children experience setbacks in school readiness and healthy development that carry long-term consequences for our state.

Cuts to WCCC are more than budget decisions—they directly affect Washington’s long-term economic stability, workforce strength, and the well-being of children and families.

I respectfully urge you to support the House budget proposal and protect the WCCC subsidy. Families and providers need stability—not deeper cuts.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]