Seattle's Child Magazine: Child Care Subsidy for Working Parents in Jeopardy

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editor@seattleschild.com

Published: Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Child Care Subsidy for Working Parents in Jeopardy

The Children's Alliance

Washington state lawmakers are considering a massive cut to the state's Working Connections Child Care program.

Losing the subsidy could be devastating to thousands of parents working to lift their families out of poverty. According to the Children's Alliance, loss of the program could also force parents to quit their jobs or stop looking for work because they cannot afford child care.

The Washington State Budget and Policy Center reports that having two children at a child care center costs about $1,177 per month on average. That's more than half the total monthly income of a family earning $24,000 a year.

About 17,000 families would be kicked off Working Connections or denied a slot if the Legislature adopts the nearly $89 million cut that Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed in her December budget. The governor's latest proposal calls for an almost $50 million cut, which the Children's Alliance estimates would leave about 7,000 families in the child care lurch.

“Now is not the time to reduce child care assistance to working families,” Jon Gould, deputy director of the Children's Alliance, told the Examiner.com. “The cut would also hurt child care providers, many of whom are struggling small businesses.”

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