Washington State is demonstrating how to reform child care. In most states, the child care subsidy programs are struggling, and sustaining truly high quality child care is out of reach. But Washington has blazed a trail worth considering.
According to Jennifer Jennings-Shaffer, the early learning policy director at Children’s Alliance, Washington has had major breakthroughs in the last two years. Last year the state invested $158 million in new state dollars in the Early Start Act, the largest state investment in early learning in their history and with bipartisan support.
Now this year, the state budget added a $12.7 million package, with a particular focus on child care, including:
- Increases to tiered reimbursement rates for providers demonstrating high quality; and
- Increases to the annual quality improvement awards for attaining levels 3-5 in Early Achievers, Washington’s QRIS system.
In many ways Wisconsin is ahead of other states in our achievement in early care and education, but we need a shot in the arm to sustain our strong structures and invest in child care subsidy payments and in the YoungStar program to help our children thrive.
Dave Edie
Early Education Policy Analyst