Senator Murray Joins State Leaders to Push for Lower Child Care Costs

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former preschool teacher and Chair of the Senate education committee, held a press call with state leaders from Olympia on how her federal child care policy would build on Washington state’s Fair Start for Kids legislation to drastically cut child care costs for parents and make child care more accessible for everyone. Senator Murray was joined by state Senator Claire Wilson, the Senate sponsor of Fair Start for Kids; state Representative Tana Senn, the House sponsor of Fair Start for Kids; Lois Martin, Co-Chair of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Early Learning Advisory Council; and Mary Curry, a home-based child care provider.

During the call, Senator Murray and the other speakers highlighted how her proposals included in the Build Back Better package, along with ongoing priorities in this year’s legislative session, would greatly benefit working families and child care providers in Washington—including offering parents the option of free pre-K for three-and-four-year olds, improving the quality and supply of child care for all children, and increasing pay for child care staff. Senator Murray hailed the work happening in the state to lower the cost of child care for working families, and emphasized her commitment to meet the needs of families and child care workers in Washington state and across the country.

Senator Murray’s child care and preschool policy proposals in the Build Back Better Act would dramatically lower child care costs for the vast majority of working families in Washington state and across the country, dramatically increase the number of child care providers in Washington state, raise child care workers’ wages, and offer parents the option of free pre-K for three-and-four-year olds. Under Murray’s proposal, no family of four in Washington state making less than $254,000 would spend more than 7% of their income toward child care, with many spending even less or nothing at all.

Right now, Washington state’s child care crisis is causing a massive financial strain on working families, forcing parents—and in particular, women—out of the workforce. With the average cost of center-based infant care in Washington state currently $1,390, families with infants would need to pay more than $16,000 per year on average to cover the cost of high-quality child care. Sixteen thousand dollars is 21% of the U.S. average income for a family of three. At the same time, many child care educators are struggling to make ends meet and staff retention is major challenge for child care providers.

In addition to making child care more affordable, Senator Murray’s plan would greatly increase the supply of child care in local communities. And even for families who can afford child care—too many can’t find it. More than 50% of Americans—and 60% of rural Americans—live in child care deserts, or communities with an inadequate supply of licensed child care—and this was before COVID-19 forced many providers to close their doors. Senator Murray’s child care proposal would invest in building up our child care supply so that every family has access to quality child care that they can afford.