WA families can’t find affordable childcare. Our biggest polluters should pay for it | Opinion

As working mothers, we know firsthand the importance of affordable and accessible childcare. We know the impacts on families and careers when, because they cannot find quality, affordable childcare, parents are forced to stay home from work or leave the workforce altogether.

While the pandemic amplified childcare challenges in Washington state, this is not a new problem. We remember well the stress when we were new moms, worrying over trying to balance careers, making ends meet and caring for our families.

Washington should be a leader on this issue. Unfortunately, our state’s childcare sector is in trouble — it’s not serving our communities or the people who care for our children.

Too many families must choose between their careers and childcare costs that often outpace their salaries. Meanwhile, despite the rising costs of childcare, nearly 20 percent of childcare workers live in poverty.

We are leaving too many of our children, families and childcare providers behind, particularly those in communities with the greatest health and economic disparities. Not having access to affordable, reliable childcare contributes to cycles of economic hardship and worsens gender pay gaps.

That’s why we’re proposing a bold, new solution: a land trust that will strengthen Washington’s childcare network, one paid for by our largest polluters.

Through HB 2243, we will create a Child Care Equity Land Trust that will provide secure, permanent funding for child care, expand and empower our work force, and protect our precious natural lands.

Trusts like this are nothing new.

This legislation will let the Department of Natural Resources do one of the things it does best: acquire working forests that are sustainably managed to strengthen our communities. Each year, the lands managed by DNR generate more than $300 million to support K-12 public schools and other services such as libraries.

We know, however, that childhood education begins before kindergarten, which is why our commitment to Washington’s kids should similarly begin earlier. Children who attend childcare as infants and toddlers perform better in school and are more involved in extracurricular activities.

Childcare in Washington averages about $14,500 per year for an infant — ninth-highest in the country. Because of these costs, almost half of Washington parents report difficulty finding, affording and maintaining childcare. On top of that, since 2010, we’ve lost 2,000 family childcare providers and 300 childcare centers.

By establishing a Child Care Equity Land Trust, we will finally fund the Child Care Deserts Grant Program. This program was created, but not funded, by the 2021 Fair Start for Kids Act. Without action from the Legislature, this program will sunset in 2026.

Not only will our legislation remove that arbitrary expiration date, it will also expand the scope of the program to make funds available to support childcare centers.

The Child Care Equity Land Trust will also increase economic growth through job creation and more opportunities for working parents to pursue careers. Additionally, research shows that children who receive high-quality, consistent childcare have better outcomes both inside and outside the classroom. This will help us reduce the opportunity gap for children from underserved communities and get Washington’s future leaders started on the right path.

Finally, this trust benefits our environment by investing in working forests that sequester carbon and provide clean air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, and essential forest products. Our proposal uses $100 million of funding from the Climate Commitment Act to establish this trust by acquiring forestlands at risk of being turned into parking lots and subdivisions.

This is vital because, for the first time, less than half of Washington is now forested. By securing these lands for this trust, we are keeping our forests, and all the ecosystem services they provide, from being paved over. The management of these lands will support the trust, providing ongoing and long-term revenue to meet our growing childcare needs while keeping our working lands working.

We must come together around a meaningful solution to ensure every Washington family has access to childcare.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz leads Washington state’s wildfire fighting force and manages nearly 6 million acres of public lands. A third-generation farmer and small forest landowner, she has three grown sons and lives in Grays Harbor County. She is running for Congress in the 6th District.

Kristine Reeves is a working mom and the representatives for Washington’s 30th Legislative District. The Moses Lake native now lives with her husband and two children in Federal Way.

This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 5:00 AM.