State must address crisis in good, affordable childcare

Published 1:30 am Friday, February 13, 2026

As new parents with a six-month-old baby, my husband and I have joined the thousands of Washingtonians experiencing the challenges of a lack of affordable high-quality child care.

Our income has taken a double hit as I had to reduce my hours to part-time and pay for an expensive nanny so that I can work at all. The lack of support for child care providers and low-wages for early educators is driving burnout, high turnover, short-staffing, and closures of child care businesses that are so desperately needed to enable parents like us to stay in their jobs and ensure safe, quality care for our children.

The child care workforce shortage has a domino effect, causing thousands, most often women, to leave or cut back time at their jobs. I’m a mental health professional, another sector with a severe shortage. Because I can’t access affordable high-quality childcare for our baby, I have a growing wait list of struggling teens and children who urgently need support.

I hope Washington lawmakers take action to address this child care crisis, starting with establishing the Child Care Workforce Standards Board which will enable the people most impacted by it — parents, educators, child care providers, and businesses — to identify solutions.

Cameron Wilson

Marysville