Why WA childcare program could bear brunt of budget cuts
The heftiest budget cuts Washington Democratic lawmakers are proposing this year focus on day care subsidies for low-income families.
In the initial House and Senate budget plans, this paring of Working Connections Child Care totals more than a half-billion dollars over the coming years. The largest portion of proposed spending reductions for the program deal with how child care providers are reimbursed by the state and federal governments based on when children attend day care.
The aid is available to working Washington families earning below 60% of the state median income. As of last February, the program had an active caseload of over 33,000 families.
Currently, providers can receive a full month of subsidies even when a child who qualifies for the subsidies only attends one day that month. The budgets would make this policy more restrictive.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/26/why-wa-child-care-program-could-bear-brunt-of-budget-cuts/