Pierce County community members are calling for access to equitable, culturally relevant, and affordable child care. The high costs of child care create challenges for many families, disproportionately impacting communities of color and low-income families. It is essential that Washington state address the growing need for affordable child care programs and raise outdated income thresholds for financial support to struggling families.

These changes must include the needs of child care providers, supporting them with the financial means not just to survive but to thrive. Community economic, educational, and workforce success depends on the availability of quality child care and appropriately recognizing and compensating the community of providers serving families.

Child care costs are on the rise, while incomes are not. In Pierce County, child care expenses for a single mother with two children in 2017 amounted to 56% of the median income and has increased to 72% in 2023 countywide. For zip code 98444, costs comprise 88% of the median income for a single mother with two children (Pierce County Early Childhood Network, 2023, p.19).

Putting your child into care in Washington State costs just over $14,000 a year on average. This accounts for 39% of the median income of a single parent. Parents and caregivers in Pierce County are paying more income toward child care than for the entirety of their living expenses in most cases (Pierce County Early Childhood Network, 2023, p.19).

This ask aligns with the 2024 legislative agenda of family service and child advocacy organizations, including BrightSpark Early Learning Services, the Children’s Alliance of Washington, Moms Rising, the United Way of Pierce County, and Washington Communities for Children, each of which are calling for universal child care access and higher pay for child care providers.

Pierce County continues to face child health inequities compared to Washington state on indicators including but not limited to: economic stability, the rate of children entering out-of-home care, low birth weight, and perinatal mood disorders. The 2023 Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel report recommends that “Pregnant and parenting people have easy access to social programs that support health care, housing, transportation, child care, nutrition, employment, and education” to improve mental health and well-being for perinatal families.

Family Connects Pierce County extends access to a voluntary postpartum visit with a nurse in areas with historically high levels of systemic racism, barriers to access care, and high numbers of child dependency filings. Family Connects Pierce County provides critical public health prevention and intervention, serving as a crucial early connection point for families to ensure they are equipped with the tools they need to care for their families. Out of the 800 families served in 2023 alone, 10 percent reported current or prior child welfare involvement, and 1% of families received referrals to the Emergency Room for life-threatening symptoms.

We ask for continued investment in programs such as Family Connects that support caregivers from the start. We believe the ongoing efforts of PCECN community partners contributed to the 54% reduction in children and youth entering out-of-home care in Pierce County between 2017 and 2022, including a 33% reduction in children under age 6 in out-of-home care as of 01/01/2023 compared to 01/01/2018 (Pierce County Early Childhood Network, 2023, p.22). A comprehensive system of support is worth investing in.

This ask directly aligns with the 2024 legislative agendas of the BrightSpark Early Learning Services, the Children’s Alliance of Washington,, the United Way of Pierce County, Washington Communities for Children, and 2023 Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel report.

2-1-1 Family Resource Navigators provide a portal to community services and support that reduces barriers and directs families to existing resources, but face limitations due to inadequate funding. With only 3 Navigators handling 75 calls a day for Pierce County families with children ages 0-5 years, additional federal and state funds are needed to expand capacity, address technology barriers, and enhance infrastructure.

In 2023, South Sound 2-1-1 Family Resource Navigators received 2450 calls, averaging 817 calls per Navigator who are paid less than $50k a year (As reported by Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, January 2024). The high volume of requests was predominantly for basic needs: rent payment assistance, low income/subsidized private rental housing, electric service payment assistance, community shelters, and diapers. These statistics highlight the high demand for services addressing homelessness, extreme poverty, and racial inequities, as over 50% of callers identified their children as members of the BIPOC community.

2-1-1 partners with healthcare providers to implement systematic change in medical settings by providing assistance to their patients. The PCECN Provider Referral Form is another point of connection in a whole family approach to ensure equitable access and alignment with the Social Determinants of Health.

This ask directly aligns with the 2024 legislative agendas of the United Way of Pierce County and Senate Bill 5943 to support strategic investments in the Washington 2-1-1 Statewide network.

We call for an investment in our community health and child care providers: higher living wages, increased capacity, and with continued investment in community led strategies and interventions to enhance accessibility and ensure the provision of high-quality, inclusive, and equitable services for families in need. PCECN plans to lead Community Listening Sessions, Voces de Familia, and Q & A Sessions with providers and community members to build trusting relationships and address specific barriers and concerns to foster a collaborative effort.

This ask is in alignment with PCECN’s Community Listening Sessions, Voces de Familia, Q & A Sessions, and Seven Action Team Meetings. Our focus on community engagement, resource-sharing opportunities, and growing community collaboration will address systemic inequities, establishing a supportive environment for all children and families.

This ask aligns with the 2024 legislative agendas of the the Children’s Alliance of Washington, the United Way of Pierce County, Moms Rising and Washington Communities for Children, to address existing barriers and inequities that limit access to quality healthcare and childcare services.