Working Connections subsidies make child care affordable for thousands of low-income families across Washington. But many families have to reapply several times a year to keep their kids enrolled – penalizing parents for slight changes in income that don’t make them ineligible, for losing a job, or for changing child care providers.

The result: Parents who are still eligible get mistakenly kicked off the system, and their children lose access to child care for weeks or months – disrupting their mom’s or dad’s ability to work.

In this edition, you'll read more about an effort to roll back taxes on candy, soda and other goods, which would strip our state budget of hundreds of millions in revenue that lawmakers approved to protect vital services for children and families. You'll also read about a final call for public input on a statewide Early Learning Plan.

“Grocery taxes” rollback campaign
underway I The News Tribune I 06-16-2010

Bottlers hit the streets Friday the day after ballot language was approved, asking people to sign in support of rolling back new taxes
on soda pop, bottled water, candy and gum, plus a limitation on a tax
exemption that will leave makers of some processed foods paying more. (Opponents, including the Children's Alliance, are pushing a decline-to-sign campaign. We're asking people to call and e-mail when they see signature gatherers, especially those who are making misleading claims that Initiative 1107 would repeal taxes on "food and beverages.") 

• Read more about the decline-to-sign effort.

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The Department of Early Learning is making a final call for public comments on a statewide plan that will be a roadmap for developing a comprehensive, high-quality early learning system for Washington state.

This Friday is the cutoff.

After that, the Department of Early Learning (DEL), the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and Thrive by Five Washington (the state’s public-private early learning partnership) will spend the next few months considering the public’s comments before releasing a final plan in the fall.

In this edition, you’ll read about our support of a decline-to-sign campaign aimed at keeping Initiative 1107 off the November ballot; I-1107 would repeal much of the revenue lawmakers approved this year – money that prevented devastating cuts to many critical services for kids and families. You’ll also read about new guidelines that make Washington eligible for up to $1.3 million in home visiting funds that are available through federal health care reform.

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