How Families Can Help Protect Child Care & After-School Programs in Washington

At Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, we believe every child deserves access to a safe, supportive place to learn, grow, and thrive. For thousands of families across Washington, that access depends on the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program, which helps make child care and after-school programs affordable while parents work or attend school.

As lawmakers finalize decisions for Washington’s 2026 supplemental operating budget, families and community members have an important opportunity to speak up in support of child care access—and your voice truly matters.

Why WCCC Matters to Families and Communities

WCCC supports children and families across the state, including many who rely on after-school programs to keep kids safe, engaged, and supported during critical hours of the day. These programs don’t just benefit families—they strengthen entire communities by supporting working parents, promoting youth safety, and creating stability for children.

Proposed changes in the supplemental budget could:

• Freeze enrollment for some families

• Hold reimbursement rates flat for providers

• Increase out-of-pocket costs for families

These decisions affect real children, real families, and the programs that serve them. Sharing your perspective helps lawmakers understand how these policies show up in everyday life.

Your Voice Makes a Difference

Legislators consistently tell us that hearing directly from constituents helps shape their decisions—especially during a short legislative session. Taking a few minutes to email your legislators is one of the most effective ways to support child care access and after-school programs across Washington.

To make it easy, we’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you contact your state legislators and share your support for WCCC and youth development funding.

How to Email Your Legislators

Protect Working Connections Child Care (WCCC)

We are encouraging families and community members to contact their legislators about the state operating budget (HB 2289 / SB 5998), which will determine whether child care subsidies are frozen, enrollment is capped, and family costs increase.

Below is a simple guide to help you get started.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step One:
Visit the Washington Legislature’s website and find your legislative district using the District Finder:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder

Step Two:
Enter your full address and click “Find my district.” Try to note your district number.

Step Three:
Click on any one of the three legislators listed for your state district. (You’ll be able to email multiple legislators later.)

Step Four:
Scroll down and click the yellow “Email Senator/Representative [Name]” button.

Step Five:
Re-enter your address to verify your legislative district.

Step Six:
Click “Show/hide legislators” to select additional legislators to receive your message.

Step Seven:
Fill in your contact information. Legislators may follow up to acknowledge your message or ask for more details.

Step Eight:
You may also choose to leave a comment on a specific bill. Note that the system allows comments on one bill or initiative at a time.

Step Nine:
Enter a subject and message. You are welcome to copy, paste, and personalize the template below:

Subject:
Please Protect Child Care Access in the 2026 Supplemental Budget

Body:
Dear Senator/Representative [Last Name],

I am a constituent writing to urge you to protect access to child care and after-school programs as you finalize Washington’s 2026 supplemental operating budget.

Washington families rely on the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy program to make child care and after-school programs affordable while parents work. Proposed changes to provider reimbursement policies, including those outlined in Senate Bill 6353 and HB 2689, could reduce payment stability for providers and impact the availability of care for families across our state.

Child care providers depend on predictable reimbursement to maintain staffing, classroom capacity, and program quality. Changes that significantly reduce or restructure payments may unintentionally destabilize the child care workforce and limit access for working families.

WCCC also supports school-age programs, including after-school programs that help keep kids safe and engaged during non-school hours. Maintaining strong, stable funding is critical for community stability and children’s well-being.

I respectfully ask you to:

• Keep Kids and Families who rely on these services top of mind while finalizing budget decisions
• Protect stable reimbursement policies that sustain child care providers
• Maintain strong funding for Working Connections Child Care

Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your work on behalf of Washington families.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Step Ten:
Choose whether you’d like a response from your legislator and a copy of your message. Review your email to ensure placeholders are filled in, then click send.

Thank You for Taking Action

Thank you for reaching out to your elected representatives and helping ensure that children across Washington continue to have access to safe, affordable, and reliable child care and after-school programs.

If you have questions about the legislative process, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County’s priorities, or how to get more involved, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 206-436-1800.

Together, we can help make sure safe spaces remain accessible to the kids and families who need them most.