Regional Chamber, Other Organizations Explore Childcare Solutions During Summit

Balancing a job and raising children is a challenge for many families. The rising cost of living impacts every aspect of our daily lives. It is not just the increasing cost of childcare that is a problem; availability is also an issue. Many childcare providers have space for more children but lack sufficient staff.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with Community-Minded Enterprises and other local organizations, sponsored the first Childcare Strategy Summit on August 13th at the Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center in Kennewick.
Over fifty community leaders and childcare providers gathered to discuss the current state of childcare services in the Tri-City region. Population growth and the need for dual-income families are driving the demand for childcare. Ajsa Suljic, a Regional Labor Economist, reviewed trends in population growth, industry diversification, and local workforce demands.

Amy Anderson from the Association of Washington Businesses provided an overview of childcare in Washington State. She highlighted that the state legislature allocated $34 billion to K-12 education, $18 billion to post-secondary education, but only $2.4 billion to childcare. Statistics also show that 15% of the workforce has children under six, and 61% of households with children under six have all adults in the labor force.
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It is clear that the childcare issue is also a workforce issue. The lack of affordable childcare is a growing concern, and there does not seem to be a quick fix. In 2024, legislation was introduced to address the problem but did not advance. New legislation will be proposed in 2025, and we will keep you updated on its progress.