Washington Business Winter 2020 | Washington Business | Page 48

business backgrounder | economy
“We’ve known it had to impact the
economy in some way. Now,
because of this report, we can
speak directly to that.”
— Ryan Pricco, director of policy and advocacy,
Child Care Aware
Amy Anderson, government affairs director for the
Association of Washington Business, serves as a
member of the task force. She presented the report
in September during a panel discussion at AWB’s
annual Policy Summit.
When AWB first began working on the issue,
there was a question about why the business
community would be part of the discussion around
child care, Anderson said. Employers didn’t always
realize how big of an issue it is for their business
and for their employees.
The fact is, people are leaving jobs, not accepting
jobs and foregoing education opportunities because
they can’t find or afford child care, she said.
“It’s a workforce issue. It’s an education issue. It’s
a rural issue,” Anderson said. “Most important, it’s
a Washington issue. We need to educate people and
make them aware.”
Dru Garson, CEO of Greater Grays Harbor, joined
in the panel discussion. Grays Harbor County has
struggled with high unemployment, and Garson said
the lack of child care is a major problem when he’s
attempting to recruit new industry to the area, or
when an existing employer expands.
“It’s depressing for me when people turn down
jobs because there’s no child care,” Garson said.
The findings put numbers to the challenges facing many families
and employers, and they underscore the importance of affordable,
high-quality child care at a time when many industries are facing a
labor shortage.
According to the survey, workers with children under age 6
represent 15% of Washington’s workforce. Nearly half of those
families surveyed — 49% — said they found it difficult or very difficult
to find, afford and keep child care. Among the findings:
• 27% of respondents quit their job or left school or training due to
child care issues
• 9% said they were fired or let go due to child care issues
• 27% went from full-time to part-time as a result of child care
issues
48 association of washington business
additional information
The number of family child care providers in Washington
has dropped 20% in the last five years, while the state’s
population has grown more than 400,000.
The capacity of licensed child care provider slots grew by
just 3,000 children during that same time.
48% of parents with young children reported missing
career or education opportunity.