Daycare Providers Concerned about Budget Cuts

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By Molly Kelleher

Summary

Parents who rely on help to pay for daycare are worried that help may run out. On Thursday, parents and day care providers held a news conference warning about proposed budget cuts that could affect the "Working Connections" program.

Story Published: Feb 11, 2010 at 6:20 PM PST

Daycare Providers Concerned about Budget Cuts
KENNEWICK - Parents who rely on help to pay for daycare are worried that help may run out. On Thursday, parents and day care providers held a news conference warning about proposed budget cuts that could affect the "Working Connections" program.

Right now things are in the legislature's hands. The day care provider's union claims a quarter of all day cares could close down if the cuts go through because parents won't get the state assistance. But the exact impact is still up in the air.

The provider's union, SEIU, says a third of parents on the program will be impacted, but that is based on the $88 million budget cut first proposed in Governor Chris Gregoire's all-cuts budget. A month later, she restored $40 million in her budget proposal.

"The governor put it in her second budget, but it's the legislative budget that's being considered now. And we won't know what's in the legislative budget for weeks. I don't know that the legislature may cut even more," said Tricia Schroeder with SEIU.

Up to 12,000 families are helped by the "Working Connections" program.