A truism of this 60-day session is “things are moving quickly!” This Wednesday, Feb 4th marks the first ‘cutoff’ deadline for bills - any that haven’t passed out of their policy committee from their house of origin, are considered dead for the rest of the 2026 session (unless they can be tied to a budget item). Bills in the “money” committees need to be passed by Feb 9 or they die. On Feb 16, the latest economic and revenue forecast will be released, setting the stage for draft budgets to be released.

Early Learning/Child Care Funding Focus
Over this week, early learning advocates are working to protect and preserve early learning funding, with a focus on Working Connections Child Care (WCCC). WCCC is critical to ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) families. United Ways and their partners can take action this week by:

  • Coordinate with your partners and supporters to share child care cost challenges with their legislators.
  • Send emails to the legislators that represent your region about the need to maintain WCCC funding. Legislators Contact

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear (Legislator Name),

My name is (Name), and I represent (Organization).

Early learning is the work that makes all other work possible. It allows parents to work, businesses to operate, and Washington’s economy to function. Lawmakers must protect and sustain early learning funding to keep our economic and family infrastructure strong. I urge you to preserve and protect early learning funding. The proposed cap to Working Connections Child Care would prevent families from accessing affordable child care, and a reduction to the 75th percentile of the 2024 market rate for center-based providers would jeopardize sustainability for child care businesses to keep their doors open.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Bill Hearing Today
Imagination Library of Washington is helping SB 5961 move forward to shift state oversite of the Imagination Library of Washington from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education and is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM today. Please sign in PRO  Committee Schedules, Agendas, and Documents

To send your comments and your position on this bill directly to members in your legislative district, click here. ILWA also seeks $2.75M in state match funding this session.