My son is on a 2 year wait list for childcare that meets my family's needs, but he can't wait -- little minds like his are growing at the fastest rate and these first few years of life are critical in building a foundation for success in school and life. Kids and families like mine can't wait for affordable high-quality early learning opportunities!

The great news is that right now we have a critical opportunity to make progress for our littlest learners in Washington State!

Here's the deal: the governor and legislators have a 30-day special session to get things done for kids and families this year. We need them to use every second of that time to ensure that the Early Start Act is passed and fully funded in the budget to increase and support accessible, affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities (like preschool and childcare) that meet the needs of families.

Act now and tell the governor and state legislators to pass and fully fund the Early Start Act so Washington families have better access to high-quality early learning like preschool and childcare that meet their needs.

So, what exactly does the new Early Start Act do?

The Early Start Act would increase access to affordable high-quality childcare by providing tools to help more parents find high-quality early learning opportunities (like preschool and childcare) that meet families' needs, promote more high-quality early learning opportunities across the state, and get our littlest learners ready for kindergarten and beyond! But without proper funding, this bill is a lot of great talk with not a lot of action. And kids and families need action, now.

Why is an Early Start so important?

Leading economists agree, investments in high-quality early learning programs like preschool actually save future dollars for everyone. [1] Children who have high-quality early learning experiences are more likely to succeed in school, graduate from high school, gain stable employment, and are less likely to be arrested. [2] Studies show that for every dollar invested in high-quality early learning, we see a return of up to $8.00. [3] Investing in early learning helps taxpayers, kids, parents, businesses, and our economy.

The Early Start Act will help working families across the state and save future taxpayer dollars. The bill is a win for families and our economy!

Please join us and email your state leaders to pass and fully fund the Early Start Act now. 

And after you take action, please forward this email to friends and family--and post the action link on Twitter and Facebook, too. The more of us who raise our voices, the bigger the impact we'll have for our kids, our families, and our state.