As the state legislative session kicks off, the Washington State Labor Council has several priorities: raising the state minimum wage, cracking down on the use of artificial intelligence in public sector jobs and child care. 

The labor group is supporting House Bill 1128 that would establish a child care standards board to ensure the 6,000 licensed child care providers in the state are meeting the needs of young children and their families and that staff for those providers have access to training and equitable wages and benefits.  

The board would include child care providers, employers, and community members who rely on child care, and work with the state departments of Labor & Industries and Children, Youth & Families 

“This approach allows collaborative discussion on issues like wages and benefits, safety, and professional development, as well as space to craft holistic solutions that support child care providers, workers, and the communities they serve,” the council said in a briefing paper. “This is a last-mile tool that ensures public funding for child care programs makes it into workers’ pockets.”