Child care in Washington is getting more expensive

WASHINGTON — Washington is one of the most expensive cities in the country to live in. And the need for childcare in the city only increases the price. The newly implemented city ordinance makes the situation for families even more unsustainable.

The regulation was first drafted in 2016. Its purpose is to protect the “health, safety and welfare” of children in Washington. According to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), it also wants to promote an environment of “high-quality” education. Essentially, the new regulation would require most child care staff in Washington to have a college degree.

Click here to read more about the requirements the regulation places on each type of staff.

The regulation was not without reservations. According to the Institute for Justice, a libertarian, nonprofit public interest law firm, this could put many good child welfare workers in Washington out of work. The institute cites the cost of obtaining a college degree and the time required as barriers.

However, OSSE states that some childcare workers may be able to apply for exemption from continuing to work.

This will depend on how long they have been working in childcare and their level of education.

Reason magazine producer Justin Zuckerman recently joined Inside Sources host Boyd Matheson to share insights on Washington’s new child care laws.

Part of the transcript, edited for brevity, appears below.

ZUCKERMAN: Many of these kindergarten teachers are working mothers or older and retired people. They simply don’t have time to go back to school. So this created a lot of frustration for directors, teachers and parents. And many people are now leaving the city because of this.

MATHESON: Of course, everyone wants high-quality day care. Everyone wants children to be safe in kindergarten. But does this law equate higher education with better services and child care? Is this really a correlation and a connection, or is it just an element of regulation?

Does a diploma mean better childcare?

ZUCKERMAN: The science behind this fact mostly says that children who have a bachelor’s degree in kindergarten do better. But the science doesn’t actually say it’s because of the bachelor’s degree.

Something like this is held to such a high standard that these kinds of daycares would cost a lot of money. It is usually wealthier families who place their children in such programs.

Children from wealthy families tend to do better in school. The research paper on which this new law is based even admits that there is no conclusive empirical evidence that having a college degree actually produces better outcomes for children or makes you a better teacher.

The only requirement for a teaching assistant position is to have a degree in any field. So you don’t even have to attend a single early childhood education class. All you need is a degree in any field and technical qualifications.

What about other degrees?

MATHESON: And you’re not without it, are you? Even when it comes to underwater basket weaving, as long as you have it you’re in, if you don’t you’re out. I thought one of the other things that was really interesting in your article, Justin, was a comment from one of the preschool principals who said it’s not just about getting an education, it’s about experience. So describe how this particular ordinance in the city might impact the part of the experience of getting to better daycare.

ZUCKERMAN: Many people working in day care facilities are women. And many of them have been working in this field for several decades. They have experience that they say can’t be replicated or gained with a college degree.

It’s simply the result of long work in the field. If they have a university degree, a degree in early childhood education is required to become a principal teacher. If you have a degree in anything else, you still don’t have a technical qualification.

People who have worked for more than 10 years can apply for the exemption. But like that principal you mentioned, she has 11 teachers who have filed waiver applications with the superintendent’s office. They waited for months and received no response. It is very difficult for these workers. They have no idea what their status is.

(You can listen to the entire podcast above or by visiting the KSL NewsRadio podcast page.)

Internal sources With Boyd Matheson You can listen on weekdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m Keep following the show Facebook.

Devin Oldroyd is a digital content producer for KSL NewsRadio. Follow him X

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