Off the Charts: 87% of Washington voters say child care is a priority

A new poll shows that child care concerns transcend political and regional boundaries in Washington state.

A majority of Washington voters across party lines identified child care as a priority—and that they want to see politicians tackle it. The poll reflects pressures Washington parents know too well. If you want to raise a child in this state, be prepared to drop an average of $14,000 a year on child care. And that’s if you find a spot—an estimated 600,000 Washington kids in need of care don’t have licensed child care, according to state data.

It remains to be determined how such a plan would be funded, but the question to voters makes clear that it would not put the burden on child care providers. Rather, it says it would, "create a living wage structure with benefits like health care."

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Where did these numbers come from?

The poll referenced above was conducted by GBAO Strategies on behalf of MomsRising, One America Votes, and the Children’s Campaign Fund Action. The poll consisted of a survey of 800 voters, including 600 registered voters and an additional oversample of 200 voters of color, fielded March 20-26, 2024 via landline, cell phone, and text-to-web. The sample was pulled from a voter file. The survey carries a +/- 4 percentage-point margin of error at the 95% confidence interval.