Relief package must offer help to child care providers

As a parent, I am concerned about other parents who have to go out and work and they can not get child care due to centers being forced to close in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

As a parent and an advocate, I am concerned by the virus' impact on child care, whose services are crucial to our community. Due to COVID-19, child care centers must consider either temporarily or permanently closing. In Washington state, over 1,000 child care centers have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's why we need a second stimulus package that contains substantial aid for child care providers to keep their doors opened and service the children of our community. This will also allow parents who have to work be able to without worry of who will be able to care for their children safely.

I urge all members of our state legislatures and our congressional representatives to provide more funding for child care in the second stimulus package so that we can keep these centers opened and parents who needs childcare have access to it. We all must work together in this time of crisis. A strong child care industry is indispensable to our community, workforce and economy – now and when this pandemic ends.

Byron Jackson

Everett