Accessing Child Care for Building Trades Professionals

Nov 14

The Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council’s Construct A Career Initiative is hosting an upcoming forum on ‘Strengthening Trades Through Child Care’ in Kennewick, WA 11.21.24. What is the current state of childcare for trades professionals in Washington State?

Child care is critical for the success of professionals in the construction trades, but too often workers aren’t able to find care during the hours they need, affecting everything from career trajectories to job satisfaction to family life at home, leading to questions about a continued willingness to stay in the trades. As an article from August highlights, Survey finds nearly 40% of WA parents quit work or got fired after having kids. An interviewee in a 2021 report funded by WA Department of Commerce sums up the challenge, “Child care, or the lack of availability of it, puts the lie to the notion that America cares about children of the working class. It’s especially hard for persons of color, historically underserved.”

While these concerns are historic and well-known, resources in Washington have been limited. One current avenue for creating policy change is the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council Child Care in the Trades Subcommittee. They bring together workers, employers, policy makers, workforce leaders and childcare workforce agencies quarterly to advocate for a more equitable and effective child care system for Washington’s skilled trades workers.

According to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families, “...about 302,000 children age B-5 not yet in school need child care, because all available parents in the home are working. Only about 29% of these children are served by licensed child care, preschool, and/or subsidized child care….Families of over 469,000 school-age children (kindergarten through age 12) are in need of care, and only about 12% of these children are served by licensed child care, preschool, and/or subsidized child care.” Needs vary widely across the state. Review DCYF’s child care and early learning needs dashboard for more local information.

Additional data from Child Care Aware paints an alarming picture:

49% of Washington parents find it difficult or very difficult to find, afford and keep child care
27% of Washington parents quit their job or left school/training due to child care issues
$6.5 billion dollars: total estimated direct and opportunity costs to Washington due to employee child care issues

Read more at The Mounting Costs of Child Care, recently produced by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Hope in New Models and New Initiatives

The Machinists Institute, led by former CCE Director Shana Peschek, has taken on a leadership role in childcare. Their child care page is applicable for child care in the construction trades, and the page answers frequently asked questions about schedules, costs, ages and more. Their brochure, Navigating the child care system in Washington State, contains essential information on the differences between licensed and informal child care, links to resources and videos, and additional tips on finding your way through child care systems in the state. Another resource is Working Connections Child Care, which may be available to first-year construction apprentices.

Upcoming child care forums across the state, hosted by the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council’s Construct A Career Initiative, will allow building trades professionals to learn more about the current state of child care in the trades and find out where the policy and advocacy conversation stands now. More information:

The Eastern WA Forum is set for Thursday, November 21st at 9 am, and will be hosted at IBEW Local 112, 114 North Edison Street Kennewick, WA. Sign up here.