House passes Pettigrew’s measures

for child-care workers, family accounts Legislation aims to bolster support for children and families OLYMPIA – The state House of Representative has approved a pair of what a Seattle lawmaker calls “real-people bills.” Sponsored by state Rep. Eric Pettigrew, one of the bills (House Bill 1636) would establish an option for a career and wage ladder for child-care workers who work in licensed child-care centers. By a vote of 59-34, the legislation was passed by the House and sent to the Senate. The other measure (House Bill 1408), which is also prime-sponsored by the 37th Legislative District Democrat, would authorize the creation of individual-development accounts to help low-income families in their quest to become self-sufficient. By a vote of 93-0, the legislation was passed by the House and sent to the Senate. “These are real-people bills. They’re all about our children, as well as their parents, and the other adults who raise and guide these young people on the healthy path,” Pettigrew said. “Children and their families should always come first in our thinking.” The career and wage ladder would be based on a successful pilot project the state recently conducted. “The average child-care worker in a family day care earns a little over $3 an hour,” the Seattle Democrat pointed out. “By comparison, workers in licensed day-care centers make about $8 an hour, which is still way below a livable wage. “More than 40 percent of these women and men don’t get health insurance through their employer. A third don’t get paid sick leave. And more than 25 percent of child-care workers don’t even get a paid vacation. “They do society’s most important work,” he said, “and yet they’re so poorly paid!” Pettigrew’s measure would base the ladder on a child-care worker’s experience, level of responsibility, and education. The ladder would apply to child-care workers who work at licensed child-care centers such as the Tiny Tots Development Center in Seattle. If funding is made available in the new state budget, the Department of Social and Health Services could set up the ladder in licensed child-care centers. These centers must dedicate at least 10 percent of their slots to children whose care is subsidized. Further, organizations representing child-care teachers and providers would be consulted when the department determines an allocation formula. The formula would reflect the location and demographic distribution of child-care centers that set up the ladder. The individual-development accounts bill would also create an individual-development-account program for foster youth. Sponsoring organizations could get assistance in creating individual-development accounts for foster children. An account could be created on behalf of a foster child as a way to help the young person save money needed to pay for: * Postsecondary education or job training. * Housing – including rent, security deposit, and utilities. * A computer, if it’s necessary for postsecondary education or job training. * A car, if it’s necessary for employment. * Health insurance. “This legislation is aimed at strengthening job training, home ownership, and business development for low-income families in our state,” Pettigrew said. “A community’s economic well-being isn’t measured simply by income, spending, and consumption,” he explained. “If you want to get an accurate picture of how people are doing, you should look at the state of their savings, investment, and assets. Building assets is a particularly effective strategy in a family’s work toward economic well-being.”