Hi all,

**TL/DR: I need folks willing to be added to a mobilization list to advocate for child care for families experiencing homelessness. Please contact me if you are willing/interested.**

Child Care Resources and the Homeless Child Care Subsidy Team in particular are working hard to support a change in the Washington State budget during the supplemental session this year. The elevator pitch is: The Department of Children Youth and Families is now the home of the Child Care Subsidy Program, which includes Working Connections Child Care for families working or engaged in Work First programs (through a TANF IRP at DSHS) and the Homeless Grace Period, a four-month full-time child care subsidy for those not eligible for Working Connections and experiencing homelessness. We are on the last push to change this from a four-month to a twelve-month program, so families experiencing homelessness have more time to stabilize and find work, housing, and support before being kicked off subsidy.

The ask:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE: If you or your organization has the capacity to be added to a mobilization list, receive an email every now and again, use an action link to show your support once in a while, PLEASE contact me to be added to our mobilization list. If you or your organization have an existing advocacy agenda or list of legislative action items that this might be added to, let me know that as well.

Every voice helps to get childcare to more of our most vulnerable families, and childcare helps them find jobs, housing, health, safety, and hopefully stability. In addition, we know that early learning plays the single biggest role in ameliorating some of the trauma and long term effects of homelessness, generational poverty, and Adverse Childhood Experiences. We can help make our community safer, healthier, and happier for a large group of little people and their families. Please help if you can.

Thank you all for the vibrant, vociferous work and advocacy I see you do every week at these meetings and every day in our community. You’re all inspiring.

Hava Tursky

Homeless Family Engagement Specialist

1501 Pacific Ave, Ste 305

Tacoma, WA  98402

Phone: 253-272-8000 x287

Phone: 206.329.1011 x 287

Mobile: 206-573-6436

Fax: 206-336-7883

Serving King and Pierce Counties

Child Care Resources improves all children’s access to high quality early learning experiences by engaging with families, caregivers, and communities. Embedded in Child Care Resources’ daily work is identifying and addressing racism so that all children thrive in their early learning environments.