During my five years in Washington’s House of Representatives, my conservative colleagues put forward plenty of misguided proposals for shrinking government. But none of them – not even the libertarians – suggested that keeping taxes low was more important than providing all of our state’s children with a publicly funded education. 

And yet, all of my Republican colleagues – and even many Democratic ones – felt comfortable arguing that our state “couldn’t afford” to provide all families with access to publicly funded childcare. Which is a bit odd, since the argument against universal child care is no more rational than the case against universal K-12 education. Let me be clear: We can fund what we prioritize.

In fact, giving every child high-quality child care and preschool is one of the most important things we can do to be sure that children thrive throughout their lives. In today’s economy, two-earner families are the norm. If the government doesn’t guarantee an enriching, daytime experience for all small children, many will go without.

But child care costs so much that it’s almost impossible for most families to access it in our state. The cost of child care in Washington state ranges from $10,560 to $16,200 per infant every year. That’s unattainable for many families, which is why some earners – usually women – are forced to quit their jobs, because it’s more affordable for them to stay home and care for their kiddos than it is for them to work. 

The burden of caregiving has cost women, on average, $324,044 in lifetime wages and benefits, while the greater economy loses billions of dollars annually in the contributions those women would be making if they were able to work while knowing their children were getting quality child care.

We know that early childhood education programs like Head Start and Early Head Start provide long-term benefits to children, families, and communities. The fact is, universally funded child care could easily mimic these programs and set our kiddos off on the right foot. Families would have reliable, high-quality early education programs to take their kids, and the economy would benefit immensely.

What do you think? Should we create a universal child care system?