Child care is a foundational part of US society, supporting the health, social, and economic well-being of families and their children. And yet child care isn’t funded like other vital infrastructure, such as K–12 education, health care, and transportation. Child care workers hold deep skills and expertise in providing essential care and early education, yet they remain some of the lowest-paid workers. Low wages contribute to high turnover, leading to operational challenges for child care programs and disrupting the continuity of care for children.

Addressing low compensation in child care is critical for communities nationwide, yet raising wages for workers is difficult for child care businesses to achieve on their own without significantly increasing tuition fees for parents or receiving significant public funding from local, state, or federal governments.

Evaluating a Wage Boost Pilot in King County

The Best Starts for Kids Child Care Wage Boost Pilot, implemented in King County, Washington, seeks to demonstrate how government investments can benefit the child care sector, workers, families, and the community. This initiative is investing more than $25 million in additional compensation through 2027 to participating King County child care workers, including workers in both child care centers and family child care homes. An anticipated 1,400 workers will participate and receive additional compensation as a wage boost every three months they remain in the pilot. Workers, families, advocates, and providers have informed the initiative’s design from the beginning.

The Urban Institute, in partnership with Cardea Services, is evaluating the impact of this pilot on child care programs and their workers. This community-informed study includes surveys, focus groups, interviews, and data analysis to inform future local, regional, and national compensation initiatives. Findings will prioritize the voices of child care providers to ensure that their perspectives shape the evaluation. By studying the impact of government investment in the child care workforce, the project aims to inform paths forward for a sustainable child care sector that supports worker well-being and affordable, consistent care for families.

For more information or to provide input on the project, please contact us at [email protected]. This project is supported by funding from King County, Washington, through the Best Starts for Kids initiative.