The recession may be ending but its aftershocks continue to wreak havoc with Washington’s economy and today Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed a state budget that would cut all three-year-old children from a publicly-supported preschool program.
To balance the budget, Gov. Gregoire proposed deep cuts in several early learning initiatives. The budget would halt child care subsidies and support for 17,000 working poor families and those on welfare and eliminate support for child care referral and support services, in addition to cutting 1,563 slots in the preschool initiative, known as the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, according to state and outside analyses.
These cuts are far from final, however. In Washington, the governor must propose a balanced budget that does not rely on new revenue sources, and next year the state faces a $2.6 billion budget deficit. Gov. Gregoire already indicated she doesn’t support today’s budget and plans to restore cuts in early education and other areas when she unveils her own budget in January.
“It is not a budget I can live with nor is it one I believe Washingtonians can live with,” Gov. Gregoire wrote in a public letter released today.
Once the governor submits her budget, the work only gets harder, as state lawmakers craft a final plan they will send back to Gregoire.
There is good news in the budget plan, however, because it would keep $1.25 million for home visitation efforts, which also enjoy support in Congress and the Obama administration, and place that money under the Department of Early Learning, according to an analysis by Thrive by Five Washington.
Still, today’s deep proposed cut to early education for three-year-old students, often from working poor families, and the fact that this budget hits all areas of state government are signs that some early learning cuts may be likely. Today’s cutbacks also include:
- Elimination of the Wage and Career Ladder that supports child care workers.
- Suspension of funding for all-day kindergarten, which is targeted to high-poverty areas.
“The Governor's proposed supplemental budget does preserve funding for preschool services to some of our most at-risk 4-year-olds. We are grateful for that, because we know it's one of the best ways to help ensure kids start school ready to succeed,” Department of Early Learning spokeswoman Amy Blondin wrote in an email. “Of course, we never want to see a budget that makes cuts to programs and services for children and families, but this proposal reflects the very real economic situation our state faces. The Governor is making every effort to preserve a safety net for kids.”
Despite recent rosier economic indicators, experts have warned states will continue to struggle with deficits and weak tax revenue in the next few years. Today’s budget is a harsh reminder of how deep The Great Recession is.
In the coming days, we will dig into the budget and try to get a better sense of what early learning cuts will really be on the table.
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