Child care costs more than college in Washington state
The average annual cost of sending a toddler to daycare in Washington tops $14,000, according to a new report — and it’s about $2,100 more than sending your child to the University of Washington for a year. The report released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows how deeply families struggle to stay afloat while working and paying for child care — and how some have been forced to quit jobs to stay home with a kid. Child care costs have increased by 220% since 1990, outpacing inflation, per the report. In Washington state, the average annual cost for center-based toddler care is $14,355. That’s 39% of a single parent’s median income or 12% of a family’s, according to the report, which is based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 National Database of Childcare Prices. Only five other states — Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York — and Washington, D.C., had a higher average annual cost for this type of care. Continue reading at Axios. (Tory Lysik)

How much money does your family need to survive in Washington? This report says $77k a year
About one in three Washington households are not making enough money to make ends meet, according to recently released data from a national research group called United for ALICE. Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) describes people who are working, making more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not making enough money to cover their basic needs where they live. In 2021, the Federal Poverty Level for a family of four with two children in childcare, was $26,500 a year. ALICE data says the same family in Washington needs $77,328 per year minimum just to survive. ALICE data provides a better picture of what needs to be done to “leverage local resources to have an impact on the things that matter in particular, how can we help people have more productive fulfilling lives.” Continue reading at KNKX. (Ted S. Warren)

State will launch ‘refund bureau’ for fines paid in overturned drug cases
Thousands of people whose drug possession convictions got nixed by the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision will soon have a simpler path to get money back for fines they paid. Next month, the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts will launch the Blake Refund Bureau, an online portal through which people can obtain reimbursements for court-ordered fines or fees tied to convictions vacated as a result of the landmark 2021 ruling. There have been 262,767 convictions for felony drug possession since 1971, according to the Washington State Patrol. Of those, it is estimated 150,000 people could be owed money when their convictions are vacated. An additional 150,000 misdemeanor marijuana charges may also be eligible for vacation, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts. Lawmakers earmarked $50 million for reimbursements and $47 million to help defray costs to courts, prosecutors and defense attorneys tied to vacating charges and adjusting sentences of incarcerated or supervised people with convictions under the old law. Continue reading at Everett Herald.