Olympia - Today, the Washington House of Representatives passed House Bill 1525 off the house floor with a unanimous vote. Mary Fosse, D-Everett, recently introduced House Bill 1525, to address the lack of affordable childcare faced by those in state registered apprenticeship programs.
“Childcare is a huge barrier in the recruitment and retention of apprentices, especially for women, and single parents as they often carry the burden of caregiving responsibilities,” said Rep. Fosse. “As our state faces workforce shortages in construction and other vocations, childcare is an additional hurdle we must do more to address. I’m hopeful this bill will not only aid working families, but also help in the effort to diversify the building and construction trades and reduce our workforce shortages.”
HB 1525 would expand the Working Connections Child Care program to first-year apprentices, who often face inconsistent pay and financial instability. Removing barriers to childcare will attract more candidates and reduce the number of apprentices that must leave due to financial burdens. We are helping provide more economic stability for our future workforce, helping our working families, and supporting alternative pathways to economic self-sufficiency. It now heads to the Senate for further consideration.