What is Chandler's plan for childcare and early education?

Chandler Torbett's Childcare & Early Education Plan

Childcare is one of the largest expenses facing families in the 45th District, and one of the most solvable. Chandler supports a bold approach to making childcare affordable and accessible for every family in Redmond, Kirkland, Duvall, Sammamish, Woodinville, and across the Eastside.

1. Expand Universal Pre-K

Chandler will fight to expand Washington's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) into a universal pre-K system available to all 4-year-olds. This could save families tens of thousands of dollars in one year. That's more money that stays in the household budget for housing, groceries, and savings.

2. Treat Childcare as a Supply Problem 

Washington doesn't have enough childcare slots. Chandler supports state investment to expand childcare facility capacity, including grants for new providers and incentives for employers to offer on-site or subsidized care. More supply means more choices and lower costs.

3. Strengthen Working Connections Child Care

Chandler supports expanding this program and increasing reimbursement rates for providers participating in Washington's Working Connections Child Care subsidy program, so more providers can afford to accept subsidized families and more families can actually use their benefits.

4. Reduce Regulatory Barriers for New Providers

Licensing requirements should protect children, not prevent new childcare businesses from opening. Chandler supports a review of childcare licensing rules to identify and remove unnecessary barriers that drive up costs and limit supply, while maintaining strong health and safety standards.

5. Measure Results, Not Just Spending

Chandler believes every dollar the state invests in childcare should be tracked by outcomes: Are more families finding care? Are costs going down? He will push for transparent reporting on childcare program effectiveness so Washington can invest in what works.