Washington state will receive an estimated $2.614 billion investment in K-12 and higher education and a $635 million investment in child care as part of the American Recue Plan
As the Chair of the Senate education committee, Senator Murray led efforts to prioritize funding for safe school re-opening
ICYMI: Senator Murray Applauds Passage of Critical Resources to Get Students Back to the Classroom Safely – MORE HERE
ICYMI: American Rescue Plan Marks Historic Shift in How Our Country Helps Families Find and Afford Child Care – MORE HERE
Senator Murray: “I want to get our kids back to the classroom safely and as quickly as possible. The American Rescue Plan will get this done… [it] puts kids and families first—more help is finally here.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced more than $2.6 billion in investments in K-12 and higher education in Washington state from the American Rescue Plan, as well as more than $635 million in relief to support quality, affordable child care in the state. As the Chair of the Senate committee responsible for education policy, Senator Murray was instrumental in securing this funding and including critical relief for students, schools, and working parents and child care providers in the relief bill.
“I want to get our kids back to the classroom safely and as quickly as possible. The American Rescue Plan will help get this done by making sure schools can secure adequate PPE, reduce class sizes to increase social distancing, improve ventilation, address learning loss, and more.
“The pandemic has made life harder for every family across Washington state. Students and parents have suffered tremendously as a result—and we know this pain has not been felt equally as the crisis has deepened existing inequities in our education system. But the American Rescue Plan puts kids and families first—more help is finally here.
“The American Rescue Plan also marks a historic shift in how our country approaches child care. As more than 700 child care providers in Washington state have closed because of the pandemic, this legislation will save hundreds of thousands of providers who serve millions of children from closure—and help almost one million families across the country afford quality, child care. I am so proud that we have set a new precedent for finally prioritizing economic policies that support working women and families.”
The American Rescue Plan includes over $125 billion nationally in public K-12 funding, to help schools reopen safely for in-person instruction as quickly as possible by providing them with the resources needed to implement important public health measures, address learning loss that has compounded longstanding inequities in our education system, and provide support to children with disabilities through increased funding for programs authorized under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act. It will provide nearly $40 billion nationally to institutions of higher education, split roughly evenly between students for emergency financial aid and flexible assistance to help colleges defray lost revenue and absorb increased costs. And, the law also includes $40 billion nationally in child care funds to support child care providers and prevent further closures, ensure child care workers—the majority of whom are women—don’t continue to lose their jobs, and ensure working families have access to quality, affordable child care. See below for a breakdown of estimated Washington state specific funding levels.
Senator Murray has long fought to provide students and schools with the resources they need to weather this pandemic, and first introduced her Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA) in June, which established the framework for education relief in the American Rescue Plan and legislation enacted last year. Senator Murray also led the fight for child care relief during this pandemic, and is a leader in the Senate on child care reform. She has successfully increased investment in early childhood education and child care by increasing funding for both Head Start and the Child Care Development Block Grant and she introduced her Child Care for Working Families Act in 2017.
Estimates of Education Investments in Washington State in the American Rescue Plan
- Washington state will receive an estimated $2.614 billion investment in education in the American Recue Plan
- Washington state Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) allocation: $1.852 billion
- 5% State reservation to address learning loss: $92.625 million
- 1% State reservation to fund evidence-based summer enrichment programs: $18.525 million
- 1% State reservation to fund evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs: $18.525 million
- 2.5% State reservation for other state activities: $46.313 million, of which no more than $9.263 million may be spent on ESSER administration
- At least 90% of ESSER state allocation must be subgranted to WA school districts: $1.667 billion
- School districts are required to use at least 20% of their ESSER subgrants to address learning loss: $333.45 million
- Washington state Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS): $43.708 million
- Washington state Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEER): $655.429 million
- Washington state Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Funds: $62.614 million
Estimates of Investments in Child Care, Early Childhood, and Families in Washington State in the American Rescue Plan
- Washington state child care: $635 million
- $244 million for the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program
- $391 million for a new child care stabilization grant program to support child care providers throughout the pandemic
- Washington state Head Start grantees: Over $13 million
- Washington state Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) grant program funds: $2,255,554
- Washington state community based child abuse prevention grants (CB-CAP): $5,582,495
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