Originally published by the King County Department of Community and Human Services.

New findings from the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Worker Wage Boost pilot show how increasing wages helps retain talent and keep workers in the field.

Launched in early 2025, the pilot invests $29 million in the child care workforce. Workers receive quarterly payments ($2,080 for full-time employees and $1,040 for part-time employees) from King County to increase their annual income. So far, the pilot has seen a high rate of retention, with 78% of participants who received the wage boost remaining in their roles after a year.

“Child care is the foundation that allows parents to go to work and support their families. In King County and across the country, child care remains too expensive, while the workers we depend on to care for our children struggle to support their own families on low wages. As a father of two young daughters, I know firsthand how much families depend on the people who care for our children, and those workers deserve to be able to support their own families too,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “This pilot has shown that investing in our child care workforce helps retain skilled professionals, strengthens the quality and stability of care, and ultimately invests in our children’s future.”

More than 40% of child care workers who responded to a King County survey in 2025 said they have trouble affording what they need each month, and 19% said they could not afford enough food for themselves or their families. While respondents were satisfied with many aspects of their jobs, including their relationships with families and supervisors, many cited wages and benefits as the top reasons they consider leaving the field.

The latest report on the Wage Boost Pilot, by researchers Urban Institute and Cardea Services, shows positive results from this type of investment in our child care workforce :  

• Child care workers who received the Wage Boost were 12% less likely to look for a job.

• 74% of workers surveyed said that due to the Wage Boost they planned to stay in their job.

• 81% of child care program directors said the Wage Boost helped them retain their best staff.

• 73% of Wage Boost recipients agree that they were more engaged at work because of the Wage Boost.

Child care workers, who are mostly women and disproportionately women of color, are not adequately compensated for the value of their work, leading to high turnover across the sector. When workers have more incentive to stay, children and families experience more stability, structure, and stronger relationships with caregivers.

“Today we’re excited to announce the findings from the pilot show that a deep government investment in child care worker wages leads to significantly better retention of workers as well as better quality of care,” said Dr. Susan McLaughlin, director of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) that administers the Best Starts levy alongside Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health). 

Through the Best Starts for Kids initiative, King County is also investing $133 million through 2027 in subsidies to help families afford child care. The program has already served approximately 3,500 children from 2,000 families, with more children expected to benefit before the end of the levy.

“Child care workers provide an essential service to children, families, and communities. Investing in equitable child care worker wages supports well-being and makes King County safer and healthier for everyone,” said Dr. Sandra Valenciano, Director and Health Officer for Public Health.

About Best Starts for Kids

Best Starts for Kids (Best Starts) is a community-driven initiative to support every baby born and child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy, healthy, safe, and thriving. Through investing in community supports from prenatal development to adulthood, Best Starts catalyzes strong starts in early childhood and sustains those gains as kids progress to adulthood, launching King County’s kids on a path of lifelong health and well-being. The levy first passed in 2015 and again in 2021.

Originally published November 9, 2026.