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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Paper Dolls Rally At State Capitol Parents, Children, Proxies Ask Lawmakers To Support Child Care

Associated Press

The Capitol steps were flooded Thursday with life-size dolls made by hundreds of children and parents from across the state.

Accompanying the dolls were about 50 people, mostly women and children, who want lawmakers to support quality child care for low-income, working families.

Gov. Mike Lowry told the rally that children are the most important resource in the state.

“A caring state must put its children first and make sure there’s good-quality, affordable child care,” the governor said.

He said every child must know that adults care about them and love them.

Laura Wells of Children Works for Washington asked lawmakers to provide enough money to ensure quality health care for every child.

She cited the example of the Employment Child Care Subsidy program, which she said is a positive financial investment in families.

“Without programs such as this, people have to leave their jobs, or worse, leave their children home alone,” Wells said.

Rep. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, who is the mother of a young child, said she has received many desperate phone calls and letters from people who do not have quality child care.

She told the rally that some lawmakers don’t understand the situation.

“People out there know there’s a problem, unfortunately the people in here don’t know it,” Brown said.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl, D-Seattle, told the crowd that part of the reason children do not have quality care is because providers are not adequately paid. She said the average hourly wage for child care providers is $6.50.

Each doll represented a real Washington child and wore a card telling his or her own child care story. The dolls were taken by those in attendance to their senators and representatives after the rally.