Dear friends and neighbors,
Due to election year restrictions, this will be my final newsletter before election results are certified near the end of the year. However, my office is still hard at work serving our district! You can always reach out to us at 360-786-7658 or by emailing Claire.Wilson@leg.wa.gov.
The 2026 legislative session wrapped in March, but the work does not stop there. As chair of the Human Services Committee and vice chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, I will spend the interim working on finding policy solutions to the toughest challenges these committees tackle. That means working to address problems facing various systems in our state such as child welfare, juvenile justice, corrections, early learning, child care, community safety, and more.
Child Welfare:
This past session, I pushed for child welfare reforms and investments in ongoing resources to address the rise in critical incidents due to the current high-potency synthetic opioid public health crisis impacting small children and their families. We passed a budget that directs resources for services that support the health and safety of families and children. However, there is more we need to do, and I plan to build on our momentum from this past session. Over the next eight months, I will work with the Critical Incidents Work Group, led by Rep. Ortiz-Self, to find concrete policy solutions to this pressing issue.
In addition, I will continue to serve as co-chair of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Oversight Committee and as a member of the Washington State Commission on Children in Foster Care and Washington Thriving. These important groups are all working to better meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our state.
Early Learning and Child Care:
This session was a difficult one for early learning. We were able to maintain the current level of participation in the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy program for families, but we had to push out expanded eligibility, as well as increases in subsidy rates for providers. I was proud to sponsor the Pre-K Promise legislation, which creates an account to accept approximately $170 million annually over the next 10 years from the Ballmer Group to increase access to ECEAP, our state-funded preschool program, for an additional 10,000 children across the state. Despite the setbacks, I will continue to work with colleagues, stakeholders, advocates, and families to expand access to early learning and child care.
We are not the only state facing budget challenges and a child care crisis. However, like many other lawmakers around the country, I am working to expand access to child care and early learning opportunities. I’m proud to be a part of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Child Care Policy Work Group, where I have worked over the last year with 17 other legislators who have led child care and early learning policy in their states to develop a blueprint of policy recommendations to help state legislatures create and sustain high-quality, economically viable child care systems.
Juvenile Justice, Department of Corrections, and Community Safety:
I spent the 2026 legislative session working to address challenges facing our juvenile rehabilitation (JR) and Department of Corrections (DOC) systems in order to improve community safety. I pushed for policy solutions that prevent incarceration and help those exiting the juvenile justice system and DOC have a smooth reentry.
Again, this interim, I am meeting with constituents and organizations to continue work on improving supports for justice-involved individuals of all ages. One area I am focused on is ensuring our JR and DOC systems related to gender-responsive services and supports (education, access to work and correctional industries, commissary products, medical care, elder care, parenting, etc.) are adequately meeting the needs of all people in their care. In addition, I am exploring programs and services for incarcerated parents and support available for the children of incarcerated individuals.
This is just a snapshot of the work I look forward to continuing over the interim as we prepare for the 2027 legislative session. I look forward to giving you a full update on these bodies of work and my priorities at the end of the year.
Community Updates:
I’m excited to share that the Redondo Fishing Pier is set to be completed in June! The pier will be safer and more sustainable and include better beach access. I’m also thrilled to share that the City of Des Moines is honoring the sixgill sharks that congregate in the waters around the Redondo marina by giving Redondo Way South the commemorative name “Sixgill Shark Way.”
I’m proud and honored to share that I recently received the Treehouse Legislator of the Year Award! Treehouse is a nonprofit that serves the needs of youth in Washington’s foster care system. This year, I was also a guest of honor at Washington’s First Teen-Led Mental Health Summit. This powerful summit was organized by youth and brought together leaders in health care, public policy, and education. I’m humbled and thankful for the appreciation of work I’m committed to, and these honors are a reflection of our community and our state’s dedication to supporting our young people.
Thank you to everyone who visited, called, attended our town hall, or emailed our office this session. It’s a privilege to serve the 30th, and I look forward to continuing our work together to address the challenges facing our community and state.
Sincerely,
Sen. Claire Wilson
