As a parent whose child lost out on a lottery for full-day kindergarten in the Lake Washington School District, my family is scrambling to find other solutions. I’m faced with telling my son that “Oh sorry, your neighborhood school doesn’t have a slot for you, too bad.” Some of his neighborhood friends lucked out and some didn’t — so much for building a sense of community and kinship. The future of our children shouldn’t depend on chance.

Even when half-day programs are offered, there are often not enough private resources that offer quality solutions for the remainder of a half-day. On early dismissal days, the afternoon “half day” is less than two hours, barely enough time to get the little ones settled in.

As shown in the Economic Opportunity Institute, Washington state has a long way to catch up with spending on early childhood education in many states. How will our next generation possibly be able to compete in a global economy if we don’t give them the best start possible?