New bill could potentially help teenage parents complete high school by offering free child care

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A introduced bill could potentially help teenage parents complete high school by making childcare one less worry on their list.

House Bill 2455 was introduced by Rep. Christine Kilduff. Under the bill, school districts would be required to provide full-day subsidized child care for parents still in high school under certain conditions.

It would also allow parents to take their children on the bus to and from school with them, as long as they use a proper car seat.

In order to be eligible, students would have to participate in at least 110 hours of activities per month, and their income could not exceed 85% of the state’s average income, according to the bill.

When looking at income, the bill would make it so the department would have to consider the parent applying as their own household without taking into consideration the other biological parent’s income.