Kara Tolentino’s family has been homeless for nearly a year. She, her husband, and their two young sons live in a camper. There’s little room for the kids to play, and no bathroom, which makes potty training almost impossible. One thing that’s made a difference as the family has worked to stabilize is access to child care.

C hild care is a necessity for many families in Washington state. But for families experiencing homelessness, access to child care can mean a stable environment their children may not otherwise have, and much-needed time for parents to find housing and work. A state program called Working Connections Child Care subsidizes child care for low income families as long as they meet certain requirements, such as both parents working a certain number of hours a week. For families experiencing homelessness who are trying to re-enter the workforce, there’s currently a four month grace period where they can access the funds for child care without having to meet those criteria. But advocates say that’s not nearly enough time for many families to find a child care provider, let alone find work and stable housing.

They’re urging state legislators to extend the grace period to 12 months. From Kirkland to camper When Tolentino’s family first moved to Seattle from Kirkland they had a roommate and a house with a yard. “We found this kind of dream home, kind of a unicorn, because it was a two bedroom in the Madrona area," Tolentino said. The house wasn’t in the best condition, but it was affordable.

Things began to spiral when the family had issues with their roommate. Tolentino said it got ugly. They got the authorities involved and had the roommate removed from the home. The roommate retaliated by calling child protective services, according to Tolentino. She said the cases were closed, but it impacted the family and meant her husband was late to work, or missed work on occasion. Her husband lost his job, they fell behind on rent, and the family was evicted. That first night, they didn’t know what to do. They went to a playground near their house and just stood there, Tolentino said.

They considered riding the ferries overnight. They ended up staying in a friend’s carport while they waited to get into a shelter. They’re now in a pop-up camper. Tolentino said it's been hard. “No kid deserves to sit inside a camper for any amount of time during the day. There’s no room to play,” she said. “It’s not warm.” And having young kids in tow can complicate things as families try to get back on their feet. Everything takes twice as long, Tolentino said, and having toddlers at housing interviews is difficult.

Access to child care has made things easier for Tolentino’s family. They qualified for the four month grace period for homeless families and were able to access funds through the state subsidy program. Tolentino said it was a game changer. "I could actually get things done," she said. It gave her time to address her mental health.