Send an email through the easy-to-use Washington State Legislature's web form: How to send a message to a legislator.
Copy your message into the Message field, then replace everything in [brackets] with your own words. Your real story matters more than polished wording. Short and personal is fine.
Subject: Please Support Parenting Education in Washington
Dear [Senator / Representative Last Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I live in [City], in your district. My family is part of [your school's name], a parenting education program, and I am writing to ask for your support.
I joined parent education when [my child was X months/years old]. Before that, [what things were like for you: feeling isolated, unsure, overwhelmed, looking for answers]. Since then, [what changed for you and your child: new skills, confidence, friendships, how you handle hard moments at home]. One moment I will never forget [a short, specific memory from class].
Parenting education is cost-effective because the child and the adult receive an education at the same time. [One sentence on what you and your child each get out of it.]
These long-standing Washington state parenting education programs have supported families for nearly 50 years, and they need continued support to keep going. Without them, [what would be lost for families like mine].
I would be grateful for the chance to talk with you, in person or by phone, about what parenting education means to families in our community. Please let me know a time that works.
Thank you for your time and your service.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City, ZIP]
[Phone or email]
These examples below are drafts with made-up details - not letters from real families. Use them for inspiration, and tell your own story.
Example 1: By a parent who found community
Dear Representative [Name],
I am a mom of a two-year-old in Kirkland, WA, and our weekly parenting education class at Lake Washington Toddler Group is the best part of our week. When we started, I felt completely alone with a child who had huge tantrums and a baby on the way. In class, I learned what was normal for her age and what I could actually do about it. I made friends who share parenting ideas and text me when I am having a hard day.
What surprised me most is that we both learn at the same time. My daughter plays and builds skills with her classmates and teachers while I learn alongside other parents. That is a rare and cost-effective use of public support.
These long-standing programs need your help to keep going. I would love the chance to talk with you about what this means for families in your district.
Thank you, [Name], Kirkland, WA
Example 2: By a caregiver dad
Dear Senator [Name],
I am a dad of a 18-month-old from Redmond, WA, and I started coming to my family's parenting education class this fall. I was nervous, because I didn't think I would fit in. The teachers made me feel welcome right away, and I now understand my child's behavior in a completely different way. Every day, I use what I learn in my parenting ed sessions.
Programs like this give families tools that last well beyond the toddler years. Please support the parenting education programs that make this possible, and let me know if I can meet with you to share more.
Sincerely, [Name], Redmond, WA
Story Prompts if You Get Stuck
What was the hardest part of parenting before you joined a parenting ed class?
What is one thing you do differently at home because of your parenting ed class?
What relationships did you make in your parenting ed class, and how did they help?
What would you lose if your parenting ed program were not here?
What do you wish your legislator could see for themselves relative to your parenting ed experience?
Dear [your state Senator or state Representative's name],
As a [choose your own descriptor] who deeply values and supports [choose your own description], I want to take a moment to recognize a form of labor that is too often overlooked yet serves as the foundation of our society: the invisible labor of caregiving, and especially the labor of parenting.
What if we truly recognize parenting as work? Not as a private responsibility carried by individual families alone, but as the foundational labor that makes every other profession possible. Parenting is the invisible infrastructure of our society. Every teacher, engineer, nurse, artist, entrepreneur, and public servant first depended on someone who invested countless unpaid hours in their care, development, and well-being. Until we recognize caregiving and parenting as essential labor, we will continue to undervalue the very work that sustains all other work.
[Add your personal story of how Parenting Education and Cooperative Preschools have specifically affected your business, your career path, your partner's work, or other personal story.]
Parenting is a continuous job—24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has always been demanding, but today's parents are facing unprecedented challenges. In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared parental stress a public health concern, underscoring the urgent need to better support families. Reference: Parental Mental Health & Well-Being | HHS.gov
Now more than ever, we must see this invisible labor for what it is: essential, valuable, and worthy of the same respect we extend to every other form of work, and worthy of the State’s funds. Like any job, parenting can be strengthened through education, resources, and community support - all things that Washington’s long standing Parenting Education and Cooperative Preschools have provided to Washingtonians since 1947.
When we invest in parents, we are investing in healthier children, stronger families, more resilient communities, and a more prosperous economy. The returns are profound and generational. Like the best long-term investments, the benefits may not be immediate, but over time they yield extraordinary dividends—not only for individual families, but for our state as a whole.
I urge you to immediately pass legislation to reinstate funding for Parenting Education in our state’s Community and Technical Colleges.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title/Position]
[City]
Dear [your state Senator or state Representative's name],
As a [choose your own descriptor] who deeply values and supports [choose your own description], I want to take a moment to recognize a form of labor that is too often overlooked yet serves as the foundation of our society: the invisible labor of caregiving, and especially the labor of parenting.
[Consider adding your personal story of how intersections with Parenting Education and Cooperative Preschools have affected your family, your business, your career path, your children, or other personal story.]
Parenting is a continuous job—24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has always been demanding, but today’s parents are facing unprecedented challenges. In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared parental stress a public health concern, underscoring the urgent need to better support families. Reference: Parental Mental Health & Well-Being | HHS.gov
If Parenting Education programs continue to be defunded, the loss is much larger than the classes themselves. For programs like [your school name here], it can mean losing a community-based system that supports parents during one of the most demanding periods of family life. Some of the potential losses include:
[Please choose a couple of points from this list that reflect your experience]
Accessible parenting education. Families lose regular opportunities to learn about child development, behavior, communication, discipline, sleep, relationships, and other issues from trained educators.
A community of parents. Programs like [your school name here] give caregivers a place to meet other families who are navigating the same stage of life.
Early support and intervention for families. Parenting Education reaches families when children are very young, potentially giving caregivers tools and connections before challenges become crises. Early support can help families address challenges sooner, potentially reducing the need for more intensive and costly interventions later.
Family-centered learning. Programs don’t simply teach adults about children; they help caregivers observe their own children, practice new approaches, and learn alongside other families.
Support for the whole family. [your school name here]’s model includes both parenting education and family events, creating opportunities for caregivers and children to participate together. Parenting Ed programs across the state are the only classes where adults attend with their child.
Continuity and trained educators. Once programs close or become financially unsustainable, experienced teachers and educators may leave the field. Rebuilding that infrastructure later will be impossible.
Affordability. Public funding helps [your school name here], the change in the college fee structure as mandated by the SBCTC means a tenfold increase in fees families pay to attend.
A statewide network. The loss isn’t isolated to one toddler group. Defunding Parenting Education across Washington means communities lose a network of programs with local relationships, educators, and family-serving infrastructure.
There is also a less visible loss: the opportunity to normalize asking for help as a parent. A parent shouldn’t have to wait until their family is in crisis, seek private services, or navigate a complicated system to get evidence-informed guidance and connection with other parents.
Families aren’t simply losing a preschool class – they are losing an ecosystem of education, connection, support, and community that has been built over many years.
I urge you to immediately pass legislation to reinstate funding for Parenting Education in our state’s Community and Technical Colleges.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title/Position]
[City]