Snohomish County invests $7.6M to fund critical need for additional childcare slots

EVERETT, Wash. - Dwindling childcare options in the North Sound will soon see major relief. On Thursday, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers announced the investment of $7.6 million to create hundreds of new affordable childcare slots. 

The funds were available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation.

About 80% of people in Snohomish County live in an extreme childcare desert. Child Care Aware of Washington reported there are 62 slots of childcare in the county for every 100 infants, toddlers, or preschoolers whose parents work, far below the state average of 79 slots per 100 children.

The new investment to increase options is one answer to a long and desperate call from parents countywide. Ariana Liv now has childcare for her son while she works full-time. However, like so many parents in the county, she said finding care for him was a challenge.

"Just trying to navigate and figure out a safe place for him, a place I trust, a place that he feels comfortable. And then also knowing he’s in the right place for development," said Liv. "It was a huge challenge. And mainly I’ve looked place after place because financially we were not able to afford most places."

Executive Somers said finding childcare is hard enough, let alone finding something that’s affordable.

"In fact, reports show, and this is hard to believe, the cost of childcare in Washington state is more than a year of tuition at the University of Washington and Washington State University," said Somers. "That’s not just an inconvenience, in our economy it’s really a hindrance and a block to the earning potential for many, many families and even being able to work."

The event was held at Rise Up Academy in Everett. U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, local elected leaders, teachers, community members, and even Seattle Sonics legend Lenny Wilkens gathered to celebrate the announcement of the investment.

"I’ve always looked at it that [children] were tomorrow’s doctors, leaders, politicians, athletes. They’re our future and we need to encourage them to let them know they can make a difference. And they can make a difference with programs like this with encouragement from you," said Wilkens. 

Executive Somers said the plan is to add around 360 high quality, affordable childcare slots to six existing community-based programs throughout the county. 

"These slots for childcare will remain right here in the county and affordable for at least 20 years," said Somers.

The executive said he and several members of the office toured the county conducting surveys to learn about the need, as part of their pandemic recovery engagement effort. 

Officials explained the awarded projects originate from submissions to the County’s Child Care Facilities Notice of Funding Availability. All the funded projects are:

• Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) – Lynnwood Neighborhood Center. Awarded $2,000,000. As part of the larger Lynnwood Neighborhood Center project, VOAWW will build new classroom space to serve 62 children including preschool, toddler, and infant classrooms. Additional services available on-site include family support, behavioral health integration, on-site medical services, and community-based intensive services for children, youth, and adults.
• Rise Up Academy – Academy Expansion Project. Awarded $2,000,000. This project will construct a new childcare and early learning facility that will increase Rise Up Academy’s child care capacity from 70 to 130 slots. The larger project, while not funded with this award, will also include long-term affordable housing units.
• Housing Hope – Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center. Awarded $1,000,000. Housing Hope will construct a new facility for Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center, doubling this program’s capacity to provide full-day, trauma-informed child care for children who have experienced homelessness, poverty, or early traumas. The project will create 136 to 142 new childcare slots. This facility will also provide job training in the early childhood education field and on-site behavioral health services for children and parents.
• Camp Fire Snohomish County – Camp Killoqua Child Care Center. Awarded $1,000,000. Camp Killoqua plans to renovate and transform an existing large open conference room into childcare classrooms and create a fenced play area. This project will create 32 additional childcare slots.

Officials said plans were in the final stages before construction of the new slots begin in the coming months.

Though Liv now has childcare, she said she hopes the expansion will be the start of critical relief for parents in need of care for their kids.

"So many mothers that are struggling with postpartum depression and struggling to find the help that they need. And I’m so grateful that there are these people who are coming together, even people without children who just know the struggle," said Liv.