SPOKANE, Wash. — Three Eastern Washington non-profits are receiving more than $380,000 to address "highest priority" childcare shortages.
The Washington State Department of Commerce announced Wednesday 18 non-profits will receive part of $2 million in Child Care Partnership Grants. The money is intended to plan and pre-design efforts to expand childcare capacity across the state over the next two years.
According to a report from the Child Care Collaborative Task Force, 63% of Washington's children live in areas with inadequate childcare, which reportedly reduces the state's workforce by 133,000 people. The task force also reported increased stress in the childcare industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Access to affordable, quality child care is an economic issue, and it looks different in every community,” Commerce Director Mike Fong said in a statement. “This grant program is one way the Department of Commerce is working to support innovative public-private collaborations that help communities define and develop plans that address their unique and highest priority child care needs.”
The department hopes to support more historically marginalized and underserved communities that face more barriers to getting affordable childcare.
All grant recipients will receive two years of funding from the Department of Commerce, with second-year funding dependent on performance and availability of funds.
The following Eastern Washington non-profits were selected as grant recipients:
- Excelsior Wellness (Spokane County)
- Year 1: $41,000
- Year 2: 80,000
- Okanogan County Child Development Association (Okanogan County)
- Year 1: $75,900
- Year 2: $60,300
- Raze Development (Spokane County)
- Year 1: $72,000
- Year 2: $57,700
More information on the Child Care Partnership Grants can be found here.
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