State awards $5.5M to expand Spokane childcare

Washington state has awarded seven Spokane County child-care projects nearly $5.5 million in capital grants. (krem.com) (governor.wa.gov) Gov. Bob Ferguson announced April 16 that the Washington Department of Commerce and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families awarded $55.8 million to 74 providers statewide. The state said the money will create 2,056 new child-care spaces. (governor.wa.gov) (commerce.wa.gov) In Spokane County, Washington State Community College District 17 received the largest award, $2,108,976, for maintenance work. Guardian Angels Childcare received $1,690,247 for acquisition, construction or renovation tied to 107 proposed new spaces. (krem.com) Three other Spokane-area projects were aimed at adding or planning capacity. Sun City Child Development Center received $278,311 for a project with 52 proposed new spaces, Salish School of Spokane received $1,016,970 for 15 proposed new spaces, and Excelsior Wellness, Spokane Housing Authority and Northeast Public Development Authority received smaller pre-design or predevelopment grants. (krem.com) The money comes through Washington’s Early Learning Facilities program, which pays for capital projects rather than day-to-day operations. Commerce says eligible uses include acquiring, constructing or renovating child-care facilities and classrooms. (commerce.wa.gov) State officials say the program is aimed at providers serving children from low-income households. Commerce said award criteria included the number of spaces for low-income families, whether a project is in a rural area or low-income neighborhood, and how close it is to other early-learning facilities. (commerce.wa.gov) (krem.com) The state is pairing these building grants with a broader push to expand early learning. Ferguson said in March that Ballmer Group committed funding for up to 10,000 more children over the next decade, and he signed a bill creating the state account needed to accept those private dollars. (governor.wa.gov 1) (governor.wa.gov 2) Washington is also steering new tax revenue toward child care and early learning. Ferguson signed the state’s Millionaires’ Tax on March 30, and his office said more than 41.3% of first-year revenue will go back to families and small businesses, including early-learning support. (governor.wa.gov 1) (governor.wa.gov 2) Commerce says the Early Learning Facilities program has awarded more than $235 million since 2017 and created nearly 15,000 child-care slots statewide. Spokane’s share in this round is a small piece of that buildout, but it includes both immediate repairs and projects meant to add seats. (commerce.wa.gov) The state’s own child-care dashboard says Washington tracks unmet need by county, school district and ZIP code, underscoring why capital money is being pushed toward underserved areas. In Spokane County, this round is paying for both planning work and bricks-and-mortar expansion. (dcyf.wa.gov) (commerce.wa.gov)