Childcare Initiative, in Partnership with the Spokane Workforce Council
UPDATED: 12/14/22, 5:00 pm
The childcare initiative that will support parents with the cost of childcare and providers with hiring and retaining childcare workers is targeting a launch date in the Winter of 2023. All services, resources, and support will be provided by our staff at the Resource Center of Spokane County. Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date with the progress of the program's implementation and follow us on Facebook for all real-time announcements.
Watch the Spokane Workforce Council's (SWC) Workforce Wednesday segment to hear more about the development of our workforce system's first childcare initiative.
On this page:
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SWC's workforceNERD. thePODCAST.
Episode 3: NERDIN' OUT ON CHILDCARE
Get up close with SWC's Chief Operating Officer Dawn Karber and Program & Development Director Jessica Clayton as they share more information about the first childcare initiative offered from Spokane's workforce development system.
SWC's Childcare Initiative FAQs
When will funds be available?
We expect funds to be ready to deploy in early 2023.
Who will be eligible for funding?
The specific criteria are to be finalized in the coming months. For our initiative, we are targeting families who are ineligible for Washington Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), and for whom lack of childcare is a barrier to them accessing the workforce. We will support people who are accessing workforce services (education and/or training) with childcare as needed for them to pursue their program and enter employment. We will also be supporting people who are currently working, who may be underemployed or need to work more hours.
How can I apply for assistance?
We will be deploying an online application process. Please stay tuned to this website for when the application and screening criteria will be released.
What resources exist now for childcare?
To learn more about Washington Working Connections Childcare, and apply to see if you are eligible, please visit washingtonconnection.org.
To find care in Washington, check out findchildcarewa.org to find a center near you.
What kind of support will you be providing to childcare providers?
We anticipate providing support for hiring and retaining employees, filling the talent pipeline, identifying career pathways in childcare and early childhood education, and helping people who would like to become licensed in Friends, Family, and Neighbor (FFN) care, in order to support providers and increase/stabilize the number of available childcare openings.
SWC's Official Announcement of ARPA Funding
Our partners at the Spokane Workforce Council published a press release announcing that the Board of County Commissioners of Spokane County will provide $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to develop and implement a program to support middle-income families struggling with childcare costs and the childcare industry experiencing challenges hiring and retaining workers. Stabilizing our region’s childcare industry is crucial to continued economic recovery after the pandemic and growing our regional workforce.