Title
Local and Regional Childcare Issues Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Information only. No action requested.
City Manager Recommendation:
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Presentation on local and regional issues of related to childcare.
Staff Contact:
Mike Reid, Economic Development Director, Office of Community Vitality, 360.753.8591
Presenter(s):
Gary Burris, Executive Director, Child Care Action Council
Background and Analysis:
Prior to and further exacerbated by the pandemic, affordable and accessible childcare has continued to be identified as an area creating significant strain and hardship for many families in our community. The Child Care Action Council will provide a briefing on the current challenges in our community concerning childcare and highlight their active and ongoing efforts.
The Child Care Action Council was founded in 1987 by a group of parents, childcare professionals, employers, school & government representatives, and other community members concerned about the inadequacies in our community’s childcare system.
CCAC currently serves parents & providers in Thurston, Grays Harbor, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, and Clallam counties.
Vision
Communities where children are the focus, and we all work together to assure that:
• Quality childcare is accessible for all who need it
• Professional development for childcare providers results in high quality childcare
• Communities are engaged in supporting childcare and early learning
• Parent education is provided throughout communities
To accomplish these goals, CCAC:
• Responds each year to thousands of families needing childcare.
• Educates parents in evaluating the quality of their child’s care.
• Offers a variety of training opportunities for childcare professionals.
• Helps to create new childcare programs to fill unmet needs.
• Cooperates and encourages businesses to address their employees’ childcare needs.
• Advocates for children and families on a state, local and federal level.
Most recently the City of Olympia provided a letter of support to the CCAC in their pursuit of a grant from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families to explore needs around crisis and respite childcare. They were successfully awarded the grant and have initiated work on this matter.
Climate Analysis:
There is no climate impact associated with this contemplated briefing.
Equity Analysis:
Access to affordable childcare remains a critical equity issue in our community. Many families find it difficult to find and maintain affordable childcare so that they can safely care for their children while having the ability to adequately work to support their families. Many workers are parents with children that need adult care and supervision. As a part of our OlympiaStrong outreach we routinely heard from employers that shared that their employees lament the lack of quality, affordable childcare and identified that this creates broad economic strain. They identify infant and toddler care, weekend and evening care, care for sick children, and emergent/emergency care as some of the most difficult, if not impossible to find.
Financial Impact:
There is no contemplated financial impact associated with the briefing.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Access to affordable and reliable childcare is routinely identified as a broad base community concern and issue.
Options:
1. Receive the briefing.
2. Do not receive the briefing.
3. Receive the briefing at another time.
Attachments:
Letter of Support