Did you know the Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) champions early learning programs like the new North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) Bezos Academy in Lacey as examples of keys to families’ and workers’ success? Working parents know that access to affordable and reliable quality childcare means they can perform at higher levels in their jobs and move forward more easily in their careers. On the other side, employees who can’t find access to childcare not only suffer stress for their families, but the data shows they also see negative impacts in the workplace and their employers’ bottom line.
“From an Economic Development Council perspective, the lack of childcare or where it’s very difficult to get access to affordable childcare is truly an economic development issue,” says Thurston Economic Development Council Executive Director Michael Cade. “It hinders people’s ability to get into the workforce. It has a real disparate impact on working families.”
Cade says a lack of affordable childcare removes 10% to 20% of the otherwise available workforce. “There is a direct connection between families, communities and economic development employment opportunities,” Cade explains. “When you are paying more out of your pocket for childcare than you are earning in wages, that is a structural problem.”
ReadyNation Data and Leaders Confirm Early Learning Programs Translate to Workforce Success
And the data supports that approach, according to ReadyNation. ReadyNation is a business leader organization with more than 2,000 members nationwide, including Cade and approximately 140 others in Washington State. ReadyNation focuses on building a skilled workforce by promoting evidence-based solutions that prepare children to succeed in education, work and life. ReadyNation advocates for increased access to high quality early learning, which is particularly challenging for working families with infants and toddlers.
In 2023 ReadyNation issued an updated report from its study examining the impact of the national childcare crisis on young children, working parents, employers and taxpayers. The report documented that the crisis cost $122 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity and revenue.
ReadyNation member and retired Olympia banker Mike Edwards says he has seen the impact of hiring challenges in STEM-focused fields. “Access to high-quality, affordable childcare, starting with infants and toddlers, supports two generations – the workforce of today so that they can work and the workforce of the future because birth to age 5 years is the time hard skills like early math and executive functioning skills like communication are developing in early learning environments,” Edwards explains.
Bezos Academy in North Thurston District Will Strengthen Families, Communities and the Economy
Early childhood learning resources improve the quality of life in the community and pave the way for strong families and strong economies. Cade says the NTPS new Bezos Academy will be one such excellent local example.
The NTPS will be opening a Bezos Academy in 2025 with a year-round tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool housed at the Seven Oaks Elementary School in Lacey. “The Bezos Academy is fantastic, absolutely fantastic,” says Cade. “We wanted to be supportive of their efforts.”
The preschool will have 3 classrooms with space for 60 students. “Like so many communities around the country, half of children entering kindergarten in the Lacey area have not had the opportunity to participate in formal early learning,” shares Bezos Academy President Mike George in announcing the partnership. “Thank you to Superintendent Clemens and the NTPS School Board for making increasing access to early childhood education a priority.”
The Bezos Academy opening date and application details for the lottery-based selection process will be posted online. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level with children ages 3 to 4 will be eligible to apply.
Thurston EDC Will Award Grants in 2024 to Keep Childcare Centers Open and Create Capacity
In addition to championing programs like the Bezos Academy, Cade says the EDC collaborates with other community early childhood program efforts. One EDC strategy is to provide multiple resources for childcare providers such as training and leadership instruction.
Another strategy involves grants. During COVID-19 shutdowns, the multi-jurisdictional ThurstonStrong awarded grants to keep businesses including childcare centers open. In 2024, the EDC plans to launch a new round of grants in Thurston County. “The money is intended to support local childcare providers, help them stay open, and expand their capacity to stay open,” says Cade. This round of grants is made possible through a commitment to supporting families from the Thurston County Commission, and the City of Tumwater city council.
The EDC Works with Leaders to Find Long-Term Early Childhood Program Access Solutions
Cade says it’s no secret that the multi-pronged effort to help families, providers and employers needs to be part of a bigger, long-term solution. He notes that like the Thurston EDC and ReadyNation, state government leaders also understand the personal and economic impacts of a lack of accessible and affordable early childhood programs.
“We know that legislators are very concerned about it, and it’s on their radar screens,” says Cade. “They are looking for long-term solutions not just stop-gap solutions.”
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