Snohomish County, Wash., November 15, 2022 – Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers today announced that the County is accepting proposals to increase available child care slots through capital facilities projects for child care facilities, including Family Home Providers. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will distribute funding from the County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.
“A major barrier to people joining or returning to the workforce is the lack of available child care. The effects of child care deserts across our county impact all of us, but they have an even more acute impact on women, who are pushed out of the job market at higher rates due to the extremely high cost of child care,” said Executive Somers. “That’s why we want to expand access for communities across our county, particularly in places where child care is already extremely scarce.”
“Increasing child care availability is critical as our region continues to grow at an unprecedented rate,” said Council Chair Megan Dunn (District 2). “The county’s foresight to support additional child care slots will help parents and often the primary caregiver, return to the workforce as we emerge from the pandemic.”
“This funding for child care providers to expand their capacity is an investment for families and the community at large,” said Vice Chair Jared Mead (District 4). “I am proud to see the County building on our social-emotional development and affordability investments, targeting the most vulnerable in our community. I will continue to do everything in my power to promote and encourage this work throughout Snohomish County.”
“Child care can be a huge barrier for entry into the workforce. These investments will help establish more child care opportunities throughout the county. I encourage providers to apply for this historic funding opportunity,” said Councilmember Nate Nehring (District 1).
“The need for child care is even greater in our rural areas where these resources can be limited. My hope is that this funding will help parents and caregivers find the child care services they need,” said Councilmember Sam Low (District 5).
“Access to affordable child care is a critical component of building an economy that works for everyone. These are smart investments that will help everyone in Snohomish county,” said Councilmember Strom Peterson (District 3).
The County’s NOFA solicits projects from organizations that can expand child care availability by increasing slots. In particular, the County is seeking projects that focus on capital expenditures, like facilities renovations and expansions to increase child care availability in areas defined by the State as child care deserts.
Where to Apply
Interested organizations can access the NOFA here, and the County will accept applications through January 13, 2023. The County will also host one remote technical assistance session for interested applicants. Attendance at this session is strongly recommended for interested applicants. The session will take place on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Interested applicants can register for the upcoming session on this website. Organizations can reach out to SnohomishCounty.Recovers@snoco.org with any questions.
Snohomish County is investing nearly $20 million of its federal ARPA allocation toward supporting and expanding affordable and accessible child care. The County recently announced $7.8 million in ARPA-funded programming to increase access to child care, with a focus on children and families’ social-emotional development and affordability programs.
Executive Somers established the Office of Recovery and Resilience to guide the County’s recovery work by ensuring federal pandemic relief is administered quickly, effectively, and equitably. Information on the County’s recovery work can be found at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.
Content Source: Snohomish County Office of Recovery & Resilience
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
