SPOKANE, Wash. – A new grant approved by the Spokane City Council aims to alleviate childcare cost concerns for many families this back-to-school season.
“For my wife and I to both be able to do what we love, we have to sacrifice by having to drop our kid off with someone else,” local father of two Trevor Farris said.
Trevor Farris said it was overwhelming to weigh all the factors involved in choosing the right childcare provider for his two boys.
“Our older son is going to be starting kindergarten in the fall, and we were trying to find childcare for this guy,” Farris said. “We have a place we’re going to take him that’s going to be full time but finding a place that fits with our family’s schedule is really important.”
City councilmember Zack Zappone said the city understands this need.
“All councilmembers hear loud and clear from our community that there is a desperate need for childcare,” Zappone said.
New federal funding from the American Rescue Plan allows Spokane to allocate grants where it sees the most need.
Zappone hopes this grant will allow childcare centers to cater to more nontraditional hours and expand locations to accommodate more neighborhoods.
“Families will not just see a physical building but they’ll be able to have more hours and more opportunities to get childcare so they can get more affordable rates,” Zappone said.
City officials said this new funding is a capital grant, meaning it is intended for existing childcare centers to complete new expansions or get a new building. Applications for the grant will be available starting August 26.
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