2,000 new childcare slots coming to WA. Local providers aided by $56M in grants

Many local Washington childcare providers are getting a boost after the state recently announced that it’s awarding nearly $56 million in grants.

Last month Gov. Bob Ferguson shared the news that the state’s Department of Commerce is rolling out the early-learning grants in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Across Washington, 74 providers are set to see the funding bump, which is projected to create more than 2,000 new childcare slots statewide.

The awards will also fund renovation and new facilities in 17 counties and 40 cities, the governor’s office says. The grants are through Commerce’s Early Learning Facilities program, which assists contractors and providers in buying, remodeling, expanding or constructing early-learning classrooms and facilities.

“As a parent, I know how critical high-quality childcare and early learning opportunities are for working families in Washington,” Ferguson said in a mid-April news release.

The first-term Democrat also noted that the philanthropic Ballmer Group is helping to fund thousands more early-learning spots, and that the recently signed income tax on millionaires vows to offer early-learning support and relief for working families.

In national rankings, Washington is often listed as one of the priciest states for childcare.

The advocacy group Child Care Aware of America found that in 2024, it cost more than $21,300 per year on average to enroll an infant in a Washington childcare center.

Childcare isn’t funded as a public good, unlike secondary and elementary education, according to a December 2022 report from the state’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force. Families and providers are responsible for shouldering childcare costs, except for a state subsidy program for income-qualifying households.

Licensing requirements like teacher-to-child ratios keep the cost of doing business high, the report says. At the same time, wages account for 60% to 80% of provider costs, while a lack of stable revenue keeps pay low for both owners and staff.

Here are some local grantees up for a slice of the $55.8-million.

Pierce County childcare

• Kids Learning Adventure LLC in Lakewood is getting more than $5.7 million, with 258 proposed new spaces.
• Liberty Learning Centers Inc. in Graham is getting $449,978, with 220 proposed new spaces.
• Lil Patriots Academy Daycare and Early Learning Center in Spanaway is getting $189,542, with 55 proposed new spaces.
• Young Men’s Christian Association of Pierce and Kitsap Counties in Puyallup is getting $241,329, with 150 proposed new spaces.
• A “family home facility” in Tacoma is getting $28,600, with six proposed new spaces.
• Other Pierce County grantees, including Just Like Home Daycare Center Corp in Lakewood, are getting funding for maintenance purposes.

The award sheet lists roughly two dozen providers across the state as only a “family home facility,” with their names withheld.

Asked why those provider names were withheld, the Department of Commerce told McClatchy that the locations are considered sensitive by the Attorney General’s Office since there are kids on site. In addition, Commerce spokesperson Amelia Lamb said, “these are people’s homes and there could be vulnerable individuals living there.”

Lamb said that state law shields certain sensitive personal information pertaining to in-home childcare providers.

Thurston County childcare

• KinderCare Learning Centers, LLC in Lacey is getting $213,408 for maintenance.
• Nisqually Indian Tribe is getting $1 million for maintenance.

Whatcom County childcare

• In Blaine, “1162 Fort Nugent LLC — Blaine Childcare Center” is getting $856,250, with 41 proposed new spaces.

Franklin County childcare

• One family home facility in Pasco is getting $65,000, with two proposed new spaces.
• Another family home facility in Pasco is getting $250,000, with 23 proposed new spaces.
• Rise and Shine Early Childhood Center in Pasco is getting nearly $3.3 million, with 70 proposed new spaces.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 2:00 AM with the headline "2,000 new childcare slots coming to WA. Local providers aided by $56M in grants."

Simone Carter

The Olympian

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