Child care providers in Lewis County have been awarded $296,099 in renovation grants out of a total of $27.3 million given out statewide, according to an announcement by the Washington Department of Commerce.
The news release didn't detail what group or organization would receive the funds.
The federal grants, given out by the Commerce Department in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), provide funds to complete renovations to improve the health and safety of child care buildings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many child care providers deferred maintenance work and these grants will help address needed updates.
“Access to child care is essential for an equitable economy that provides opportunities for all of Washington’s working parents in every community,” Commerce Director Lisa Brown said. “These investments are a start, but we must do more to remove obstacles and increase availability of quality child care options, particularly for Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, and for families of children with special needs.”
The Washington Department of Commerce received 946 applications requesting over $169 million. The available funding was only able to meet 16% of the total requests.
“We need to increase access to child care services that demonstrate quality, equity and compassion for families,” said Ross Hunter, DCYF secretary. “Safe, healthy and functional facilities are a baseline foundation to that work.”
The Department of Commerce and DCYF evaluated projects based on criteria such as location in a low-income neighborhood or a child care desert, projects that serve children with special needs and projects that serve a wide variety of age groups.
The Department of Commerce estimates 8,234 children will benefit as a result of these improvements.
