AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council heard a presentation on the state of the city’s childcare services at their July 26 study session. The city was provided with $57,200 by the Washington State Department of Commerce to conduct a needs assessment and feasibility study, and J.Burton Consulting was hired in January 2021 to perform it.
They conducted a study of the area, collecting data through interviews, surveys, observations and document analyses in order to properly understand the issue. Consultant Jenny LeBeau presented these findings and recommendations to the council.
They found that the city is essentially a childcare desert. Airway Heights is growing rapidly, and childcare services have been unable to keep up. Not only that, but the services would also need to accommodate shift schedules that extend into the later hours. LeBeau identified an immediate need for care for children ages 0-5. She noted affordability as another issue, as some parents may not qualify for assistance but still cannot afford childcare.
In the plan presented to the council, the short-term goals are focused on the immediate needs of the community. LeBeau suggested repurposing the community center on West 13th Avenue and recruiting a childcare provider to allow for those immediate needs. In the long-term, the goal would be to keep childcare needs in mind when local developers are working on residential and other building sites. This could allow services to keep up with growth.
The estimated cost of repurposing the community center is around $216,346. The average cost per child is around $13,926 annually, and it is estimated to take around $800,000 a year to run the childcare center, not including those one-time renovation costs.
The council was hesitant on multiple points of the presentation. While numbers regarding funding were fairly high, one of the biggest points of discussion came from the location. Councilmember Dave Malet in particular did not think the community center on West 13th Avenue was a suitable spot for a childcare center, even if it was repurposed.
The study was presented at the Aug. 2 City Council meeting and the findings were accepted by the council.
Riley Kankelberg can be reached at [email protected].
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