New report highlights child care challenges in Snohomish County
EVERETT — A new survey released Monday showed both parents and providers in Snohomish County are struggling under a child care system marred by high costs and low availability.
The report, written by the Early Learning Leadership Council of Snohomish County, said the child care system in the county is “under immense strain.”
Many families can’t afford care, even if they do find an open slot, it found. Some providers are barely staying afloat, facing tight margins, low pay for workers and high employee turnover. Some parents who speak languages other than English have difficulty accessing subsidies or are unaware of them in the first place. Families face long wait lists to get children into licensed programs, even as some providers themselves are unable to fill all their slots, due to high costs or a lack of sufficient outreach.
The fact that the county’s child care network is in rough shape wasn’t necessarily a surprise to the leadership council, a body the Snohomish County Early Learning Coalition formed in late 2024.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-report-highlights-child-care-challenges-in-snohomish-county/