SPOKANE, Wash. – The affordability and accessibility of childcare in the Inland Northwest continue to be pressing issues for local families. Senator Maria Cantwell highlighted the impact of limited childcare options during a meeting in Spokane on Tuesday. She discussed a $2 million federal grant aimed at building a new affordable childcare facility in the Hillyard neighborhood.
“Parents who can’t afford childcare work fewer hours and leave the workforce really all together,” said Cantwell. “And we’re hearing this all across the state of Washington.”
Jessica Blackwell, a local mother, shared her family’s financial burden due to childcare costs. She stated, “We pay every month, twice my mortgage, just in childcare, which is pretty wild.”
Blackwell further elaborated on the expenses, “We pay about $28,000, a little bit over $28,000. And that is for two kids.”
Many Spokane residents have expressed similar concerns on social media. One commenter mentioned that the cost of childcare is one of the most daunting aspects of parenthood.
Blackwell also noted the lack of additional support with family living out of state, saying, “So we don’t have babysitters. We don’t have extra people to rely on to. If something happens.”
According to Care.com, the average cost of care for an infant in Spokane is nearly $20 per hour, totaling around $3,200 per month for one child.
Cantwell emphasized the broader implications, “So parents who can’t afford childcare work fewer hours and leave the workforce really all together.”
Some families are even considering leaving jobs they have worked hard for to cut childcare costs. Blackwell shared, “We’ve talked about him leaving his job. He has an MFA, which is like a terminal degree in his field.”
Childcare waitlists present another challenge. Cantwell mentioned, “The child wait list for affordable daycare centers can stretch to months.” Blackwell echoed this sentiment, saying, “But we were on that waitlist for two and a half years.”
Despite the challenges, Blackwell feels fortunate, stating, “I’m so thankful for that. We could not do it if we were a single parent.” She added, “We are able to kind of scrape by and pay for childcare, and it keeps going up every year.”
NonStop Local reached out to the community through Facebook, asking how much they spend weekly on childcare. Most responses indicated spending between $1,000 and $1,500 a week. The poll remains open for participation.
