SPOKANE, Wash. – Jo Long has been facing childcare challenges for two years, grappling with costly options and inflexible schedules.
Long’s work with a cataract surgeon required flexible hours, which proved problematic for many daycares, she explained.
Her son’s allergies also limited her options.
“I’m just stuck,” Long said.
The financial burden was another issue.
“My entire paycheck would be going to childcare,” Long said.
To counteract these issues, a new ordinance was introduced as part of Mayor Lisa Brown’s H.O.M.E. Starts Here program.
“One of the biggest ways to reduce the cost of childcare is to increase availability of it. Prices drop,” City of Spokane Spokesperson Erin Hut said. “When we are able to get rid of some pretty easy things that are getting in the way, that will allow the development of more facilities and help bring that cost down.”
The ordinance, set to go before the Spokane City Council on Monday night, would change the type of permit needed to open a childcare facility, making it much cheaper.
“I think this change right here, we’ll save 15% of the overall cost,” Luc Jasmin III, cofounder of GLOW Early Learning, said.
Jasmin explains that those cost decreases would allow childcare providers to lower their prices, and bring more childcare providers into Spokane.
As for Long, she says she wants childcare options that can work for her and her son.
“I just wanted someone to watch him who cared about him,” Long said.
