Snohomish County leaders hear childcare providers on staffing, space and zoning hurdles

Snohomish County Council members heard March 18 from local childcare providers that recruiting qualified staff, limited licensed space, and zoning and permitting delays are constraining access to early learning and childcare across the county.

Providers told the council the shortages have left hundreds of children on wait lists, pushed operating costs higher and put pressure on families and small family-home providers. The council is considering a zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas at an upcoming meeting; panelists asked the county to factor provider feedback into that process.

Marcy Wilmer, chief operating officer of Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, said one of the sector's chief problems is hiring and retaining staff when licensing qualifications, pay and competing K–12 wages diverge. “I would personally rather have my kids with someone who's been doing childcare for 20 years versus someone that just came out of college and has a 4 year degree in early childhood education,” Wilmer said, arguing for greater recognition of on‑the‑job experience and more training funding.

Patsy Kedeback, chief operating officer of the Y of Snohomish County, said the Y operates roughly 40 sites across eight school districts and has “about about a 150 kids right now on waiting lists.” She described two related constraints: the square footage and licensing capacity available at a school site or center, and difficulty paying for capital improvements that would raise licensed occupancy. “We're looking at a project right now that's over a million dollars to bring a sprinkler system into a building to be able to increase the occupancy,” Kedeback said.

Jason Turner, who operates family childcare and preschool locations in Snohomish County, described capacity limits in small home‑based settings: “We've had waitlist in excess of 50 people, and we only have 27 slots,” he said, adding that by the time providers call families on a wait list many families have found other care.

Debbie Carlson, director of the Early Learning Leadership Council, presented countywide context and cited data discussed by Child Care Aware showing that Snohomish County provides high‑quality childcare to roughly 22.6% of preschool‑age children living below 60% of state median income. Carlson and other panelists said the county has lost family‑home providers since the COVID‑19 pandemic while larger centers have increased, reducing lower‑cost options and families’ choices.

Panelists also described a statewide workforce problem and asked for more behavioral‑health training and sustained supports. One speaker said the county’s ARPA funds distributed after the pandemic had been “absolutely life changing,” helping sustain programs and provide mental‑health supports that reduce turnover and keep children in care.

Providers urged local actions the council could take, including: evaluating where zoning or permitting rules are blocking conversions or expansions of family childcare or centers; shortening permit review and traffic‑mitigation timelines; coordinating with a provider advisory group on proposed ordinance changes; and continuing to fund mental‑health and behavioral supports for early educators. Turner asked the county to consider permitting timelines and mitigation costs that left landlords and operators paying rent while waiting 8–11 months for approvals.

Council members asked follow‑up questions about prices and gaps across the county. Wilmer said the Boys and Girls Clubs’ average fee for full‑time before‑and‑after‑school care is about $530 per month; another panelist cited an average near $700 per month for some school‑time care, and speakers said families commonly spend a large share of income on childcare. Panelists also said school‑age programs and infant care differ in cost and staffing ratios, and that smaller, culturally responsive family providers often do outreach with limited budgets.

The council did not take formal action at the March 18 administrative session. Panelists said the Early Learning Leadership Council expects to publish a county‑focused report of barriers and recommendations by June and offered to work with county staff on draft ordinance language and implementation details.

Chair Nearing closed the session by thanking the panelists for their work and information, and councilors signaled interest in pursuing policy changes and additional county support for workforce, permitting and program supports.