For too long, childcare has been viewed as a private domestic hurdle or a matter of social welfare, rather than the critical workforce and economic development necessity we know it to be. For many in the business community, the reality is reflected in the bottom line. 

In Spokane County alone, the lack of affordable childcare costs employers here a staggering $178.3 million annually. Every year, roughly 5,500 workers quit and 2,800 are fired due to childcare-related disruptions, according to a 2024 Spokane County State of the Children Economic Impact report. This is not just a family issue; it's a significant workforce and economic development barrier.

That's why the announcement of a collaborative pilot program between the city of Spokane and Spokane Public Schools is a milestone for our regional economy. Starting in the fall, this partnership will transform underutilized space at Balboa Elementary, Whitman Elementary, and the Garland Center into neighborhood-based childcare hubs.

The initiative holds promise in its business-minded approach to overhead. Childcare providers operate on razor-thin margins, with between 80% and 85% of their revenue consumed by teacher wages. By providing facility space at no cost to providers, the school district is effectively removing one of the largest non-labor hurdles to profitability.

This allows providers to reduce the cost of tuition for families, which currently averages $1,300 a month in Spokane — a figure that forces many families to spend 24% of their income on childcare, far exceeding the 7% federal affordability benchmark.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and Adam Swinyard, Spokane Public Schools superintendent, deserve credit for recognizing that the city and the school district can set an example as active partners solving community challenges.

The city’s proactive move to streamline permitting and waive conditional use permits for childcare facilities in both residential and commercial zones is an example of removing structural barriers to growth. By implementing these changes ahead of the state-mandated timeline for Washington state Senate Bill 5509, Spokane is positioning itself as a leader in addressing alternative childcare solutions. 

SB 5509, which passed last year, requires cities and towns to allow childcare centers as outright permitted uses in all zones, except for industrial, light industrial, and open space zones. Large cities are required to implement zoning changes by 2027, while smaller towns have until 2028.

While recent efforts addressing the crisis show promise, the business community must remain clear-eyed: This pilot program highlights the importance of collaboration, but it's only a first step. As Colleen Condon, of Lilac City Early Learning Center, notes, the state still needs to address a funding model where subsidies often fall below the true cost of providing quality childcare.

For Spokane to remain competitive and stabilize our labor market, our policy makers, institutions, and business community must support scalable models, such as the city-school partnership, and advocate for the state and federal investments necessary to sustain it. 

This initiative proves that when public and private sectors align, we can begin to treat childcare as the essential economic infrastructure it truly is. We look forward to seeing this pilot expand across our city, ensuring workers have the support they need to stay and thrive in the Spokane workforce.