Commerce awards over $680,000 to help communities address child care shortages
Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation co-fund state Child Care Partnership planning grants to support 13 local organizations serving communities with limited child care options
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced more than $680,000 in Child Care Partnership Grants (CCPG) to 13 local organizations to expand child care in communities across the state. Funding will support community-driven planning, pre-design work, and strategies that build local child care capacity and develop solutions to meet community needs. The program is a unique public-private partnership, and this year’s awards were funded with investments by Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation.
The majority of this year’s grantees are in rural and underserved counties. One such awardee is in rural Garfield County, where there are currently no licensed providers. Pomeroy Community Connection (PCC) aims to change that. With its $69,000 award, PCC is developing the county’s first licensed center and creating pathways for locals to enter the early learning workforce.
“Families have spent years driving miles out of county or piecing together care from relatives and friends,” said Martha Lanman, PCC board treasurer. “Commerce’s support allows us to intentionally plan a solution that fits our community and keeps families and talent right here. We are building something with and for Garfield County.”
Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation are significant partners in this program, which provides vital infrastructure to support working parents and local economies state-wide. They provided funding for this year’s awards.
“Child care shortages are a struggle for families in every corner of the state,” said Leslie Dozono, Ballmer Group senior portfolio manager. “Child Care Partnership Grants have been an opportunity for philanthropy to leverage a successful public grant program for local communities to grow concrete child care solutions.”
“Developing a comprehensive child care system relies on strong local planning and collaboration to design systems that work for all Washington families,” said Cameron Clark, the Bezos Family Foundation program officer. “The Child Care Partnership Grant program is an exemplary model in providing resources and support to communities to develop solutions and projects that work for them. The Bezos Family Foundation is proud to support this strong public-private work.”
This year’s recipients:
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Organization
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County
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Award amount
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Kitsap Economic Development Alliance
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Kitsap
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$50,000
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Together for Youth
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Chelan, Douglas
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$68,000
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Olympic Peninsula YMCA
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Clallam, Jefferson
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$40,000
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Pomeroy Community Connection
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Garfield
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$69,000
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Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington
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Grant, Adams
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$50,000
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The Family Success Center
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King
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$70,000
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Boys and Girls Club Columbia Basin
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Kittitas
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$19,545
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Mason Economic Development Council
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Mason
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$60,000
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Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center
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Pierce
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$50,000
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The Skagit Community Foundation
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Skagit
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$40,000
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Latino Educational Training Institute
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Snohomish
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$40,000
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Rosalie Murrey Memorial Foundation
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Spokane
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$70,000
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Olympia School District
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Thurston
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$61,558
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“Child care is economic infrastructure,” said Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn. “When parents have safe, reliable places to care for kids they stay in the workforce, employers retain talent, and local economies grow. We’re proud to partner with Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation to create the foundation for a stronger workforce and a more sustainable economy.”
“There is no one-size-fits all solution for child care,” said Cheryl Smith, Commerce director of community engagement and outreach. “Each community understands their workforce, families, and barriers to care better than anyone else. CCPG honors that by investing in locally led planning. We are honored to partner with Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation on this community capacity building program.”
Since its launch in 2020, CCPG has made awards to 73 unique projects in 33 counties, creating more than 3,500 new child-care slots statewide. These child care planning assistance grants were generously supported by more than $4 million of private matching philanthropy.
Visit the Commerce website to learn more about Child Care Partnership Grants.
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