SEATTLE — Many child care centers in Washington are not prepared to operate at pre-pandemic levels even if they are allowed to, as they struggle to meet the demand from families.
Gov. Jay Inslee's lifting of all pandemic restrictions in the state on Wednesday applies to child and daycare centers that can now operate at full capacity.
But many centers, like Hilltop Children Center in Seattle, said they won't be ready to fully open until fall.
Part of the problem is staffing issues, according to Darline Guerrero, Executive Director of Hilltop Children's Center, which has locations in Queen Anne and Fremont.
"Summer is going to be a lot like what we have been doing to this point because I don't have faculty; because a lot of our staff ended up leaving," Guerrero said.
Guerrero said Hilltop currently has a waitlist for every age group that they serve, which is children ages 1 to 12.
"Our preschool waitlist is over a hundred at this point," Guerrero said.
Frank Guanco and Sarah Lawer are parents to a daughter, 4, and a son, 2, who attend Hilltop. While they both can work from home, they decided to enroll their children in child care for social development.
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"We also know they'll get more enriched and full experiences by being with kids their own age, where they can just play," Guanco said.
They said they know they are fortunate to have secured a slot, as parents across Washington struggle to afford child care, let alone find a spot.
A July 2020 report from the state's Child Care Collaborative Task Force found 61 percent of young children live with families where both parents work but the state's licensed child care centers only have the capacity for 41 percent of young children and 5 percent of school-age kids.
COVID also dealt a blow to an industry that was already fragile, with the report saying more than half a million children in Washington did not have access to licensed child care prior to the pandemic.
With increased demand but limited space and staff to serve families, Guerrero said they have had to turn away many families.
"We're very collaborative as childcare providers throughout the city and we talk provider to provider and everyone's in the same boat," Guerrero said.
Hilltop is now working to hire the staff they lost from the pandemic and looking into options to expand their current space in Queen Anne.
Affordability remains a challenge as well for parents, with 36 percent of parents reported they experienced financial hardship because of child care issues.
Infant care at Hilltop, for example, is $2,600 a month for infants and $2,605 a month for preschoolers, according to Guerrero.
Guerrero said they are opening doors to state and city subsidies for families who have limited access due to costs. The city of Seattle offers such a program.
Nonprofit organization Child Care Aware of Washington also provides resources for parents searching for child care options.