Grants boost childcare providers, offer stability for working families

The Whatcom ReStart grant program, a countywide collaboration, has allocated nearly $700,000 to more than two dozen childcare providers across Whatcom County. The purpose of the program is to support licensed childcare providers and further COVID-19 economic recovery. 

“Many families depend on childcare to keep their jobs, pursue educational opportunities and remain self-sufficient. We are grateful to our local childcare providers, who have met significant new challenges in recent months and stepped up with creativity and commitment to serving families in our community,” said Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood.

The original source of the childcare grants is federal CARES Act funds allocated to Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham, which pooled resources for the Whatcom ReStart program. CARES Act funding is intended to reimburse the cost of business interruptions that are caused by reduced operational size, temporary closures, or stay-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am pleased to see how our different jurisdictions and partners have come together to find working solutions. Through collaboration and pooling of resources, we are maximizing the impact of our modest tools and means, which benefits both the providers and the families they serve. I hope that this experience will serve as a model for future cooperation,” said Satpal Sidhu, Whatcom County Executive.

For more information, see full press release here.