The hardworking staff at Tacoma Community College’s (TCC) Early Learning Center (ELC) will soon receive a welcome boost in the form of a Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) Child Care Stabilization Grant.
The $42,000 grant is intended to combat child care staffing issues through increasing employee pay, benefits, signing bonuses, and other retention incentives.
Allison Southard-Hood is a lead teacher in the classroom for three-year-olds at the ELC, where she’s worked for 12 years. She’s also a student at TCC in the early childhood education program.
The ELC serves TCC students and surrounding communities. The center is staffed by early learning professionals who adapt daily activities to support children’s individual needs and offer support and resources to parents.
“The grant has been a huge deal because not only do parents need child care for their kids, but people need jobs,” Southard said.
Southard is one of many families in the community with intergenerational ties to TCC and the ELC.
“I don’t just teach here, I go to school here,” she said.
“I like that I can show my kids that learning doesn’t stop when you get to a certain age.”
Southard and her coworkers are a close-knit team.
“We are a really awesome team of professionals that work together for the greater good of our families and the communities that we serve,” Southard said.
She encourages her coworkers to join their union whenever she can, citing the benefits of having an entire workforce ready to support her when needed.
“I’m so happy I’m part of a union and that it’s a great one,” she said.
Despite the dedication of early childhood educators and child care providers like Southard and her coworkers, they’re some of the lowest-paid workers across the country, and getting adequate investment in child care continues to be a struggle.
Everett Community College (EvCC) also has an Early Learning Center, beloved by community and students. After abrupt announcements of a potential closure, its future remains uncertain—despite a generous funding offer from Snohomish County.
Many child care centers say they struggle to hire and retain enough qualified staff—a major factor in the child care crisis.
According to Washington Stem, even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a scarcity of available child care spots in Washington left “51% of children under five without even the possibility for licensed care.”
Southard and her coworkers have pulled together during the pandemic to continue supporting the families in their community.
“We’re all here working through this challenge together,” she said. “We know we’re putting our lives out there to make sure kids have a safe place to go.”
The funds from the DCYF grant are welcome—but so is the recognition.
“We’ve been deemed as essential—but our job has always been essential,” Southard said.
“We’re finally being recognized.”
