Our Giving Season is ready to Bloom!
at support accessible, affordable, and high-quality early learning opportunities for children and families across King and Pierce Counties!
At BrightSpark, we believe every child deserves access to quality early learning, and every family deserves the support to thrive. Right now, the future of early learning is at a critical crossroads. With ongoing discussions concerning the state’s budget deficit and potential funding changes, having a strong foundation of support is more critical than ever to sustain our work and serve the children and families across our communities.
The Potential Challenges We Face:
Access:
- Higher Costs for Families: Increasing co-pays and delayed subsidy payments will make child care more expensive for families, pushing some families out of care entirely and reducing access to safe, supportive early learning environments.
- Financial Strain on Providers: Funding shortfalls means providers will lose critical income, making it harder to sustain operations, fill open slots, and maintain quality care. Some may be forced to reduce the number of available spots, leading to longer waitlists for families.
- Limited Access to Care: As fewer families can afford care and providers struggle to keep up with costs, the overall availability of child care will decline, leaving many families—especially those relying on the Working Connections Child Care Subsidy—without reliable options.
Quality:
- Mental Health Support Cuts: Reductions in mental health services could limit early identification, prevention, and support services for children, families, and providers, resulting in…
- Increased Behavioral Challenges in Early Learning Settings – Mental health services provide tools and support for educators and caregivers to manage children’s emotional and behavioral needs. Cuts would lead to more disruptions in classrooms and potential expulsions from early learning programs.
- Higher Stress Levels for Families and Caregivers – Parents and child care providers rely on mental health consultations and coaching to navigate challenges like anxiety, trauma, or behavioral issues. Reduced services mean less guidance and increased stress.
- Provider Wages and Stability: Poverty-level wages have continued to be an issue for child care providers across our region. Low wages lead to higher stress, burnout, and turnover—creating instability in child care settings and affecting children’s well-being.
Here’s How You Can Help:
By contributing to our Bloom Together campaign, you provide crucial support that helps us:
- Sustain and expand access to high-quality child care.
- Advocate for fair policies that support families and providers.
- Ensure that every child has the foundation they need to thrive.
Every gift nurtures brighter futures for children and families across our community.
Together, we can bloom through these challenges and build a stronger, more equitable future for all.
There’s More than One Way to Give!
BrightSpark accepts donations in many forms: cash, credit cards, fund transfers, checks, money orders, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, donor-advised funds, and more! If you have any questions or would like more information on ways to give, please get in touch with our fund development department at getinvolved@childcare.org.
We are so grateful to all our donors and community partners, thank you for supporting our youngest community members!
Follow us on social media for the latest updates, information surrounding our evolution into BrightSpark Early Learning Services, and opportunities to support our work.