Increasing the Supply of Early Child Care Education Facilities in Washington

This report summarizes Enterprise’s research on the barriers and opportunities to develop child care facilities in Washington. Reframing child care in the U.S. as a "public good" and essential infrastructure— rather than a private market "amenity" as it's currently categorized in land use planning—will require a paradigm shift in how the state plans, partners, and funds child care across the public and private sectors. This shift applies to both the operating model—increasing public subsidies for teacher wages and family tuition support—and to how we plan, finance, and develop the facilities themselves.

As part of this research, Enterprise convened roundtables with leaders across sectors that don’t typically have opportunities to collaborate on child care issues—land use planners, architects, real estate developers, employers, child care providers, and policy experts—to spark new ideas and conversation and explore challenges and opportunities to expand the availability of child care facilities.

The findings are grouped into four broad categories of strategies to expand the supply of early child care education facilities:

• Regulatory Systems: Land use planning, permitting reforms and exemptions, and regulatory alignment
• Financing Options: Accessible capital sources and financial incentives for development
• Affordable Real Estate: Ownership and leasing models for child care facilities
• Technical Assistance and Project Management: Supports for ECE providers, developers, property owners, employers, and building trade professionals