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Hillyard facility to bring affordable late-night and weekend child care to North Spokane

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., left, gathers at the Northeast Community Center on Tuesday in Spokane with neighborhood parent, Amber MacCurdy and Jene Ray, executive director of the Northeast Community Center to celebrate the announcement of a new 100-slot affordable child care facility to be built at the corner of Wellesley Avenue and Haven Street in the Hillyard Neighborhood. (Dan Pelle/For The Spokesman-Review)
By Amanda Sullender amandas@spokesman.com(509) 459-5455

Hillyard parents will gain access to affordable child care on the evening and weekends in a couple years.

Opening in early 2028, Northeast Hillyard Childcare Center will provide 100 new child care slots for parents and 30 new housing units.

The new facility is being developed by the city’s Northeast Public Development Authority and is part of the city’s plans for affordable housing in Hillyard. It was funded with a $2 million federal grant secured by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who traveled to Spokane on Tuesday for the announcement.

“This will become a model for the region. You are providing not just the child care, but affordable housing slots and flexibility for working parents,” Cantwell said.

Northeast Community Center director Jene Ray said at the Tuesday announcement that weekend child care in places such as Hillyard is a barrier to employment.

“Nowadays, local career pathways are 24/7, and that means for families to realize economic mobility they need a safe, wonderful place for their children to be cared for in the evenings and weekends.”

Project manager Luc Jasmin said the new facility will provide child care through 11 p.m. and even later.

“We’re here for the families and we’re here for the community, so we’ll make sure whatever drop off time or pick up time that they need, we’ll meet that need,” Jasmin said.

Plans for the facility have been in motion for more than three years, but the $2 million federal grant will allow the project to break ground before the end of the year. The grant was approved as part of a congressional budget two weeks ago.

The project would not be possible without the federal grant, said Spokane Councilman Michael Cathcart, who is also chair of the Northeast PDA.

“A big thank you to Senator Cantwell for her efforts to secure this funding,” Cathcart said. “Without these dollars this project, which has been multiple years in the making, simply would not pencil out.”

Health care manufacturer Jubilant HollisterStier has had difficulty recruiting to its Hillyard facility because of the lack of child care in the neighborhood, said director of operations Adam Snider.

“We need talented technicians who can operate and maintain that equipment for years to come. But we also know that opportunity only matters when people can access it, and one of the biggest barriers we hear from potential employees and people in this area, especially for those off-shift roles, is child care,” Snider said. “If parents can’t find that safe, reliable, affordable care, they can’t take the next step in their careers.”

Parent Amber MacCurdy has not been able to find work because she cannot find child care for her special needs children, who will find specialized care at the new facility.

“I’ve been out of work for a long time. I’m a recovering addict, and I just want to show my kids a better life. Child care is a big barrier to me and a lot of other parents.”

The new 30,000-square-foot facility will be built on a currently empty lot at 3011 East Wellesley Ave. Developers expect to break ground on construction in the fall.