Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW) and Highline Community College are pleased to announce CHSW will be operating the child care center located on the college campus. The center, named “Children Home Society of Washington’s Highline Early Learning Center,” will serve the surrounding community and is also available for the children of students, staff, and faculty of Highline Community College and Central Washington University. The Center will open on September 20 to coincide with the first day of classes.
The Early Learning Center has the capacity to serve 110 children, infants through age 5, and will serve Early Head Start, Head Start, and private pay preschool children in a mixed learning environment. Full-day or part-day childcare options are available, and Department of Social and Health Services Working Connections child care subsidies will be accepted.
The need for high-quality childcare services in South King County has continued to increase as the growth of the number of families who live in South King County with young children has grown dramatically during the past decade. For many families, affordable quality child care is out of reach. Child Care Resources has reported receiving 7,000 requests for childcare referrals in 2008 in South King County, 56% of which were from low-income parents and 72% from parents of children 0-4.
“The proportion of families seeking high quality child care and early learning services in South King County far exceeds the amount of child care slots available to them,” states Cathy Garland, CHSW’s Director of Early Learning. “Taking on the lease of this center allows us to do what we do best – provide exceptional, high-quality early learning services to children, and house them in a beautiful, state-of-the art facility so children receive the best care possible.”
The 14,330 square foot facility is spacious and contemporary, and was designed to provide children with an exceptional learning experience to promote healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development during their formative years. A large, secure outside play area is accessible from all the classrooms. The facility also includes a parent resource room and space to hold classes and training. Future plans for the Early Learning Center include adding additional programs that support the whole family, including parenting and relationship classes.
The Highline Early Learning Center is located on campus at 2400 South 240th Street, Building 0. Hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Enrollment is ongoing, so for more information or to register your child, call (206) 824-1378.
About Children’s Home Society of Washington
Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW) is Washington’s largest statewide non-profit children’s organization, serving over 39,000 children and their families through early learning, adoption, out-of-home care, family support, child and family counseling, and advocacy programs. CHSW’s mission is to develop healthy children, create strong families, build engaged communities, and speak and advocate for children. To learn more, visit childrenshomesociety.org.
About Highline Community College
Highline Community College is nationally and internationally recognized as a premier community college, and serves over 18,300 students annually. Highline offers associate degrees that provide preparation for transfer to four-year colleges or universities along with Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees and/or certificates in approximately 40 professional-technical education programs. Highline is known for serving a diverse population. For more information, visit highline.edu.