Washington Business Winter 2020 | Washington Business | Page 42

business backgrounder | education & workforce
Meyers, chair of the early childhood
education department at Skagit
Valley College.
In King County, more than 60% of
children in child care programs are
in family child care programs, not
center-based programs. Because these
providers work out of their homes, they
often feel isolated from the rest of the
child care community. To help connect
these providers to one another and
support them as they work to meet the
new educational requirements, North
Seattle College recently established
the Family Home Childcare Collective.
About 35 providers have joined the
collective so far.
“It has been effective in mobilizing
the community and building a web
of support as they try to decide if
higher education is right for them,”
Dolan said.
The early childhood education program at North Seattle College attracts a diverse group of students. Some students
have run their own child care center for 20 years and are looking to meet the new requirements to keep their business
open, while others are new to the field. Because the majority of students work, all classes are offered in the evenings and
on the weekends. Online classes are available as well. The flexibility of the program allows students to complete their
certificates at their own pace.
“Folks can jump in and out as they need to. They can take time off if they have family or work demands and jump back
in without losing any credits,” Dolan said.
eliminating barriers and encouraging learning
Many child care providers in the state come from outside the U.S. and aren’t native English speakers. For these individuals,
meeting the new educational requirements can be especially challenging.
“We have a high Latinx population in the region,” said Meyers. “More than 50% of the students in the local school
system are Latinx.”
To meet the needs of its community, Skagit Valley College, which serves Skagit, Island and San Juan counties, offers
the required courses in both English and Spanish.
“We are committed to making sure language is not a barrier. By providing classes in Spanish, it removes that barrier,”
Meyers said. “It’s important to give students the information they need in the language they understand best.”
Students can take the courses as a cohort in English or Spanish. This allows them to learn together and progress
through the material as a group, thereby building a support system that encourages their learning and engagement.
Ultimately, many students want to continue their education and are excited to put what they’ve learned into practice.
The owner of one local child care center, for example, recruited six of her staff members to the program, with five of
them participating in the same cohort.
“The impact on their child care center has been tremendous, and they’re supporting one another,” Meyers said. “Now
she’s moving on to pursue her bachelor’s. She never went to school before. This program has opened up the whole world
of higher education to her.”
42 association of washington business