HomeMy WebLinkAboutCONSENT Letter of Support re Early Learning Center JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
CONSENT AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Amanda Christofferson,Grants Administrator
DATE: October 13,2025
SUBJECT: LETTER OF SUPPORT: Jefferson County Early Learning and Family Support Center
Olympic Peninsula YMCA application to Washington State Dept. of Commerce Early
Learning Facilities(ELF)grant program
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Whereas Jefferson County has undertaken to work with our partners Jefferson Health Care and the Olympic
Peninsula YMCA to increase the number of full day childcare opportunities for young children. The county
has directly supported this effort by securing $3.375M in grant funding and contributed additional CARES
Act funding to this effort. Construction of the facility is not able to proceed due to a funding gap that
exceeds $2M.
YMCA's application to the ELF program is to fill the gap in funding necessary to complete construction of
the facility.
ANALYSIS:
The ELF program is the best fit opportunity originating from Washington State Department of Commerce
for this need. The program removed their funding cap this year and thus presents an opportunity to fulfill
the funding gap with only one additional funding source.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No direct fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests the Board approve a motion to sign the Letter of Support for the YMCA application to the
Washington State Department of Commerce Early Learning Facilities Program.
REVIEWED BY:
Jo eters, County Administrator Date
p� CON s: Board of County Commissioners
4w�s c°6 i, 1820 Jefferson Street
aka tel PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9 O Heather Dudley-Nollette,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
S�IIN6S.
October 13,2025
Washington State Department of Commerce
Early Learning Facilities Program
To Whom It May Concern:
We are pleased to write this letter in support of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA's funding request to the
Department of Commerce Early Learning Facilities program.
Access to childcare remains a significant challenge and serves as a barrier to employment for many young
families.According to the Washington State Department of Children,Youth, and Families(DCYF), the current
availability of childcare in Jefferson County meets less than 15%of the estimated need for early learning.
Jefferson County has made confronting this childcare crisis a top funding priority for the last five years.
In 2021 Jefferson County awarded$50,000 in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds to Jefferson Healthcare to
proceed with fact finding and development of a childcare facility plan. In 2022 the County awarded $290,000 in
America Rescue Plan Act dollars to fund the design for a childcare facility. Additionally, in 2022 Jefferson
County made a powerful ask of our Federal Legislators and were awarded$1.375 million through a
congressionally directed spending request via USDA—Rural Development to move toward construction. In 2023
we were awarded$2 million by the Washington State Dept. of Commerce via the CDBG—General Purpose
program for construction of the facility. Our partners,the YMCA and Jefferson Healthcare,have brought further
funding to the table to finalize the capital stack. However,all seven of the responses to our request for
construction bids this spring came in at a staggering$2 million over our capital funding budget.
Once the funding gap is closed this project is ready to go—with our excellent partners we have achieved
100%of our design and have an approved building permit from the City of Port Townsend.
There are many types of infrastructure that our rural county needs to improve, including everything from
wastewater facilities and roads to community facilities such as this one-which are critical to support our
residents. We simply do not have the existing building stock to accommodate the requirements of a large DCYF
certified childcare facility. This Early Learning and Family Support Center will be large enough to provide
childcare for 42 children and will also house essential family support services for our community. The facility
will be built on the campus of the Port Townsend High School which is centrally located within a fifteen-minute
drive of the largest employers in Jefferson County. Childcare is one of our region's primary barriers to
employment and economic development. This new facility will serve to leverage and support the broad economic
development initiatives the Olympic Peninsula is focused on through the Recompete program. This facility brings
with it significant multi-benefits; it will ensure that more of our working parents are able to remain engaged in
their professions;more of our young children have the care and engagement they need to thrive;our employers
can improve workforce recruitment and retention;and it will create an estimated ten jobs for early-learning
professionals.
Phone (360) 385-9100 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us
We strongly encourage your support of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA's request for the Jefferson County
Early Learning and Family Support Center. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Heather Dudley-Nollette,Dist. 1 Heidi Eisenhour, Dist. 2-Chair Greg Brotherton, Dist.3