Access to child care has long been a challenge for families in Grays Harbor County – nationwide, in fact – and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for families as they adjust to returning to work and school online learning models.

“The affordability and availability of child care has been an issue for years,” said Greater Grays Harbor Inc. CEO Lynette Buffington. “Add in the (online learning model for schools) and it’s created a massive dilemma for educators, employers and of course families.”

At the regional chamber of commerce’s “Education, Childcare and Workforce in the Era of COVID-19” business forum Aug. 25, Jill Bushnell with the state Child Care Collaborative, talked about a recent statewide child care assessment that looked at the supply and demand of child care and some of the barriers and challenges families and providers are facing.

According to the report, nearly 550,000 children under the age of 12 have no access to child care in the state, despite the fact that 60% of children in that age range live in homes where adults work.

A statement from Child Care Aware, a nonprofit child care resource and referral program, released Tuesday said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced our child care supply even further because some providers have reluctantly closed their doors due to financial difficulty with not having enough children to care for as some working parents are keeping their children home, fear of the virus or actual exposure to the virus. Since March, up to 24% of Washington’s licensed child care programs have closed. Currently, 18% of our state’s child care programs are closed and not serving children.”

The study showed that Grays Harbor County’s child care capacity has declined by 21.38% due to the pandemic. Pacific County’s has plummeted by more than 41%.

The report also states that 44% of child care early educators in the state have been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic. Further, 64% of child care businesses surveyed reported a 50% or greater decrease in income due to the pandemic.

“Providers are working hard to stay open despite rapidly changing enrollments and operating requirements,” said task force tri-chair Luc Jasmin. “Without support, many child care businesses will be unable to re-open, and essential workers will find it difficult to continue to report to their places of employment.”

Historic numbers of people in Washington are out of work, working less or working from home. Parents face new challenges of balancing job responsibilities and caring for children with many child care programs closed, grandparents and other high-risk caregivers off-limits, and schools focused on remote learning.

Without safe, affordable child care options, “many workers with children, especially women, will exit the labor force,” aid task force tri-chair Amy Anderson. “As a result, businesses and employers ready to resume and expand will find fewer workers available. Washington’s economy will not recover without child care.”

Bushnell presented a map showing the supply of child care versus nearby facilities. According to the study, Grays Harbor County stands at 41% in terms of percent of demand met by nearby supply. Pacific County fared only slightly better at 46%.

“And that is data as of March, pre-pandemic,” said Bushnell. “There are still a lot of challenges for families in our county.”

“Today’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force report illustrates the depth of Washington’s child care crisis. The supply of quality, affordable child care has not met the needs of our working families for decades,” said Deeann Burtch Puffert, chief executive officer for Child Care Aware of Washington. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse as some child care programs have had to make the financial decision to close their doors.”

Upcoming for the task force, which was created by the Legislature to study the economic impacts of insufficient child care, is “looking at some of the complex issues impacting child care, like the state subsidy program and workforce compensation, as well as a cost model so we can better understand what is driving the cost and exactly what the provider cost is,” said Bushnell.