Photos courtesy of David Mayer
Headlines focused on early learning programs are everywhere. Cost, program availability, and staff retention are just some of the challenges facing the childcare and early learning industry in Washington state and across the country.
At the office for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle, our goal is to play a significant role in addressing these challenges, with the support and generosity of individuals who believe deeply in the importance of early childhood education.
Our early learning programs currently serve more than 2,000 participants across 56 schools and sites. Of these, 46 programs are state-licensed and offer full-day programming. An additional three programs are in the licensing process, and seven provide half-day programming. Across our schools, 121 classrooms are dedicated to early learning, and we have added between five and eight classrooms each year for the past four years.
We’ll examine the key challenges outlined earlier and describe how we are putting solutions into action in our schools.
We address the challenge of program availability in several critical ways:
First, we expand age groups incrementally within existing programs. For example, when a school serves fourand five-yearolds in a PreK program, we collaborate with school leadership to identify additional space within the school to add a three-year-old program.
This approach has proven successful, with multiple schools expanding to include three-year-old, two-year-old, and infant programs. Adding toddler and infant classrooms is especially critical, as these age groups represent the greatest need for early learning slots statewide.
By taking this step-by-step approach, schools make intentional decisions about enrollment growth and facility use, supporting sound budget management for both the school and its staff.
Second, school leaders and dedicated volunteers identify underutilized spaces in school buildings, parish facilities, and offsite locations to expand existing programs or create new ones.
One recent example includes converting a lower-level church hall into an Infant–PreK center. The hall was located in a parish that merged with a nearby parish and school. The school did not have space on-site to create its own early learning program, so through a variety of funding mechanisms, and with the determination of staff, volunteers, and supportive parish leadership, the hall was transformed into four classrooms that now serve over 60 students.
A similar story unfolded in an older convent located on the same campus as one of our schools. While the building had served many purposes over the decades, it was no longer operating at full capacity. Parish and school leaders engaged in thoughtful conversations about enrollment growth and developed a plan to renovate the convent into a new Infant–PreK Early Learning Center, while preserving the convent’s chapel. This new center will open in the fall and serve more than 60 children, providing a strong feeder into the K–8 school community.
Many parishes also have spaces used in the evenings for meetings or faith formation that sit empty during the school day. One school recognized the opportunity to utilize these spaces to grow enrollment and opened multiple toddler classrooms. Through careful logistics, scheduling, and collaboration between parish and school staff, these spaces are now actively serving children throughout the day and maintaining the evening programs already happening.
Professional development is a key strategy for retaining our outstanding early learning staff.
The office for Catholic schools offers monthly virtual trainings focused on inclusion, behavior support, child development, curriculum, leadership, and more. These trainings are offered at no cost and provide staff with the state-required professional development hours they need each year.
Twice a year, early learning staff gather in person for training, relationshipbuilding, and discussion of critical early learning topics. In addition, we have established an early learning leadership team that facilitates monthly regional virtual meetings where staff can share ideas and learn from one another.
Veteran leaders also serve as mentors, pairing with new directors throughout their first year to provide guidance on program operations and state compliance.
The office for Catholic schools maintains a strong partnership with the Fulcrum Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen the vitality, excellence, and sustainability of Catholic schools through funding and thought partnership. Early learning staff may apply for Fulcrum Foundation grants to pursue state certificates and degrees at local colleges and universities.
With the Fulcrum Foundation’s generous support, our leaders work diligently to ensure that Catholic education is accessible to all families who seek it. Our early learning programs reflect this commitment by participating in state subsidy programs that increase affordability for families.
Over the past two years, our licensed programs have utilized $1.5 million in state subsidies to support families who need additional assistance in accessing early learning.
The early childhood education director at the office for Catholic schools is also actively engaged in state advocacy, co-chairing the state’s Provider Supports group and collaborating with other leaders through the Washington Federation of Independent Schools.
By intentionally addressing these ongoing challenges, the early learning programs of the Archdiocese of Seattle are positioning themselves as a state leader and a model for sustainable growth and expansion.
David Mayeris the director of early childhood education in the office for Catholic schools, Archdiocese of Seattle.David.Mayer@seattlearch.org