Save Childcare for LWSD Teen Parents - Emerson Daycare

Today, on this first day of school, the Emerson Daycare opened its doors for the 2022-2023 school year. Welcome back to the Emerson daycare staff, high school student daycare helpers and the daycare students; it's going to be a great year!!

While both daycare staff and students continue to enjoy the summer break, we can't help but be reminded that when school starts back up in September, Emerson families will return, confident that their children will benefit from a high-quality daycare experience!

4 Ways Kids Benefit from a High-Quality Childcare Program | Lit’l Scholars Learning Centers By attending a quality childcare program that features a positive learning environment and a play-based curriculum, kids gain a number of advantages.

School's out for summer!!! We are wishing the Emerson daycare staff a restful, relaxing and well-deserved summer break:)

Question: Why is a rise in daycare tuition that big of a deal? Shouldn’t the Emerson Teen Daycare program reflect current market rates in the community?

Answer: The Emerson daycare community realizes that they are fortunate to access a unique program which provides high-quality, affordable daycare. While the daycare community themselves advocated for a price increase in order to maintain the teen daycare program, the district has stated multiple times that they are committed to cost-neutrality.

What’s the challenge? Transparency. The district has not shared the actual cost of running the daycare. Therefore, what information is the district using to make decisions regarding daycare tuition? How does the community know if the new rates are “cost neutral”?

Emerson High School provides a unique learning environment for students who need one. If you are just learning about Emerson (formerly BEST) High School, this video explains it more. When you support the daycare, you're also supporting the Emerson High School community. If you know a student who would benefit from a smaller learning environment, you should encourage them to apply! (Link in comments.)

Emerson High School Description

Stay connected to our page for more updates and future advocacy needs.

If you are looking for a way to support the daycare right now, you can contribute financially through the site below. These donations allow the daycare to purchase new educational toys, books, art consumables, and multicultural items. There are NINE more days until the drive closes on June 10, 2022.

We would love to be able to fulfill the program’s wishlist and MORE! Please visit the link in comments for additional information about the program and how to donate.

UPDATE: On May 23rd, the LWSD School Board approved new daycare fees for the Emerson Teen Daycare Program. The new tuition proposal indicates that rates will increase by 100% for the 2022-2023 school year, rather than 300% (!!!), which was initially proposed.

Many Emerson daycare families advocated for this 100% tuition increase in order to keep the daycare open and operational-especially for teen parents, but there are still questions about the cost of the program and overall transparency about cost-neutrality.

For more information, please check out the school board discussion surrounding this vote here:

https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/lwsd/Board.nsf/vpublic?open #

BoardDocs® Pro Board of Directors - Meeting Agendas and Minutes

TONIGHT: The school board will be voting on the proposed daycare fees tonight as part of the consent agenda. We continue to request transparency with regard to cost neutrality. Email the school board to let them know you care about keeping this daycare as part of the district so that it's available for teen parents when they need it--and that you care about transparency from the district decision-makers. Cost neutrality is not the same as market rates.

"The data are clear. Early childhood programs that are sustained and high quality can have long-lasting impacts on children, preparing them for formal schooling and beyond with the added factor that early education paves the way for parents to be in the workforce. This is a win-win-win for society."

We remain grateful that the Emerson Teen Daycare program, which offers high-quality care, will remain a resource for teen parents, LWSD staff and our community for years to come. It's a win-win all around!

High-quality early child care and education: The gift that lasts a lifetime New research strongly suggests that sustained high-quality early education can have long lasting impacts on children's lives.

What do Emerson staff say about the daycare?

“Many students come to Emerson because they haven't been successful in their previous school communities. The sense of belonging that Emerson students tend to develop after spending time on campus is a big part of the "magic" of Emerson as a place where these students often begin to engage and thrive. The Emerson daycare plays an important role in developing that sense of belonging, as it provides a venue for reciprocity and interdependence - a place where students can give and teach as well as receive and learn. Everyone belongs. The daycare kids, the students, the staff. This is a model of community that many students who come to Emerson have never experienced before, and it allows them to relax a little and trust the staff to help them, as the staff trust the students to care for their own children.”

ICYMI, the School Board voted last week to table the vote on the proposed tuition rates. (Boarddocs link in comments). As part of the discussion, the School Board requested a cost analysis of what it costs to run the daycare. This is a missing piece in understanding what it costs to make the daycare cost neutral.

We are requesting transparency about operational costs and community involvement in the process. Comparing the Emerson Daycare to daycares that exist for profit (see boarddocs), isn’t a fair comparison, given the unique nature of the Emerson Daycare and the students who participate in it.

According to the LWSD School Board equity policy, it states, "We must interrupt, identify, and remove systemic barriers causing predictability of success and failure that currently correlates with these factors."

The Emerson Teen Daycare Program removes systemic barriers for teen parents and we are grateful that it will remain open. However, the recent tuition proposal could have the opposite effect in that a significant (and NON-cost neutral) price increase could drive down enrollment and eventually give reason for the daycare to close. If you still feel inspired to write to the LWSD School Board, please do so today!