RTC announces plans to close its Child Care Center

Renton Technical College announced Thursday that it plans to close its Child Care Center because of severe budget cuts. The center will be closed effective Aug. 31.

The center provides services to students, faculty, staff and Head Start families. The closure will affect 70 children and eliminate jobs for 13 full-time staff members and eight part-time employees.

“Unfortunately, due to the severe budget cuts the college has sustained over the past several years, we can no longer continue to subsidize the cost of operating the childcare center,” said Steve Hanson, Renton Technical College president.

Over the past four years RTC has lost more than $5.1 million because of state budget cuts, yet continued to subsidize the child care center at the cost of more than $105,000 per year for the past five years. 

“The families of these children will be the most affected because of the extra level of service they receive,” manager Shelley Hall said about the Head Start students.

The closure will also affect students enrolled in the early childhood education program who used the child care center for practicum experiences.

Susanna Williams, college relations director for RTC said there are no current plans for the child care center building. Families have been referred to http://www.childcarenet.org to help them find other child care services.

The child care center has served the Renton community for more than 30 years.