Emergency Childcare at Peace Centers
Must live in Whatcom County and have children under 6 years of age in order to have access to free childcare. Guardians who receive SNAP, WIC, TANF, or working connections or if they are going through an emergency to receive free childcare. Private pay users can use the system too but they must pay for the childcare themselves.
Guardians must complete the required childcare registration forms which include their medical history and immunization records.
Providers usually offer care from 6:00am to 6:00pm. Some providers may offer overnight or weekend care.
Spanish, English
Free for qualifying parents. Private pay families pay between $7-10 per hour for childcare.
Whatcom, WA
Childcarespaces.com allows guardians to search and book real-time drop-in or emergency openings with licensed childcare providers in Whatcom County. Families who live in the county and have children ages 0–5 may qualify for free childcare if they receive SNAP, WIC, TANF, Working Connections, or are experiencing an emergency, while private‑pay families can also use the system by paying for care themselves.
Peace Centers
Peace Centers runs ChildcareSpaces.com to help Whatcom County families with children birth–5 find and pay for drop‑in, short‑term, and emergency childcare with licensed providers. The site is open to qualifying families and private‑pay users, and Peace Centers also offers education, STARS hours, childcare business consulting, and a lending library at peacestore.org.