The Healthy Children’s Fund is helping Whatcom County children get a stronger start in school by investing in programs that increase kindergarten readiness. Through voter-approved dollars, the fund is partnering with local early learning providers to expand access to high-quality, developmentally focused child care.
Two recently funded programs-Cozy Bears Early Learning and the Whatcom Family YMCA-offer examples of how the fund is making a difference for kids, families, and educators.
Cozy Bears Early Learning: Increased access in Ferndale
Cozy Bears Early Learning in Ferndale received $43,500 from the Healthy Children’s Fund in March 2025 to add a second licensed classroom space, adding six new enrollment slots. It helps meet a pressing need in the community.
“Receiving HCF dollars has made a huge difference for both me as a provider and the families I serve,” owner Bella Nogales said. “Before this funding, I didn’t have the resources to expand, even though I knew there was a big need in our community.”
The Healthy Children’s Fund helped remove a financial barrier and allowed Nogales to open a new classroom and serve more children – doubling Cozy Bears’ capacity from six to 12 slots. Nine of the 12 slots are reserved for families with incomes at or below 85% of the state median.
“The new classroom means access to high-quality early learning that might not have been possible otherwise,” Nogales said.
The contract also supports implementation of Frog Street Curriculum, a research-based program aligned with state and national standards.
The advanced curriculum focuses on helping children build skills in early literacy and social-emotional learning. Family engagement activities are built in, supporting caregivers as active partners in their child’s learning journey.
“What I love most is how engaging and well-rounded it is,” Nogales said. “It’s easy for educators to follow, yet rich in content for children. It also offers strong support for dual-language learners and aligns beautifully with kindergarten readiness goals.”
Whatcom Family YMCA: Bringing services into the classroom
The Whatcom Family YMCA was awarded $506,253 to provide music enrichment and developmental services in its child care programs. These include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and support from early childhood specialists.
About 22% of children enrolled in YMCA early learning programs come from low-income households.
The YMCA is partnering with Little Saplings Music, Bellingham Pediatric Therapy, and Catalyst Therapies to deliver these services in classrooms. Around 240 children ages 1 month to 5 years benefit from supports that enhance language development, motor skills, emotional regulation, and more.
This in-classroom approach meets the needs of working families and allows educators to collaborate closely with clinicians.
The YMCA program also supports teachers with training on developmental milestones and strategies to help kids with varying needs thrive in inclusive settings. Clinicians will provide quarterly, two-hour in-service trainings for early learning teachers. These sessions offer coaching on how to integrate tailored supports in classrooms to promote kindergarten readiness for children with diverse developmental needs.
Speech-language clinicians will also help children under 6 identify and express emotions. Using developmentally appropriate tools like visual aids, emotion cards and guided activities, clinicians will support individual children and entire classes in building self-regulation, empathy and communication skills.
This approach helps to identify needs early and provide services in a way that feels natural for kids and families. It helps prepare for kindergarten while building confidence and communication skills that will serve children for life.
How kindergarten readiness is measured
In Washington, kindergarten readiness is measured in six areas: cognitive, language, literacy, math, physical, and social-emotional. Programs funded by the Healthy Children’s Fund aim to support development across all of these domains.
For example, music enrichment can boost cognitive and language development. Speech therapy helps improve communication, and occupational therapy supports physical development. When children receive these services early, they are more likely to thrive in school and beyond.
Laying the foundation for lifelong success
Expanding access to early learning helps level the playing field for children who might otherwise start school at a disadvantage. Research shows that children who have high-quality early learning opportunities are more likely to succeed academically, graduate from high school, and earn higher incomes as adults.
By investing in programs like Cozy Bears and the YMCA, the Healthy Children’s Fund is working toward a future where more Whatcom County children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.
“Early childhood education sets the foundation for everything that comes after,” Nogales said. “When kids have access to safe, loving and enriching care, they thrive-and so do their families.”
A shared commitment to kids
Whatcom County government is committed to improving outcomes for children and families. These investments are possible because voters chose to support the Healthy Children’s Fund, which provides resources for early learning, behavioral health and family support services.
We also recognize and appreciate the many providers who are expanding, adapting and innovating to meet the needs of our youngest residents. Their work is building a healthier, more hopeful future for Whatcom County.
Learn more about how the Healthy Children’s Fund is helping kids thrive at www.healthychildrensfund.org.
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