By Laura Swanson
“Someone ought to do something” … it’s a phrase you hear a lot in a small community, and usually there is “someone” who does indeed do something. That someone, experiencing the lack of child care herself and recognizing the need for the creation of a new program in North Tillamook County, is Kate Romanov. “Until Little Coasties School opened, there was no licensed child care for children under two for a 50 mile stretch of the north coast,” explained Romanov. She continued, “Families with young children are forced to choose between pausing their careers to stay home, relying on family members as caretakers, or moving elsewhere.”
Between Seaside and Tillamook , there are limited options for 3 year olds. Programs often fill up with 4 year olds first, leaving 3 year olds on a wait list and their families out of luck. Despite statewide initiatives to invest in child care, “Rural counties are still far more likely to be child care deserts than urban counties,” concluded the Ford Family Foundation in their child care study published last month.
Less than a year ago, Little Coasties School hosted a word-of-mouth Open House, filled all their spots, and started a waiting list. While the Pioneer loves to feature new businesses, we also didn’t want to promote a child care opportunity when there weren’t spaces available. The real story here is the tenacity and grit that Kate Romanov has demonstrated as she tackles the mountains of paperwork, approvals and certifications necessary to open and operate a state-licensed child care program. Now, there is the possibility for Little Coasties to grow into a second location and increase capacity for 2 and 3 year olds lacking viable options. This means more child care spots, but it will take the support of the community – helping to fund the property purchase.
“The second location is just one block away from the current location, near North County Recreation District,” explains Little Coasties founder Kate Romanov. “Even more amazing, the property owner is a local community member who is willing to sell the house off market, either outright, or with limited seller financing,” she continued. “Now we need to find the funding.” Romanov added, “There is also housing included, as there will be a rental apartment above the child care program area.” This is a win-win for the community. The current Little Coasties location houses a local public elementary school teacher, whose teaching hours don’t overlap with program hours. The school provides an incredible trifecta of things North County values and needs: jobs, housing, and safe, nurturing care for our most precious community members – our children.
The Department of Early Learning & Care performed a site visit to the proposed second location and pre-approved the building for 15 students (16 if/when the garage is upgraded). Then the City of Nehalem approved the conditional use permit during a Planning Commission meeting on December 19th, 2024. So, the paperwork path has been paved for the program to expand into this space and serve more families.
You Can Help! – Community Support, donations, funders …
In order to open doors at the second location, Little Coasties School needs to raise $250-$450k to secure the property and be on track to open for summer/fall programming. There is an adorable front area for gardening projects, a back room for a library (complete with a cute little built-in book nook), an attached garage for movement and messy art activities, and a back deck overlooking a large yard with mature rhododendrons.
In particular, Little Coasties is looking for a philanthropic lender to provide a private mortgage for a few years or buy the building outright and lease it to the school. This could be for the entire purchase (preferred) or a little over half of the purchase plus immediate building touch up and start up costs. “There are a handful of grants, including the Child Care Infrastructure Fund, that will hopefully help with the upfront costs of upgrading the building and purchasing instructional materials, so the acquisition of the property is where assistance is currently needed,” said Romanov. A local nonprofit, Fulcrum Community Resources, is also accepting tax-deductible donations on the school’s behalf.
Some History & Testimonials – In September 2023, four young children (aged 1 ½ to 2 ½) and one amazing teacher, Clara Broderick, started gathering three days a week to do educational activities together. The parents were thrilled to have time to work and rest, while their children were happy playing and learning. Word spread quickly that there was finally a child care option available in the “daycare desert” of North County. There was one problem: in order to add more kids, approval was needed from the city, county and state. After lots of paperwork, Little Coasties School was born. At the end of March, 2024, the school received a license from the Oregon Department of Early Learning & Care with authorization to teach 12 students per day.
Some parents enrolled their child for one day a week, while others opted for up to four days, so in total the school is currently providing care for 24 local families. Most of the families live in Nehalem, Manzanita or Cannon Beach, but some are driving from Seaside or Rockaway.
When Clara Broderick, a native of Cannon Beach, was initially approached about being the Lead Teacher, she jumped at the idea. “I had just turned down a child care grant writing position due to not having child care for my two and a half year old daughter, so when the chance to help start a new program came up, I was all in,” shared Broderick. She added, “Seeing the kids thrive, and having my daughter there with me, makes my heart so happy.”
Little Coasties School has three teaching staff, two substitutes, and an administrator, plus several individuals who assist with cleaning and maintenance. Students have daily art activities, outside time, and healthy snacks. The smiles and giggles are immediately evident upon opening the door! Parents have shared rave reviews and immense gratitude for the incredible community that emerged when the need for child care transformed into the opportunity for a new school.
The program focuses on two core themes: social emotional learning and nature exploration. We believe (and research supports!) that kids who grow up having positive outdoor experiences — and are instilled with values such as empathy and compassion — are more likely to make ecologically-minded choices into adulthood.
Madeline Mersereau of Wheeler, the mom of a current Little Coastie, shared her experience at the Dec. 19th Planning Commission meeting to advocate for the second location. “We enrolled our son in this program because not only do I believe early education and socialization without parents is key to a child’s development, but because we have a newborn at home and the child care he receives greatly helps our family. Educationally, the strides our son has made since beginning at Little Coasties through today have been immeasurable.”
Another mother, Micah Mastrandrea of Arch Cape, echoed similar sentiments. “My son is currently enrolled at Little Coasties. He loves it and we love it as a family. Kate and Clara have created an environment that is welcoming, safe, and so very positive for the young children in our community. I would love to see their program grow, and watch the benefits of this growth trickle down through all levels of our community.”
If there’s one thing kids are good at, it’s growing. The current class of 2 year olds will inevitably turn into a roster of 3 year olds. By September, 2025, they will be ready for their next educational endeavor. Unfortunately, there’s a gap in early learning options for 3 year olds in North County. At New Discoveries, fully potty-trained 3 year olds can attend for 4 hours on Mondays and -Tuesdays. At Nehalem Elementary and Garibaldi Grade School, 4 year olds are prioritized over 3 year olds and many years there’s a wait list for 4 year olds. Enrollment for Fire Mountain starts at age 4. So, there are all these amazing Little Coastie kiddos who love learning together, and yet many of them have nowhere to go for the 2025-2026 school year.
With a second location, Little Coasties teacher, Clara Broderick is excited to “loop up” with the students, meaning continue teaching them at the second site next school year and mentor new teachers to take over the current location with the incoming 2 year olds starting next fall. The second location will be able to offer longer school days (6 hours), as well as summer camps, which have been repeatedly requested by parents.
Little Coasties School is structured as a Benefit Corporation as a commitment to benefit the local community and environment. The school’s application is pending for the state subsidy that provides income-eligible tuition assistance to help make the program as affordable as possible for parents. Here is more info on the third-party social/ecological impact certification that Little Coastie is in the process of earning.
As the 2024 Ford Family Foundation study explained, “The differences between the high cost of providing care and the costs that the state and families can bear make it difficult for businesses to make even a small profit. Many child care businesses accept a mix of public funds and family tuition, which can be complex to manage but necessary to make ends meet.” If you have the capacity to contribute to Little Coasties School, or know someone who might, check out www.littlecoasties.org or reach out to hi@littlecoasties.org for more information.
