Our Mission: Making Childcare Accessible for Every Family in Whatcom County and Beyond
At ChildcareSpaces.com, our mission is simple but powerful: to help families find safe, reliable, licensed childcare in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, and throughout Whatcom County — whether they need drop-in, emergency, full-time, after-school programs, or overnight childcare. We also provide special drop-in subsidies and can help direct you to other free programs and financial support.
We believe that access to affordable, high-quality childcare should never be a barrier for parents trying to work, attend school, go to a doctor’s appointment, or simply take care of life’s responsibilities. That’s why we created a searchable childcare database and booking platform that connects families directly with licensed providers — making it easy to find last-minute, weekend, and special-needs or full time daycare when it matters most.
Our Story: From Montessori Roots to Countywide Impact
Peace Centers, the nonprofit organization behind ChildcareSpaces.com, has been serving families in Whatcom County for more than 10 years.
We began as the first licensed Montessori preschool in the region to accept childcare subsidies through Washington State’s Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program — ensuring that even low-income families had access to quality early learning. Over the years, our focus evolved from classroom education to training teachers and parents, consulting with childcare programs, and designing community-based solutions to support families’ needs.
In 2024, Peace Centers received a $500,000 Healthy Children’s Fund award from Whatcom County to build ChildcareSpaces.com — a platform designed to make emergency childcare and drop-in daycare available to all families in the region. This project is helping families who:
- Are on waitlists for other childcare programs
- Need short-term or flexible care while working or job-hunting
- Require care due to school closures, babysitter cancellations, or medical appointments
- Want to foster a child but need help securing childcare support
Our long-term vision is to expand this platform across Washington State and eventually nationwide — giving every family, regardless of income or circumstance, the ability to find and book childcare quickly and confidently.
Why Access to Childcare Matters
When parents don’t have access to childcare, they can’t work, apply for jobs, attend classes, or even keep up with basic needs — creating a cycle of economic hardship that impacts the entire community. By offering affordable, high-quality, licensed childcare options and connecting families to financial assistance programs when eligible, ChildcareSpaces.com helps break that cycle and create stronger, more resilient families.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Angelique Burrell
Executive Director
Angelique has devoted over 20 years to supporting children, parents, and educators. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s degree in Education, and an AMI Montessori Certification. As an advanced STARS trainer, Angelique has led trainings in child development, mindfulness, and early childhood education, and she continues to guide programs rooted in social-emotional learning, nature-based education, and holistic child development.
Her passion is helping adults develop the tools and awareness needed to raise a generation of children who can thrive — and ensuring that childcare providers and families in Whatcom County have the resources they need to succeed.
James Bauckman
Program Director & Board President
James is the co-founder of Peace Centers and a lifelong advocate for educational equity. With a Master’s degree in Education focused on Educational Administration, James previously served as Executive Director and teacher at Peace Centers and as the founding Head of School at Meadows Montessori in Ferndale, WA — a LEED-certified farm school serving children ages 2.5 to 12.
James brings deep expertise in childcare systems design, program development, and family support, and is committed to building tools and services that ensure every child — regardless of background — has access to the care and learning opportunities they deserve.
Atul Deshmane
Operations & Technical Director
Atul Deshmane has lived and worked in Whatcom County for 23 years. He has worked for large and small businesses, started and ran an international biofuel business, and most recently ran for and secured an elected office and been appointed to serve on boards for local non-profits.
Join Us in Building a Future Where Every Family Has Access to Childcare
ChildcareSpaces.com is more than a website — it’s a community resource designed to support working parents, empower childcare providers, and strengthen the early learning ecosystem in Whatcom County and beyond.
Whether you’re searching for emergency childcare in Bellingham, infant daycare in Lynden, weekend daycare in Ferndale, or special needs childcare near you, our mission is to make finding licensed childcare simple, fast, and stress-free.