Launch, a nonprofit preschool program with 13 locations across King County, is moving its Fairwood program (known also as Cascade Vista) from a current temporary church location to three classrooms in Black River Elementary, an Impact charter school. The program will continue to serve kids throughout Renton, while the partnership with Impact allows for new opportunities, like connecting with the public school community.

In 2023, Launch, a Seattle-based preschool company, took over Cascade Vista, a preschool program that had been operating in a church in Renton for 57 years. Cascade Vista had been facing closure, but Launch, after assuming ownership of Cascade Vista, was able to find a temporary location for the staff and students at a different church.

Before this first relocation in 2023, Cascade Vista was serving about 65 students. Over the past school year the program had to downsize to serving 37, as the available space was smaller.

In the new, permanent location at Black River Elementary, Launch will occupy three classrooms. With this space, the program will again serve 65 kids. Of these, 20 will be preschoolers and 45 will be of elementary school age.

Laura Nicholson is an executive director at Launch and has overseen the new ownership and relocations of Cascade Vista.

“The opportunity in this beautiful, brand new building and to have programs that are co-located in school buildings just opens up that so much more for families to build community,” Nicholson said.

Most of the kids currently enrolled in the Cascade Vista program will continue attending, along with some kids from Black River Elementary and other schools nearby.

“I foresee us being here for a long time,” Nicholson said. “This is only the second year that the school has been open to the public. So as the school community grows, and also this area of Renton continues to grow, we’ll get to grow with them.”

Launch does not operate on a first come, first serve application basis, Nicholson said. Instead, families who apply are asked a number of questions during the registration process that give Launch a holistic picture of a family’s situation, and then, based off of the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy (Seattle) definition of furthest from educational justice, Launch offers enrollment for students and families who have 2+ risk factors based on socio-economic background, race/ethnicity, English language learners, families experiencing homelessness, and children with disabilities.

Launch has a tuition assistance program which recommends families to external childcare subsidies through the federal, state and local governments. If a family is not eligible for external public subsidies, Launch then awards families internal funds. Since 2019, Launch has provided almost $1 million in tuition assistance, Nicholson said.

Jessica Ivins is the Development and Communications Manager for Launch.

“It’s really exciting to be able to expand our services to more families,” Ivins said. “There is not enough childcare to meet the needs of the working families in this region, and that’s a huge part of our mission at Launch, to serve as many working families as we can, but also particularly parents who face challenges, and really have a good, safe place to take their kids while they work.”

Preschool and before and after-school services are offered from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Launch services are provided for these times during days off of school, school breaks, and all summer weekdays. Launch owns vans for student transportation to Black River Elementary from different nearby schools, as well.

“We are so excited to have a permanent home for Cascade Vista to be able to continue their 57-year history of serving families in the Benson Hill/Fairwood neighborhoods,” Nicholson said in an email. “Special thank you to Pastor Ronnie at Word of Life, Church of God for welcoming us to temporarily relocate to their building while we looked for our long-term home!”

Find out more about Launch at launchlearning.org. Registration is open for Launch’s preschool program and before/after school program at the Black River Impact Schools campus and can be found at https://launchlearning.org/for-families/forms/.