The 20 workers at the Olympia center, which opened in 2023 and serves more than 80 children, are seeking representation with Service Employees International Union Local 925, which advocates on behalf of education workers in Washington, including more than 5,500 childcare workers.

If the organizing effort succeeds, it would be the only KinderCare location in the country with a unionized workforce and one of the few center-based childcare unions nationwide. KinderCare, a publicly traded corporation based in Oregon, is the country's largest private provider of early childhood education services by capacity, operating more than 1,550 centers, including about 70 in Washington state.

"The industry is broken," said Wren Schmid, who has worked as an educator at the center for about two years. "We are doing this not just for ourselves as teachers, but also for the families that we care for, because all of us deserve better than this."

Schmid said she earns less than $20 an hour and is only able to get by financially by living at home with family. Her co-workers, she said, are struggling to afford groceries, rent and medication.

Low wages make it difficult for the center to recruit and retain workers, Schmid said, contributing to high turnover and inadequate staffing. Washington childcare centers are required to maintain a 10:1 child-to-staff ratio in classrooms for toddlers and older, meaning at least two teachers for a class of up to 20 preschool children. When Schmid first started, classrooms had as many as four teachers covering 20 kids, allowing educators to properly teach and care for children, handle cleanup and lesson preparation, and avoid burnout.

But about six months ago, the center stopped replacing teachers who left and now staffs rooms at minimum requirements, she said. High turnover combined with overworked teachers is harmful for young children who need stability and safety, she added.

"What we're currently facing is such low staffing that people are basically being told that there won't be time for their breaks," Schmid said. "A lot of people are staying very late past the end of their shifts, which is affecting their personal lives."

In a statement, KinderCare spokesperson Colleen Moran said educators "are at the heart of KinderCare."

"We strive to create a workplace where they can grow and thrive through competitive wages, benefits and professional development," Moran said. "We remain committed to listening and improving how we support our teams and families."

She did not respond to a question about whether the company would voluntarily recognize the union.

A decade ago, workers at a KinderCare center at the University of Southern California voted to become the first unionized site amid pressure from an anti-union consulting firm hired by the company. Less than a month later, KinderCare severed its contract with the university and shuttered operations.

Workers say they believe KinderCare going public in 2024 has contributed to worsening workplace conditions, arguing the company is now prioritizing profits for shareholders. Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., launched an investigation into the impact of private equity firms across the childcare industry, including at KinderCare.

In fiscal year 2024, KinderCare's CEO Tom Wyatt received about $59 million in compensation after the company went public, according to a 2026 investor report. KinderCare reported Wyatt was paid 283 times what the median worker was paid last year: Wyatt's total compensation was about $7.8 million, while the company's median worker made just under $27,500 annually.

In the Olympia area, childcare workers earned an annual median wage of roughly $38,390 last year, or $18.46 an hour, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The state's minimum wage is $17.13 an hour.

Childcare workers, disproportionately women and people of color, are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States, and many rely on public assistance to make ends meet. Advocates routinely point out the dissonance between the importance of their labor and their typical compensation. In addition to providing a service that allows parents to work or attend school and ensuring children are healthy and fed, childcare workers function as educators, nurturing a child's love of learning and helping them develop physically, cognitively and socially. The impacts of early childhood education can be among the most consequential in determining a child's outcomes later in life.

With so few childcare workers represented by unions nationwide, Schmid said she hopes her co-workers' unionization efforts — and a strong contract — may lead to better outcomes for others in the industry.

"We're hoping that us succeeding to do this will inspire other childcare workers to do the same thing," Schmid said.