By SARAH BELLIS

News-Times intern

On a quiet weekday morning, sunlight filters into the toddler room at Ms. Ashley’s Daycare as little hands reach for story-time books, sit down for lunch and settle into familiar routines. The atmosphere in the Oak Harbor child care facility is warm and calm — surprisingly peaceful for a building filled with tiny voices.

Owner Ashley Bernales watches from the doorway with a mixture of pride, gratitude and laughter.

“We knew there was such a shortage,” she said. “So expanding felt like the right thing for the community.”

Bernales has spent 15 years caring for Oak Harbor’s children — long enough to watch infants grow into teenagers, long enough to witness the city’s child care landscape shrink and long enough to become one of the community’s most trusted child care providers.

She opened her first licensed daycare in her home in 2010, earning her license that October. Over time, she realized her calling wasn’t just child care. It was early learning.

“I really had a passion for just preschool,” she said.

That passion led her to pursue a dedicated building, and in October 2017, she opened Ms. Ashley’s Preschool on Pioneer Way. Families came, often with multiple children who would rotate through different classrooms over the years. Many stayed, returned with younger siblings and recommended the program to others.

But even as her preschool grew, she saw something larger happening across Oak Harbor: Child care options were disappearing, and the youngest age groups — infants and toddlers — had the fewest choices.

“Seeing how much child care was needed, I realized we needed (care for) infants and toddlers,” she said.

Then in December 2024, an unexpected opportunity changed everything.

“I got a phone call,” Bernales said. “They wondered if I was interested in renting this building to move my preschool. I said no at first … but something made me want to look at it.”

Inside, she immediately saw potential.

“I just kind of felt drawn to do a toddler center,” she said.

One room felt perfect for infants — separate, quiet and cozy.

The new daycare building opened Aug. 27, just one week before her preschool began its school year, following a long and stressful licensing delay.

“Licensing took 90 days to show up,” she said. “It was literally a week before we opened preschool. So we opened two businesses within a week. It was a lot … but we got it done.”

Serving a military community

Like most child care providers in Oak Harbor, Ms. Ashley’s serves a large military population.

“Most of our families are military,” she explained. “They come in and out, getting stationed here. Some stay long-term, but most are military.”

Both of Bernales’ locations are now full, with waitlists.

“It’s been great,” she said. “Wonderful teachers, full enrollments and we’re really grateful to be here.”

The expansion allowed her to offer continuity for families with multiple children.

“I wanted families not to worry about finding care,” she says. “If they have a child in toddlers and another in pre-K, they can stay with us.”

The introduction of the school district’s Transition to Kindergarten, or TTK, program brought unexpected challenges.

“That one impacted us a lot,” she said. “They were taking kids who were already enrolled, and that was upsetting because they weren’t supposed to take kids already in a program.”

Families notified her last-minute that they were leaving for the free TTK program, causing sudden enrollment drops.

“It was shocking,” she says.

This year, communication improved.

“This past year we connected, and they said next year they’ll reach out to see if kids are enrolled before taking them. I feel moving forward it will be a good community together,” she said.

Still, the shift pushed Bernales to branch out.

“With lower preschool enrollment, expanding helped offset costs,” she said. “And we knew younger child care was needed.”

Choosing to be licensed

In Washington, preschools operating fewer than four hours a day don’t have to be licensed — a fact many parents don’t know.

Bernales feels strongly about the importance of the process.

“I feel it’s important to be licensed,” she said. “You have inspections, guidelines, background checks — parents feel more secure.”

Families are often surprised.

“People don’t know other preschools might not be licensed,” she explained. “We choose to be licensed so parents know staff have training, CPR/first aid, background checks — all of it.”

Infant classrooms follow even more regulations.

“For infants, there’s more rules, so we had to do more education,” she said. “But toddlers and preschool are about the same.”

Food program lightens parents’ load

This fall, the daycare joined Washington’s licensed food program.

“We just signed up in October,” she said. “Washington has certain guidelines families have to follow, and many weren’t able to do that. So it’s easier for us to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches.”

Meals must include a grain, a protein, two servings of fruits or vegetables and milk.

“A lot of kids don’t drink milk nowadays,” she said. “So it was hard for parents to remember. This way, they know their kids have nutritious meals.”

Doctor’s notes allow approved substitutes when needed.

A staff growing in skill and confidence

Her team, she says, has grown alongside the expansion.

“They’re more confident with kids and excited to teach them and watch them grow,” Bernales said. “From the first days to now, you see that confidence.”

She credits assistant director Priscilla Anderson for helping the transition run smoothly.

After so many years in child care, Bernales has noticed differences in today’s toddlers and preschoolers.

“I’m not sure if it’s the COVID kids, but it does seem like it,” she said. “Just not as much socialization for them.”

Screens, she adds, play a major role.

“I feel like screens are higher up on kids’ lists than play or socializing,” she said. “But that’s one good thing — we don’t have screens. They can use their imagination and play.”

Hope for more support for working families

Despite state efforts to expand child care subsidies, Bernales said many families still fall into a gap.

“There’s a lot of families that don’t qualify, and child care is very expensive,” she said. “Insurance goes up every year, rent goes up, everything goes up.”

The financial strain can force hard choices.

“I’m sure you see people pull out kids because it’s cheaper to stay home,” she said. “Child care can be almost half someone’s paycheck.”

She hopes the state will widen assistance for families who earn slightly above the current cutoffs.

“It would be nice if the state could help the families who make a little more than the guidelines,” she said. “They deserve assistance too.”

The joy that keeps her going

What sustains her after 15 years?

“Seeing the kids grow and learn and be happy,” she said. “In the beginning, they’re anxious. They’re meeting everybody. But after a couple weeks, they warm up. They’re excited to come to school.”

Routines matter, she adds.

“They learn routines, snacks, lunch, teachers, friends,” she says. “They get comfortable. It’s really cute.”

Some families return years later, giving her a glimpse of the long-term impact she’s had.

“They’ve been with me since they were little,” she said. “Then I still remember them at 16. It’s crazy.”

When asked if she wanted to add anything, Bernales paused.

“Just grateful to the community for these past 15 years,” she said. “We hope to grow and continue to provide quality child care and preschool.”

At both locations, classrooms buzz with imagination — art tables, toys, little voices practicing new words. And just outside the doorway, Ashley and her staff continue their quieter daily work: building a dependable foundation for Oak Harbor’s families, one small routine at a time.