Peacock Family Services

Founded in 2009, Peacock Family Services’ vision is that the children of North Kitsap County will reach their full potential, nurtured by families and caregivers who feel supported, informed, and connected. We embody this directive through multiple program strands - our licensed childcare/preschool center and school-age Nature Nuts programs, our Partners for Early Learning parent/teacher workshops, and hosting the Alliance of Bainbridge Childcare Directors networking group.

Peacock Family Services is committed to delivering high-quality early childhood educational options for children regardless of their family’s income levels. We build strong relationships with our families, with low teacher/student ratios and class sizes, along with our innovative approaches in both indoor and outdoor classrooms. We are dedicated to leading the field through professional development and local partnerships.

Just as our curricula adjust to each child’s needs, so does our flexibility adjust for the needs of working parents. “From the first days of Peacock’s opening,” writes Board President Katy Mathias, “tuition assistance and supporting low-income families was built into our program design.”

Many children of families with financial challenges face multiple risk factors that negatively affect school readiness and later achievement, creating an opportunity gap. The WA legislature recently stated that without access to comprehensive, high-quality childcare services, children often enter kindergarten without the social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills they need to be successful, often falling behind their peers, as they face compounding developmental challenges throughout their K-12 education.

In addition to Bainbridge Island, Peacock staff and enrolled families also reside in Poulsbo, Bremerton, Silverdale, Kingston, Suquamish, and Port Orchard. Noted in the 2022 Kitsap Community Services Survey, 40% of respondents from Kitsap County noted that they weren’t able to find childcare because the cost is too high. 

As a non-profit, Peacock Family Services routinely fundraise for contributed income to not only fill the gap between the cost of care, which includes our fixed expenses, and what families can afford, but also provide need-based scholarships through our Tuition Assistance Program.

We work with Helpline House, a local social services organization, to identify families in need of financial support in finding care for their children, guiding them toward viable solutions. Helpline House identifies both families who qualify for government subsidies and those in a grey-zone known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are families that are working, but are unable to afford basic necessities like childcare, food, healthcare, housing, etc. Families like these often rely on Peacock’s Tuition Scholarships, which vary by each need presented.

And even though the funds provided don’t cover the true cost of care, we accept the WA State Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidies, covering the remaining cost of care with funds we raise. We are also a qualified location for the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) Fee Assistance Program, supporting our military families in our area.

At any given time of the year, the families supported through Peacock’s variety of tuition assistance opportunities range from those with our youngest toddlers through the preschool age groups and even the Nature Nuts afterschool and summer camp programs. 

Peacock Family Services knows that our efforts to secure funds, identify families in need, and provide care at a critical time in life make a difference for the entire family, as financial challenges constrain both parent and child.

“As childcare plays an essential role in children’s early learning and development,” notes Zoe Vrieling, Peacock’s Executive Director, “supporting childcare in our communities also supports the local economy, as it allows parents to return to work and children to maintain continuity in care.”

Peacock's efforts are guided by our core values of inclusiveness, health, and community. We believe that inclusiveness is essential to a diverse, engaged, and supported community of families. From our dedication to providing access to childcare through financial support, to recognizing that each child and family's needs are unique and valued, we express our commitment.

Please join us in supporting local families with your donation during the KCF Great Give.