Video: Parents face 'childcare crisis' in Seattle

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Who's watching your children while you're at work? Experts say more parents than ever in King County are desperately searching for childcare and getting nowhere.

Experts say it's a childcare crisis in King County.

It's a busy, happy day at the Learning Tree preschool on Capitol Hill. It's exactly the kind of place Kristin Wiggins was hoping to find for her on-year-old boy, Hayden.

Wiggins started looking for childcare when she was just five weeks pregnant.

"These are all the centers I toured," said Wiggins as she flipped through pages of paper.

A year and a half later, she's still looking.

"It was really daunting and depressing to think my child's not going to get in anywhere before he's two. What should I do?" said Wiggins.

She's joined a long line of parents, searching for childcare in King County. Administrators say more than 80 percent of families who apply to this center are turned away. There is no room.

"This year was the worst year in terms of how many people we could accept verses the amount of people that applied to this school," said Sara Luna, childcare provider.

"I don't know that I've never seen it as bad as it is right now," said Nina Auerbach, Child Care Resources.

Auerbach helps parents find quality childcare.

For many the search is endless.

"There's literally no openings for childcare north of the ship canal in Seattle," said Auerbach.

The problem: more people and fewer facilities.

She says the state's effort to improve the quality of childcare with stricter regulations has made it harder and more expensive to run a licensed facility, especially for infant care. A decent, licensed facility can cost parents well over a thousand dollars a month. That's left many parents scrambling.

"Sometimes when you piece things together with neighbors and relatives, that can fall apart. Somebody gets a job, they're not in it for the profession and suddenly within a day's notice you're without childcare," said Auerbach.

Auerbach's advice to parents: start early.

"Don't wait until you have the child to look for childcare," said Auerbach.

Kristin Wiggins did start early and still got nowhere. She's fortunate she's been able to work from home, nights and weekends, while she and her husband wait for an opening.

"I think policy makers are really concerned about the quality of care, and that's really important," said Wiggins. "But for me, as a parent, I'm gonna be lucky if he gets in before he's two years old. So what do I do in the meantime?"

Like so many others simply wait and hope.

The Washington State Legislature did increase government funding for early learning programs last year by more than $130 million.

It also established a new online quality rating system for licensed childcare facilities, but Auerback says what's really needed is more government funding and greater incentive for employers to offer family-friendly environments.