Save California Child Care
Child Care is Essential for California’s Comeback
Save Child Care for All California Families
California’s child care providers are in crisis, as they struggle under the weight of the ongoing pandemic and economic crises. Now, child care is threatened with further disruption, with the proposed expansion of Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK would provide only 3 hours of instruction each day. This program would disrupt continuity of care for children, create another obligation for parents to find child care during the workday, and cause more child care centers to close.
8,500 facilities
representing a loss of care for more than
33,000 children.
The American Rescue Plan has provided nearly $4 billion in emergency federal funding for child care facilities in California. However, the Legislature is considering proposals that would close more child care centers in California and risk further loss of care for families. Join us in telling the Legislature to rescue ALL child care providers.
According to the National Women’s Law Center, more than 2.3 million women have left the labor market entirely since the beginning of the pandemic in the United States. We must restore and expand our state’s child care system. Our shared prosperity depends on high quality child care.
| 8,500 | Number of Child Care Facilities Closed Since Beginning of Pandemic |
|---|---|
| 33,000 | Number of Children Who Have Lost Access to Child Care. |
| $4 Billion | American Rescue Plan Available Funding |
| $1.4 Billion | Requested Investment in High Quality Child Care for our Children |
Here’s what we’re fighting for:
Working Moms – California has one of the nation’s highest proportions of residents who live in child care deserts, with roughly 6 out of 10 Californians not having convenient access to child care. When you combine that with the number of working mothers who’ve been forced to leave the workforce due to the pandemic and the rising costs of child care, it’s clear that California cannot fully restore its economy without high quality child care.
All children, families and ECE professionals – especially Black, Latinx, Indigenous people and others harmed by systemic racism and additional injustices; Our aim with the request for funding is to integrate culturally, developmentally, and linguistically relevant and responsive high-quality care and education for ALL children, inclusive of children with disabilities regardless of where they access that care; and value and justly compensate all who serve children and families.
We know that child care is not only vital for children and families to thrive, but is an essential element for the health of California economy. We have developed this funding request with working parents, a broad array of child care providers, and child advocacy groups. We believe this funding will stabilize our child care system, to get families back to work, and ensure California’s sustained economic growth.