California Runs On Child Care
Child care is essential to California’s economy. Without access to care parents can’t get to work. So why is Governor Gavin Newsom refusing to pay child care providers for the true cost of providing care? Why is he refusing to waive child care fees for working parents in need? Is it any wonder California has one of the highest overall unemployment rates in the country, and is the only state where child care employment lags behind pre-pandemic levels?
Despite their dedication to CA’s children, the state currently pays providers only about 30% of their child care costs. As a result, child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open and parents are struggling to find quality, affordable care in their communities.
Child care providers are working to address this child care crisis. They are currently in contract negotiations with the state of California. But the Governor is refusing to move forward on a date certain to implement long-term rate reform, immediate rate increases, and increased access to child care for working families.
It’s time for Governor Newsom to keep his word to providers. The same Governor who said, “Creating quality jobs for the child care workforce makes economic and common sense. These workers care for our kids – we need to care for them” has yet to fulfill that promise.
California child care providers allow working parents to do their jobs every day, knowing their children are in a safe and caring learning environment.
Together in their union, Child Care Providers United, providers are fighting to win respect for their profession and improve child care options for working parents. In their current contract negotiations with the State of California, providers are fighting for:
Fair Pay that is based on the true cost of running a child care business
Currently, the state of California uses an outdated payment system that does not cover the true cost of care and severely undervalues the experience and commitment of family child care providers. As a result, this women-of-color led workforce has long struggled to survive on rates that meet just 25-30% of their current costs to provide quality child care.
Stability in the child care industry
We’re fighting for all providers to have retirement benefits, health care, and paid time off. Respecting the profession by offering providers the same benefits as other educators will ensure family child care providers can continue to do the work they love and more providers will enter the profession.
Increased Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care for Working Families
Providers are demanding increased funding for more child care vouchers for families and a permanent end to family fees. Additionally, an expansion of hard-to-find child care for families needing help on weekends and evenings or for children who have special needs, by increasing pay for providers offering these services.
CHILD CARE MATTERS
Child care providers are essential workers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, providers stepped up to care for the kids of front-line workers and filled in the learning gap for school-aged children impacted by distance learning. As we move beyond the crisis, they continue to be the bedrock of working families—especially among Black and Latino communities.
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WHO WE ARE
We are Child Care Providers United—
a union of over 40,000 child care providers throughout California working in partnership with parents, early childhood education advocates and our state legislators to fix the state’s child care crisis, improve our profession and the quality of care through policy advocacy, grassroots community organizing, and our collective voice. We are guided by the belief that all children and families should have access to quality early education and care.