With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA And California Expand Childcare Options For Essential Workers
Mariana Dale/LAist
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced new resources Friday for hospital workers who need child care.
The goal is “to ensure that no essential worker misses a shift, because he or she doesn't have child care during this crisis,” Garcetti said in a press conference.
There are three options available for workers:
Sponsored message
- A $100 stipend per shift for workers to offset the cost of child care, including by paying a relative or friend to watch the kids.
- Free referrals to center-based and home child care through an L.A. County hotline, 888-92CHILD (922-4453), and website, and third-party services WeeCare and CarinaCare.
- Child care at five Los Angeles Parks and Recreation centers near hospitals for kids 6-to-14 years old, starting Monday, April 13 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The new child care options are currently available for workers at White Memorial, California Hospital Medical Center, Northridge Medical Center and Glendale Memorial Hospital.
Garcetti advised parents to consult their hospital’s human resources department to find the best service for their family. The initiative is funded by the Mayor’s Fund For Los Angeles.
There are an estimated 305,000 California children whose parents work in health fields and could need care, according to researchers at Colorado State University and Yale.
California is expanding its child care subsidy program, which is typically limited to low-income families, to include more essential workers.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier in the day there will be $100 million in emergency funding related to child care – $50 million to help frontline workers pay for child care and $50 million for providers to purchase cleaning supplies, gloves and facial coverings.
READ MORE
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
