One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
LAUSD Sees Child Care Opportunity In Empty Buildings, But There’s A Big Price Tag
If LAUSD resumes in-person classes in the fall, it’s likely to cycle students and staff on and off campus in a “hybrid” schedule.
“Who will take care of the children when they are not at school?”
One option is to create child care in unused buildings such as public libraries and Cal State campuses.
“There are a lot of pieces to work out and this can only work as a collaborative effort with the cities and other partners in communities we serve,” Beutner said.
He estimated the cost at $100 to $150 per child per day. The higher estimate includes “any meaningful amount of instructional program or enrichment classes and activities.”
The district has about 250,000 students in elementary school. Beutner said if one-quarter of their families need child care, it would cost the district $3 million a day.
Sponsored message
The district also enrolled almost 22,000 kids in early education programs last school year. Here's Beutner again:
“State and federal government ought to be outlining a way to support this if they expect any meaningful recovery in the economy and in the job outlook for working families."
- How Will 'Hybrid Schedules' Work If K-12 Schools Reopen This Fall? LAUSD Is Thinking About It
- Masks, Smaller Classes And No Hugs: What Child Care Looks Like Right Now
- Most 'Pop-Up' Child Care Centers Were Already Watching Kids Before The Pandemic
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
