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Key Step To Reopening California For Business? Child Care
Two children playing in a Santa Monica preschool classroom. (Priska Neely)
Before California reopens for business, we’ve got to find someone to watch the kids.
Right now, child care providers can only take care of children whose parents are essential workers, but that could change in the coming week.
“Child care is foundational to getting people back to work,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at this daily briefing Tuesday. “If they cannot get the kind of quality child care that they deserve, they are less likely to get back to work and jump start this economy.”
Meanwhile, thousands of essential worker parents are still in the process of applying for new state subsidies to pay for child care and providers that are open are waiting for supplies including cleaners, facial coverings and gloves.
“I think the individual providers by themselves need help,” said Eileen Friscia, the resource and referral director at the Child Care Resource Center. “Where does that come from?”
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