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Newsom proposes $11.5 million for childcares affected by last year's fires
At least 280 childcare facilities were destroyed or damaged in the Palisades and Eaton fires.
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Newsom proposes $11.5 million for childcares affected by last year's fires
The Governor’s proposal uses cannabis tax revenues to support child care infrastructure affected by the January 2025 fires.
Topline:
Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing $11. 5 million in next year’s budget to help rebuild child care centers affected by the fires last January.
The backstory: At least 40 childcare facilities were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, and more than 200 were damaged. Providers have struggled to reopen, even a year later, especially those who ran their businesses out of their homes that then burned down. They have called on the state for assistance. Some providers did receive payments from the state for 30 days after the L.A. fires, after which point the governor’s office directed them to an unemployment phone line.
Why it matters: The childcare industry was already fragile before the fires. Preschools have been shutting their doors, and childcare providers make among the lowest wages of any other industry.
“We fought hard to win this funding and will continue to advocate for policies and funding that ensure the state is better prepared to support providers and families in the immediate aftermath of future disasters,” said Claudia Alvarado, a child care provider with the union Child Care Providers United.
What’s next: Lawmakers have until June 15 to agree on and pass the state’s budget.
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