Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Early Childhood Education

Majority of LA County parents struggle with basic needs, survey finds

An adult embraces a young child who is wearing pajamas.
L.A. County parents with young children are struggling to provide basic needs.
(
Charles Deluvio
/
Unsplash
)

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. 

Topline:

More than 70% of parents in L.A. County with children under 6 are struggling to meet a basic need like food, housing, utilities, or childcare, according to a survey by the Stanford Center on Early Childhood. More than half struggled with food insecurity.

The survey: The survey collected responses from 1,375 parents in L.A. County between November 2022 and May 2024.

Rent vs. food: The survey found that food insecurity was at high levels in the county. “My biggest concern is not being able to pay rent, and if I do pay it, I won’t have enough for food,” one parent reported.

Support for LAist comes from

Parent employment: 90% of parents in the county are employed in either full-time or part-time work, but many reported concerns about not having enough hours. And 91% of parents reported experiencing parenting stress.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

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.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist