Early Childhood Education

Riverside is a ‘childcare desert.’ A new initiative could offer relief

The state approved money in this year’s budget to help with startup costs for a 'childcare special district' in Riverside County.

The outdoor play area at a 24 hour day center in South Los Angeles.

This Inglewood parent co-op is reimagining childcare

Here's how a group of about 30 families created the parenting village they were missing.

A group of adults and children pose together on picnic blankets under trees in a park, with houses in the background.

UCLA is closing its on-campus childcare centers. Now parents are scrambling in a bleak market

Professors and students who use the subsidized programs will now have to compete in a tough, competitive market.

A brick stair case with various students going up and down. A light pole on the left of frame is prominent with blue signs hanging that read "#1" in yellow text and "UCLA" in white text.

Why child care in California may get harder to find

The report from UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment found child cares have been losing enrollment of their 4- and 5-year-olds.

A close up of children's toy blocks and furniture, with a dark rug with stars and clouds in the foreground.

Trump administration proposes deregulating Head Start. Here’s what parents need to know

The proposed changes still need to go through review, including a 60-day comment period. Providers say Head Starts are operating as usual

Children are playing on a bridge in a wooden jungle gym, with one child wearing a paper bear eye mask. People are visible in the background standing around interacting with each other, and some white canopies are spread out on a green lawn.

Family homelessness is officially down in LA. Why so many don’t believe it

Officials say the number of unhoused people in families with children countywide was down compared to the year before. But they say there's more to the story.

A person with light skin tone stands over a bench, holding a stack of papers that describe housing resouces.

New dads now make up more than 50% of paid family leave claims

More fathers than mothers are applying for paid family leave benefits to bond with a new child in California from when the program first started more than 20 years ago.

A man with medium-tone skin and wearing a baseball cap that reads "DadGang" holds a newborn baby wearing a diaper and a hospital bracelet.

Unhoused parents want to preserve childhood for their kids: 'I want to give her everything'

Homelessness among families with children has been on the rise. Five families share about navigating housing stability and trying to do the best for their children.

An illustration of a mother serving her three children food across a kitchen bar counter. The three children with dark hair sit on stools. Books and badges sit on a table in the foreground.

How to choose a preschool in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles County alone, there are about 9,000 licensed early care and education providers. Here's how to get started with understanding your options.

Detained and facing deportation: A father leaves his 4-year-old son back in LA

Axel Pecero was arrested by federal immigration officials last summer. He chose to voluntarily leave the U.S. in hopes he can be reunited with his son in a few years.

A young man with medium-toned skin smiles as he holds a squirming young boy in his arms at a dinner table.

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