Early Childhood Education

LA says it will no longer have money to run most of its free childcare centers

Los Angeles expanded childcare during the pandemic, but federal funding is running out. Parents are worried about what happens next.

A woman with a medium skin tone wearing a black shirt and blue pants stands in front of a glass door with ornate metal lining on either side. She rests her right arm on a gray stroller. A baby's feet and torso can be seen under the stroller. The woman wears black sunglasses on her head and has long dark brown hair.

California passed a law allowing new parents to apply early for paid leave. When will it take effect?

The state said the change from a 2024 law will be part of a larger overhaul of California's benefits system.

While parents participate in a movement class, postpartum doulas care for their newborn babies.

California needs transitional kindergarten teachers. Preschool teachers want in

California needs a lot more teachers and aides to fill transitional kindergarten classrooms, but advocates say early childhood educators who have the experience and desire to step into those jobs are deterred by the state’s credentialing system.

A woman with light brown skin stands between a series of bookshelves and holds up a children's book titled "How Rocket Learned to Read."

Child care costs more than college tuition, report says. Why is it so expensive?

California ranks fourth for most expensive child care in the country, according to a new report.

In this image, a teacher is shown feeding a child in the classroom.

Some childcare providers lost everything in the Eaton Fire. Why can't they get any relief money?

Almost two months after the L.A. fires, some childcare providers who lost their homes and businesses say they're not able to access the aid they've been told to apply for.

A woman with dark skin tone with hair in a tight bun wearing a purple shirt and glasses leans on the railing outside of a motel room as she looks out towards the parking lot below.

‘Medi-Cal is the worst thing I've ever done’: Doulas say state Medicaid program owes them thousands of dollars

Two years after Medi-Cal expanded to cover doulas, some say it's a fight to get reimbursed for their services.

A woman with a medium-dark skin tone and long, red braids stands in front of a one-story home. She wears a mustard yellow, patterned dress. There are green plants surrounding the home.

Newsom declines to extend childcare provider benefits, but does order state to offer phone support

With fire relief money now lapsed, Gov. Newsom has ordered the state to reach out to providers to take them through what other benefits might be available to them.

Three children with medium dark skin tone stand in front of a play kitchen in a sunny backyard with a blue and green mural in the background.

Some Head Start programs still can't access federal funds in wake of Trump order

Child care programs could be 'on the brink' due to funding delays.

Head Start teacher Stephanie Perez, 23, leads a classroom full of 2-year-olds on San Antonio College's campus.

How will Mayor Bass' executive order help LA preschools and daycares reopen?

The order aims to eliminate red tape for childcare centers looking to relocate temporarily.

A woman in a burnt orange suit is speaking into several microphones affixed to a stand. She is surrounded by other men and women in suits in an interior room.

Childcare providers ask state for a lifeline after the fires

Governor Newsom allowed reimbursements for impacted providers for 30 days. Will he extend them?

A blue and white swing set with green swings. Half the ground on the left side is covered in sand. The right side is covered in green fake grass. There are three swings on the swing set, but only the middle and right hand one are in tact. The swing on the left has just chains and no swing seat. The chains look charred. Behind the swing set, a children's red plastic truck is semi-melted. A tangle of other plastic colorful toys are behind it. Branches and ash is strewn across the ground.

‘We use our words, they use their play’: How playtime is helping kids process the LA fires

Drawing, playing and make-believe are tools children can use to comprehend the disruption of the past month.

A wooden table is covered with blocks. Some of the blocks are u-shaped, others are shaped like trees or half-moons. An orange and red scarf hangs over the blocks, and a small child's hand can be seen pulling on the scarf. A blue and green scarf sits on the front of the table, covering some of the blocks.

For childcare providers, wildfires are just one more crisis

Childcare providers say they know that their work is critical to allowing families to find new housing or return to work. But they're also trying to figure out how they themselves will recover, or stay afloat at all.

An older man wearing flannel and gray sweats sits next to an older woman with white hair wearing gray sweats, next to them are two young boys and a woman wearing all black. They sit on a gray couch in a living room and above them on the wall is a hanging painting that reads "Home" in cursive.

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