More Than 500 LA Child Care Providers Have Shut Down For Good Since The Pandemic Started

Since last March, 536 Los Angeles County licensed child care centers and home-based facilities reported permanent shutdowns to the state’s Department of Social Services. Thousands more closed temporarily.

“I honestly don't think we'll realize or feel the real impact until we're safely out of the pandemic,” said Keisha Nzewi, public policy director for the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

Even programs that remain open are losing money. Take St. Mary’s Richard Tufenkian Preschool in Glendale, for example.

The non-profit program closed at the beginning of the pandemic, reopened, shut down again during the most recent surge of coronavirus cases and just this week re-opened for about 110 children.

It’s running at half-capacity to comply with public health guidelines that limit the number of kids in a classroom.

School director Arsine Aghazarian predicts thheir savings will last maybe another six months operating this way.

“There's no support for us,” Aghazarian said. “Everyone is on your own, basically, trying to survive as much as you can.”

READ THE FULL STORY:

• Child Care Spaces Have Been Disappearing For Years. The Pandemic Is Making It Even Harder To Survive

READ MORE ABOUT CHILD CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC:

• Thousands Of California Child Care Providers Have Closed. A New Child Care Union Aims To Save The Rest
• What LA Child Care Providers Need to Know About Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine
• Child Care Providers And Parent Anxiety Rises With Coronavirus Case Count

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