San Diego Supervisors Look to Expand Child Care Services Amid Shortage
San Diego County supervisors have approved a new framework for expanding access to child care. The San Diego County Child Care Blueprint was approved unanimously Tuesday and will be paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan.
According to the county, 77% of local parents have a hard time finding child care thanks to a shortage of providers and lengthy wait lists. San Diego’s new pilot program will offer additional funding for licensing and training. The program will also focus on the development of new facilities in so-called “service deserts.”
California’s new universal TK program appears to be exacerbating the crisis. The loss of pre-K students to public school has caused financial hardship for some private child care centers, forcing them to close.
