 In
California, there is one licensed child care slot for every
five children estimated to need care ("1999 California Child
Care Portfolio" the California Child Care Resource and Referral
Network). Low- and moderate-income families have additional
difficulties finding quality care due to the high cost of
care, the lack of available subsidy assistance, transportation
issues, and non-traditional hour worked.
Here is a realistic picture of care issues faced by families
in California:
Affordability
- For a family in California earning minimum wage ($14,040/year), the
combined costs of housing and child care add up to more than 100% of
that family's annual income.("The 2005 California Child Care
Portfolio," California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, 2005)
- Families that earn $30,000/year spend more than half their income on
housing and child care costs.("The 2005 California Child Care
Portfolio," California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, 2005)
- Approximately 280,000 children from eligible families
are on a waiting list to receive assistance paying for child
care. (Source: "How Many Children Need Subsidized Child
Care in California?", California Budget Project, March 2001)
- Sending an infant to a child care center costs a family
nearly six times more than the annual tuition for a California
State University and 33% more than a University of California
school. (California's Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention
Tragedy, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2001)
- Californians pay 20% more for child care than the national
average. (Giannarelli, L., Barsimantov, J., Child Care Expenses
of America's Families, at 12 (Urban Institute 2000)
Availability
- Only 4% of care in child care centers have care available during
non-traditional hours, and yet 20% of Californians work non-traditional
hours.("The 2005 California Child Care Portfolio," California Child
Care Resource & Referral Network, 2005)
- Only 6% of slots in child care centers are for infants (under 2 years
old), and yet 1/3 of parent requests to the R&R's are for infant/toddler
care.("The 2005 California Child Care Portfolio," California Child Care
Resource & Referral Network, 2005)
- Only 26% of children whose parents are in the workforce have licensed
child care available to them.("The 2005 California Child Care
Portfolio," California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, 2005)
- More than half, 52%, of low-income families in Los Angeles reported
that a lack of child care caused them to lose a job. 68% said that
lack of child care had kept them from looking for work in the first place.
(Child Care Shortage Costing Jobs, Carla Rivera, Oct. 26, 2000)
- 48% of low-income families in Los Angeles who applied for subsidized
care were put on a waiting list for services. (ibid.)
 In
spite of the government's failure to support families to work
and failure to invest in our children, research has proven
the necessity and benefits of high quality care.
Quality
- Quality child care promotes school-readiness. Participants in a longitudinal study of quality care had significantly higher high school grades, scored higher on literacy tests at age 19, and were more likely to earn a high school diploma. (California's Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention Tragedy, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2001)
- Early care and nurture have a decisive, long-lasting impact on how people develop, their ability to learn, and their capacity to regulate their own emotions. (Shore, R., "Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development" Families and Work Institute, 1997, at 27)
- Children's brains are growing most quickly during the first three years of life, and their experiences then lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. (CDF report, California: Child Care Challenges, May, 1998)
- Every dollar invested in high quality child care can yield up to $7.16 in savings to the public in crime costs, welfare dependency, and other savings. (Source: Schweinhart, L.J., Barnes, H.V., and Weinkart, D.P., "Significant Benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 27," Ypsilanti, MI, High/Scope Press, 1993)
If you think it is time for California to take care of the child care crisis,
Join Parent Voices!
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