The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously passed a financial aid proposal for child care providers, including help with start-up costs.
As proposed by Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Nora Vargas, the county will spend $1.25 million on infrastructure and $750,000 to create a database tracking child care facilities which open or close, and offer "peer- based mentorship" for providers.
Board Vice Chair Lawson-Remer said those operating child care businesses in the county continue to struggle, which she has observed as a working mother.
"If people can't come to work, our entire economy suffers, along with families," Lawson-Remer said.
Board Chairwoman Vargas said she was excited to help provide the opportunities for entrepreneurs, and also credited organizations such as Southwestern College, the YMCA and Chicano Federation for working on issues related to child care challenges.
As the county deals with the challenge of strengthening the work force, Vargas said the cultural aspect is important. "We're putting our money where our mouth is," she added.
The original proposal on the board's agenda focused on new child care providers.
Supervisor Joel Anderson suggested a "friendly amendment" that would allow existing child care facilities to receive help with their infrastructure needs, adding that the goal is to provide child care for all who need it. Lawson-Remer said she was OK with his proposal.
In a statement after the vote, Vargas said it was important "to acknowledge the predominantly female and women-of-color composition of the child care workforce."
"These amazing women are the backbone of our economy and the future of our community," Vargas said. "By working collaboratively, we can create more opportunities for working families and ensure a brighter future for our children."
During a public comment period, advocates — including from the YMCA of San Diego and San Diego for Every Child — urged the board to approve measures that will bolster child care access.
Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said recognizing women of color who provide child care was especially important, and cited the experience of her great aunt. The woman had to enter a San Diego family's home via a back door so she could take care of their children and clean their home — but couldn't stay home to take care her own children, Montgomery Steppe said.
Black women in particular, because of this nation's history with slavery, "have been taking care of people's children since our existence here in America," Montgomery Steppe said.
Last September, the board voted to advance the county's Childcare Blueprint, which emphasizes expanding child care centers, staffing and training, along with a pilot program to help county workers who are experiencing a child care emergency.
According to a statement from Lawson-Remer and Vargas, the Child Care Blueprint "is a guiding vision to ensure that child care needs of our local families and children are met."
