In one of his first actions as newly elected Governor of California, Gavin Newsom laid out an ambitious plan to support early education. His proposal to invest over $2 billion of the state budget aims to give every child in California the opportunity to build a foundation for healthy development and learning during the critical early years of their life.
Just 9 months later, California lawmakers and the Governor have begun to deliver on that promise by passing Senate Bill 234, which increases the availability of family child care homes in the state so all families have access to safe, affordable, quality care for their child while parents are working.
San Diego families face a shortage of child care in the region, which means our youngest residents are missing out on opportunities to learn and grow in a quality environment. At the same time, family child care providers face various restrictions and barriers to operating their businesses, which tightens the supply of child care in an already impacted market.
The law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, allows for the following:
- equalizes the permitting requirements for small and large family childcare homes
- clarifies that family childcare is allowed in apartments and condos
- and strengthens tenant protections for family childcare providers so they can continue to operate
These provisions remove the unnecessary red tape that historically made it difficult for family child care providers to start or expand their businesses and will help increase the supply of quality, affordable child care in our region.
As the only State-funded childcare resource and referral agency in San Diego County, YMCA Childcare Resource Service strengthens communities, families, and children by fighting for access to affordable, quality child care. We worked closely with the family child care providers in our network to hear their needs and educated our local lawmakers about the unique issues facing providers and families alike in San Diego.
Promoting the passage of SB234 is part of our commitment to make sure family child care providers remain a critical piece of the infrastructure that helps children grow while parents continue to earn wages that strengthen their families and, by extension, our community.
For more information about how we support child care providers, visit the YMCA CRS site here or contact Luisa Montes at [email protected].