Los Angeles is one of the many childcare deserts throughout the country, advocates say

Earlier this week, on May 13, L.A. took part in the National Day Without Child Care, which aims to stand in solidarity with parents and childcare providers across the nation. It also demands equitable wages for those who offer childcare services and affordable childcare for families.

On Monday morning, dozens of parents, childcare advocates and city leaders held a rally outside the Dignity Health—Northridge Hospital Medical Center to demand Governor Gavin Newsom to allocate more of the state's annual budget to childcare. This comes after the governor’s revised budget proposal contained cuts and proposed pauses for childcare services and programs provided by the state. 

Participants in the rally said the two major demands are for Newson to expand access to quality, affordable childcare for working families and ensure that family childcare providers are paid for the true cost of providing care.

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, who was present at Monday’s rally, said she felt shame at the fact that the U.S. was one of the only countries in the entire world that expects families to carry the burden of not being able to access high-quality affordable childcare all on their own. 

 “As the mother of two second-graders, I know the struggle of childcare intimately and I would gladly give up this one single day of recognition if my state government were to tell me that we are going to fully fund the cost of childcare for every single working parent that deserves it here in the state of California,” Raman later added in a statement. “It is unacceptable that our childcare providers live in poverty while caring for our children and that working parents are forced to choose between childcare or remaining employed.“ 

 In L.A., childcare scarcity is not different from U.S. statistics. In Los Angeles County, approximately 61% of the area is classified as a childcare desert, according to CAP. The same data shows that childcare desserts correlate with racial and economic factors in certain regions of L.A.

In communities such as South Central L.A., Huntington Park, South Gate and Bell Garden, where childcare supply is classified as “scarce,” poverty levels are also high, in comparison to neighborhoods like West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Culver City, where poverty levels are low and childcare supply is “adequate.” The data shows the inadequacy that many parents aim to bring attention to when it comes to childcare accessibility. 

Childcare advocates and experts argue that inaccessibility can negatively affect low-income families and their ability to reach financial security, as parents may struggle to find affordable, high-quality childcare options for their children, leaving them to choose between working and caring for their children. 

In the United States, the Center for American Progress (CAP) estimates that 51% of people live in a childcare desert. Childcare supply is especially low among certain populations, with 58% of Hispanic/Latino families and 55% of low-income families living in areas without enough licensed childcare providers. 

A childcare desert is often classified as an area with limited access to childcare services. Childcare deserts can be found in both rural and urban areas, like Los Angeles. 

Last August, the City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) launched a Child Care Policy and Equity Unit, which aimed to increase opportunities for more than 200,000 children ages 0-5 by helping families access high-quality childcare programs. 

The new Child Care Policy and Equity website was launched to assist families in navigating the challenges of finding a childcare provider or paying for childcare. It would help them by connecting them with the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. In addition, it was also intended to support childcare providers in strengthening their businesses by including news on grants and stipends on the website. 

Despite some of the recent local efforts to make childcare accessible, many believe there is still work to be done. 

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), of the 18,789,709 adults in the California workforce, 42% are parents and 9% are parents of young children. The BPC also estimates that the average cost of childcare per year is $11,475 in the U.S. but in places like L.A., the cost is much higher. As of March 2024, the average base rate for childcare providers in L.A. is $24.25 per hour. 

The 2024 National Latino Family Report, which was released in March, also echoed the excessive need for early learning opportunities and childcare. Access to quality, affordable child care was the number one priority for survey respondents this year. 51% of respondents said their child had not received childcare, and 34% of them identified high costs as the main obstacle to not enrolling their kids in it. 

Latinos who were able to afford childcare expressed the financial commitment that that entailed. Approximately 50% of families spend between $200 and $600 per month on child care, which is a substantial portion of their monthly income.

Yolanda Thomas, a childcare provider in Costa Mesa, expressed her disappointment in California's recent budget cut in childcare resources. “As our state faces economic uncertainty, access to quality, affordable child care for California's working families is more important than ever. We cannot build a stronger economy when our lowest-paid workers, including those working irregular hours, don't have somewhere safe to send their children during their shifts. And the state cannot fix our current budget outlook by making cuts to the safety net or balancing the budget on the backs of working families,” she said.

To learn more about A Day without Childcare, visit: https://communitychangeaction.org/daywithoutchildcare-2/