Call to Action
In addition to being the workforce behind the workforce, the child care sector itself contributes to our local economy
child care jobs
million in earnings
million in tax revenue
But there are some systemic challenges to address. First 5 Orange County’s landscape analysis has identified key system challenges:
Insufficient and inappropriate facilities in Orange County for infant/toddler care
Economics of caring for infants/toddlers is a disincentive for providers
Greater system coordination and access to up-to-date, comprehensive data and data sharing on capacity, enrollment and wait lists
Support for the child care workforce, who is underpaid and often undervalued
Positive change is within reach. Even a 2% increase in the workforce participation rate of mothers with young children would result in:
more jobs
million in additional earnings
million in additional tax revenue
The time is now to act locally!
We need active participation from all sectors
![circles-graphic-3 Graphic showing the overlapping stakeholders in the child care crisis](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/circles-graphic-3.png)
Employers
- Understand Needs of and Support Working Parents
- Provide Child Care-related Benefits
- Partner to increase child care capacity
Cities & Municipalities
- Partner to develop solutions re: facilities needs for infant & toddler care
- Support residents with finding quality child care
Child Care Sector
- Enhance Sector Coordination
- Focus on Quality
- Draw More Funds into Orange County
- Develop solutions for hours of operation to meet working parent/guardian needs
Parents & Guardians
- Share your child care challenges with your employer
- Learn about ways to communicate with your local and state legislators
Philanthropy
- Spur Innovation
- Build Capacity and Quality of Child Care Providers
- Provide grants to child care providers that want to grow
Local & State Legislators
- Support legislation that strengthens the child care system and that increases quality, funding and access for families
Join us!
We must partner together to identify and support solutions that work … for working families, employers and the economy.
To get involved, contact Tiffany Alva, First 5 Orange County’s Director of Partnerships and Government affairs at tiffany.alva@cfcoc.ocgov.com
What’s coming next …
Phase III of First 5 Orange County’s Child Care Landscape work is focused on working with partners to prioritize and implement solutions in Orange County to address these challenges and begin to have a positive impact on child care, families and the economy. We have created a Cross-Sector Child Care Task Force to identify local solutions.
We will also be updating some of the information on the child care landscape that we gathered during Phase I with post-COVID data.
Stay tuned and get involved
Spread the word
- Invite First 5 Orange County to come and present our findings to your organization
- Educate others in your circle about the impacts of the child care crisis on Orange County
- Share our video on social media
![dad-baby-square A smiling dad lays on the couch while holding his cute baby on his chest](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/dad-baby-square.jpg)
More resources:
- Child Care Landscape Analysis Phase II Community Presentation (English)
- Child Care Landscape Analysis Phase II Community Presentation (Spanish)
- Media release: Child Care Landscape Analysis Report
- Media release: $10.1 million approved for child care providers
- First 5 OC Commissioner Susan McClintic’s op-ed: “The Time To Fix Orange County’s Child Care Is Now”
- Early Childhood OC Orange County COVID-19 Child Care Assistance Database
Nationwide:
-
Ready Nation: Want to Grow the Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis
- LAist: California Child Care Spaces Have Been Disappearing For Years. The Pandemic Is Making It Even Harder To Survive
- Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post COVID-19
- Video: Why Does Child Care Cost So Much Yet Providers Make So Little? | Child Care Aware of America
- Time: How COVID-19 is Decimating the Child Care Industry
- Vox: The Future of the Economy Hinges on Child Care
- The Atlantic: What Are Parents Supposed to Do With Their Kids?
Searchable Child Care Databases:
- State of California map database
- Orange County Child Care and Development Planning Council
- Children’s Home Society of California
- Orange County Head Start, Inc.
Images to share on social media:
Spread the word on how child care has been impacted in Orange County. Right-click on the images below and click “Save Image” to use in your social media posts.
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-5 60% of children under 5 have all of their parents working](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-5-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-7 Only 5% of infants and toddlers age 0-2 have a slot available in licensed day care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-7-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-2 $26,150 - the average annual cost of child care for a family with 2 young kids in full-time care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-2-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-4 Even if only 1/3 of infants and toddlers in Orange County required child care, there would still only be enough licensed capacity for 1 in 7 children](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-4-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-3 60% of children under 5 have all of their parents working](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-3-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-8 Only 5% of infants and toddlers age 0-2 have a slot available in licensed day care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-8-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-9 $26,150 - the average annual cost of child care for a family with 2 young kids in full-time care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-9-scaled.jpg)
![First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-10 Even if only 1/3 of infants and toddlers in Orange County required child care, there would still only be enough licensed capacity for 1 in 7 children](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/First5_SocialGraphics_May2021-10-scaled.jpg)
![First 5_childcare_60% 60% of children under 5 have all of their parents working](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_60.jpg)
![First 5_childcare_5% Only 5% of infants and toddlers age 0-2 have a slot available in licensed day care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_5.jpg)
![First 5_childcare_cost $26,150 - the average annual cost of child care for a family with 2 young kids in full-time care](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_cost.jpg)
![First 5_childcare_1_in_7 Even if only 1/3 of infants and toddlers in Orange County required child care, there would still only be enough licensed capacity for 1 in 7 children](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_1_in_7.jpg)
![Child care cost comparison 3_NEW The average cost of child care in Orange County for 2 kids is $26,150 per year](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Child-care-cost-comparison-3_NEW.png)
![Child care cost comparison 2_NEW The average cost of child care in Orange County for 2 kids is $26,150 per year](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Child-care-cost-comparison-2_NEW.png)
![Child care cost comparison 1_NEW The average cost of child care in Orange County for 2 kids is $26,150 per year](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Child-care-cost-comparison-1_NEW.png)
![First 5_childcare_60%_2 60% of children under 5 in Orange County have all of their parents working](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_60_2.png)
![First 5_childcare_Child Care Matters Affordable Child Care Matters](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_Child-Care-Matters.png)
![First 5_childcare_parentsupport You can't pour from an empty cup](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_parentsupport.png)
![First 5_childcare_help The child care system in Orange County is broken](https://first5oc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/First-5_childcare_help.png)