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
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 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
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:
- 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.
