Recently, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a $12 million investment in support of our local Child Care sector.
Using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, $10 million was approved to implement the Child Care Workforce Investment Program, which will focus on supports for early care and education providers with a specific focus on Family Child Care homes. The Child Care Workforce Investment Program will increase and strengthen child care provider capacity and provide equitable access to quality early care and education in the region. Additionally, $2 million was approved for the Child Care Shared Services Alliance (SSA) Program. This nationally recognized model allows for a larger organization to serve as a backbone agency to bring in resources for business infrastructure for a collective of smaller childcare providers. It will enable more supportive services to child care providers who can share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined way with a focus on high-quality care.
First 5 San Diego went on ABC 10 to discuss.