California
Working families in California need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in California. But too many working families in California are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the California economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 2.7M children ages 5 and under in California – 62% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in California is around $19,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 12% of eligible families in California. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in California earn just $37,270 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
California’s economy loses $17B annually due to child care challenges.
California: In The Headlines
Families seek affordable child care options amid rising costs
KGTV | August 18, 2025
For many families, the struggle to find affordable child-care solutions is becoming increasingly challenging.
The Bay Area has a child care crisis
KALW | August 14, 2025
Bay Area parents face some of the steepest child care expenses in the country.
San Joaquin County welcomes Head Start expansion at new childcare facility
Stocktonia | October 1, 2025
Head Start services will become more accessible to low-income families in San Joaquin County after the opening of the University Park Head Start facility later this year.
California Resources & News
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