San Diego considers its child-care options
SAN DIEGO — Officials are considering adapting dozens of city properties for use as child-care facilities to address the shortage of affordable options across San Diego County.
Since the pandemic began, roughly 12% of the county’s child-care providers, or 535, have closed, increasing strain on the system for the nearly 190,000 children under 12 who don’t have a stay-at-home parent or access to secure care, according to a report released in April by the YMCA of San Diego Childcare Resource Service.
“As we know, child care is lacking in affordability and quality in the San Diego region, and this is a problem that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic,” City Council Member Raul Campillo, chair of the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, said during the group’s meeting last week. “The reality is that we simply need more childcare slots, and we need them to be more affordable for families.”
In May, the San Diego Department of Real Estate and Airport Management was tasked with assessing city-owned properties for potential use as child care, determining which have a minimum of 5,000 square feet on the ground floor and either existing outdoor green space or a parking lot that could be converted to a playground area.
Of the 1,100 city facilities examined, 72 made the final list: 12 office buildings, 18 libraries and 42 Parks and Recreation centers, spread across all nine City Council districts.
“One of the keys to rebounding from the economic damage caused by the pandemic is to help families find child care that is near their home, first, and to make it affordable, second,” Campillo said.
Many neighborhoods are child-care deserts, where there aren’t enough services available for the families that need them.
Across the county, infant and toddler care is particularly hard to find, with less than 20% of providers licensed for those services, according to a city staff report.
A report by the San Diego Workforce Partnership found that 40% of San Diego median-income families with two children spend up to 40% of their monthly income on child care. The lack of affordable options can hinder parents’ ability to work, negatively affecting the economy as a whole.
Many community members and child advocates commended the move, calling it a significant step forward in increasing the community’s access to child-care services.
“The reality is that we’re just losing our workforce because there’s a lack of safe, accessible and affordable child-care options, particularly in the infant range,” said Stefanie Benvenuto, a spokesperson with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Erin Hogeboom, director of San Diego for Every Child, a nonprofit working to ensure that children’s basic needs are met, said a fix is long overdue.
“This report is a wonderful step in the right direction, and now, with this information in hand, we must take action,” she said.
Speakers urged the committee to allow management contracts to be available to both large- and small-scale child-care providers, as well as to continue research on funding options at the state and federal level.
The committee unanimously approved the city real estate department’s next steps, which include identifying potential operators for the new facilities. A report is expected to be issued in late spring or early summer.
Staff will also continue working with the city attorney and the Development Services Department to investigate requirements and legalities for zoning and permitting.