CDA receives 2021 Chula Vista Community Champions award

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Child Development Associates (CDA) was awarded the 2021 Chula Vista Community Champions Award on Feb. 25 for their COVID-19 programs supporting low-income families, essential workers and child care providers. CDA is a community-based, nonprofit agency that has been providing child care and development services throughout San Diego County since 1974.

This past year, CDA awarded $8.1 million in state and local funding through the Emergency Child Care Vouchers for Essential Workers and At-risk Populations Program to support 949 families with affordable child care services. This program helped families cover the cost of child care and provided a safe environment for their children.

“I was struggling to pay my rent and bills, but not having to worry about how to pay for my son’s child care, has been a huge help,” said Maria M., one of the program’s recipients.

As California phases in reopening, child care programs remain crucial for working parents. When parents have access to safe, affordable and quality child care, they are more likely to go back to work.

"At CDA, we heard essential worker families tell of the challenges they faced accessing affordable child care, especially when schools closed" said CDA President and CEO, Rick Richardson. “Through the child care voucher program, parents have been able to focus on their important jobs on the front lines of COVID-19 while their children were safely in child care.”

CDA also awarded over $12.5 million of CARES Act funding to eligible child care providers through the San Diego County Childcare Provider Grant Program. These funds helped 1,789 child care providers keep their business open by covering such costs as staffing, supplies, mortgage or rental assistance. CDA also provided microgrants through the San Diego COVID-19 Children’s Fund to more than 1,300 low-income families and essential workers and 522 child care providers to financially support the cost of emergency needs.

Other initiatives included the Alternative Payment Program, which helped 4,723 families afford child care, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which provided free nutrition education and helped cover the cost of nutritious meals served by 1,152 licensed family child care home providers across six Southern California counties.

For more information, visit cdasd.org.

LEO PATRIZI GETTY IMAGES Child Development Associates has been supporting low-income families, essential workers and child care providers through grants and programs during the pandemic.