Hayward to provide free day care during city council meetings

The city of Hayward just made life a little easier for parents who want to attend Hayward City Council meetings, but can’t find someone to watch their kids or afford the cost of day care.

Beginning February 25, the city will provide free child care during City Council meetings to parents who request it in advance — a service organizers hope will encourage more participation in government and ease some of the financial pressures of rising child care costs in the Bay Area.

The program, funded by the city through a yearlong contract, appears unique among Bay Area cities. Hayward city clerk Miriam Lens says she does not believe any other local cities provide the service, but several have expressed interest in offering a similar program.

“The response from other cities has been positive,” she says. “We all understand that this is a way to increase civic engagement.”

Local officials say the service is part of a broader citywide effort to engage residents in local government. The city started offering translation services during City Council meetings in 2019, and began exploring the option of providing child care during meetings when it updated its rent stabilization ordinance, a lengthy process that generated significant public interest among residents, including parents with children.

“We had a lot of people showing up to City Council meetings and sometimes showing up with young people and it was evident to us that we probably would have more showing up to that process if they might have some support from City Hall in terms of managing the kids under their responsibility,” says Hayward communications officer Chuck Finnie.

The service comes as new data shows day care costs are steadily increasing across the Bay Area. In Alameda County, according to research from the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, the cost for full- time infant care at a licensed daycare center is now roughly $20,522 each year.

“We are aware of cost of living pressures on families,” says Finnie. “The housing crunch affects everybody’s ability to pay for everything — including child care.”

Hayward City Council meetings are held the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday of each month. Child care will be available to parents who request the service the Friday before the council’s Tuesday evening meetings. Those interested can contact the Office of the City Clerk at (510) 583- 4400.