S.D. LOOKING AT CITY BUILDINGS FOR CHILD CARE FACILITIES

72 properties, from parks/rec centers to libraries identified

City 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, 535, or roughly 12 percent, of the county’s child care providers closed, increasing the strain on the system for the nearly 190,000 children under the age of 12 who don’t have a stay-athome parent and are unable to secure child care, according to a YMCA of San Diego Childcare Resource Service report released in April.

“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 Councilmember Raul Campillo, chair of the Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee, said during the group’s meeting Wednesday. “The reality is that we simply need more child care slots, and we need them to be more affordable for families.”

In May, the city’s Department of Real Estate and Airport Management was tasked with assessing cityowned 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 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,” said Campillo.

Many neighborhoods are child care deserts, where there isn’t enough care available to serve the families that need it. Across the county, infant and toddler care is particularly hard to find, with less than 20 percent of providers licensed for infants, according to a city staff report.

A report by the San Diego

Workforce Partnership found that 40 percent of San Diego families with two children and living on a median income spend up to 40 percent of their monthly income on child care. This lack of affordable options can hinder parents’ ability to work, negatively impacting 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 muchneeded 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 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 starting to identify potential operators of the new facilities. A report would be issued in late spring or early summer.

Staff will also continue working with the city attorney and Development Services Department to investigate the necessary requirements and legalities for zoning and permitting.

emily.alvarenga@ sduniontribune.com