Orange County Child Care Landscape Analysis
Phase II: “Child Care and Its Impact on Orange County’s Economy”
In October of 2020, First 5 Orange County unveiled the first phase of an analysis that revealed there was a dearth of affordable and quality child care options for working parents, including infant and toddler care. At its June 2, 2021 meeting, First 5 OC unveiled the second phase of this analysis, titled, “Child Care and Its Impact on Orange County’s Economy.”
The report found that child care challenges contribute a significant toll on Orange County companies and the overall economy, with billions of dollars lost in productivity, wages and tax revenue.
Furthermore, the struggle to find child care also puts a staggering personal and financial toll on families with young children, who far too often must choose between continuing to work or abandoning their careers to care for their children.
Read the report (click the image below).
Ready to help? Learn how by contacting Tiffany Alva, Director of Partnerships and Government Affairs, at Tiffany.Alva@cfcoc.ocgov.com.
More Resources:
- Press Release: Child Care Crisis in Orange County: 67,000 Lost Jobs Annually and a $4.3 Billion Hit to the Local Economy
- Social Media Toolkit: Help Us Spread the Word
Social Media:
By acting together, we can leverage our voices and underline the connection between the lack of child care and the local economy, plus work together to help formulate recommendations and a plan of action to solve this crisis.
As a partner of First 5 Orange County or as someone who cares about the dearth of quality child care, you play a crucial role in spreading messages that recognize the impact child care has on the overall economy. Please click on the social media toolkit below and share the content with your communities via your social media platforms.
Phase I
An analysis released on Oct. 7, 2020 to First 5 Orange County commissioners reveals a harsh landscape for Orange County’s working parents hoping to find affordable child care, especially for those who need it for their infants or toddlers.
The “Orange County Child Care Landscape Analysis,” directed by First 5 Orange County, is the first part of a three-phase initiative to know the availability and type of child care offered for young children in Orange County; the flow of public funding entering the county; and the key providers and partners involved in providing child care.
The second phase will assess the impact of child care issues in Orange County on the economy, employers and working parents/caregivers, while the third phase will develop a series of recommendations that will ultimately help solve Orange County’s child care crisis.
As more families and child care facilities were impacted by COVID-19, it became clear that the child care system – while a critical underpinning to the local economy – is fragile and ripe for systemwide improvements.
Read the report (click the image below) or Read the Executive Summary in Spanish here.
To learn more and discover ways to help, contact Tiffany Alva, Director of Partnerships and Government Affairs, at Tiffany.Alva@cfcoc.ocgov.com.
More resources:
Nationwide:
- LAist: California Child Care Spaces Have Been Disappearing For Years. The Pandemic Is Making It Even Harder To Survive
- Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post COVID-19
- Video: Why Does Child Care Cost So Much Yet Providers Make So Little? | Child Care Aware of America
- Time: How COVID-19 is Decimating the Child Care Industry
- Vox: The Future of the Economy Hinges on Child Care
- The Atlantic: What Are Parents Supposed to Do With Their Kids?
Searchable Child Care Databases:
- Orange County Child Care and Development Planning Council
- California Department of Social Services
- Children’s Home Society of California
- Orange County Head Start, Inc.
Images to share on social media:
Spread the word on how child care has been impacted in Orange County. Click on each image to open in a new tab, then right-click and “Save Image” to use in your social media posts.
