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 (already underway) 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:

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:

• Media release
• First 5 OC Commissioner Susan McClintic’s op-ed: “The Time To Fix Orange County’s Child Care Is Now”
• Early Childhood OC Orange County COVID-19 Child Care Assistance Database

Nationwide:

• Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post COVID-19
• 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?

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