“Starting Strong” Step-by-Step Toolkit Addresses Shortage in Child Care Programs
LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles’ Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) has partnered with Councilmember Nithya Raman to launch a new childcare toolkit, designed to illuminate the process of starting and growing child care businesses and support thriving providers in Los Angeles.
The “Starting Strong” toolkit is a 110-page resource that serves as a step-by-step guide to help child care providers successfully navigate the processes of opening and expanding child care programs within the City of Los Angeles.
From home-based care facilities to commercial child care centers, the toolkit includes guidance on:
- Facilities Development: Including contact points for each department and resources specifically designed to support providers through the permitting processes.
- Licensing: A clear roadmap of the necessary State requirements for licensure.
“Starting Strong” aims to address inequities in child care and remove barriers to information, empowering Angelenos to better care for their communities.
“This toolkit is a significant investment in the needs of child care providers, and, in turn, the many families who rely on child care,” said CIFD General Manager Abigail R. Marquez. “We are grateful to Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Raman, and our City partners in this work for helping to build stronger child care access to allow families to pursue educational and professional opportunities that set them up for long-term success.”
“We know that navigating bureaucracy in the City of Los Angeles can often be a hindrance to getting a business off the ground,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman. “With this toolkit, we are investing in our communities in the strongest way possible: uplifting future generations of Angelenos through our unwavering support for childcare providers. I am so grateful to the Community Investment for Families Department for their dedication to providing pathways for expanded access to child care across Los Angeles.”
The toolkit was led by Councilmember Raman and CIFD’s Child Care Policy and Equity unit, in partnership with the City’s Building and Safety Department, City Planning Department, Fire Department, Office of Finance, Economic & Workforce Development BusinessSource Centers, and the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. The project was conceived based on feedback from child care providers who expressed frustration with the complex process of establishing a business and mixed messaging that impedes the timely opening and operation of these critical programs.
In the last decade, the City of Los Angeles has experienced a shortage in licensed child care. In the City of LA, there are only enough licensed seats to serve less than a quarter (22%) of children ages 0-5. The landscape for infants and toddlers is even more dire, with licensed seats available to serve only 4% of this population.
Beginning in April, the City of LA partnered with LA County and the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse to extend the Fee Waivers Program to Angeleno child care providers. The program covers City fees related to child care facility development to further encourage and support the expansion of child care options.
“We know that high-quality child care is an opportunity to disrupt the cycle of generational poverty,” said Rachel Bocarsly, Senior Program Manager of CIFD’s Child Care Policy and Equity unit. “We’re excited about the impact this toolkit will have in supporting hard-working providers who care for our City’s youngest learners and creating more opportunities for Angeleno families to succeed.”
In 2023, CIFD launched its Child Care Policy and Equity unit to increase opportunities for the more than 200,000 children ages 0-5 and help families access high-quality child care programs while supporting providers.
Services include a website to assist families in navigating the challenges of finding a child care provider or paying for child care and providers in strengthening their program quality and enhancing the sustainability of their businesses. The website elevates critical resources such as the Resource and Referral Network, which is designed specifically to support families and providers navigate the complex child care system to better nurture children and help them thrive.