Today, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Resolution 23-0002-S134, which urges the California Governor and legislature to uphold their commitment to developing and implementing an alternative methodology that would reimburse child care providers at the true cost of providing care.
The resolution was authored by Councilmember Soto-Martínez and seconded by Councilmember Rodriguez in partnership with CIFD and Child Care Providers United (CCPU), a union representing home-based care providers in California with whom the State agreed to develop an alternative methodology in their most recent contract. The action adds the City's powerful voice at a critical juncture as State leaders chart the future of child care investments amid severe budget deficits and cuts to lifeline social service programs.
Child care providers serving low-income families grapple with high operating costs, declining staffing and enrollment, and poverty-level wages. The current reimbursement rate is based on an outdated and flawed methodology that further threatens the future of these essential programs across the City. The approval of the resolution, coupled with the launch of the Child Care Policy and Equity work in CIFD demonstrates the City’s increasing investment in strengthening support for providers and improving equitable access to affordable, high-quality care. CIFD thanks its partners in the City Council and at CCPU for their unyielding commitment to ensuring that providers are afforded a living wage for the vital role they play in our communities.