Child Care Is Essential
How our nation responds to the needs of the child care sector in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis will affect our economy, working families’ livelihoods and our children’s future wellbeing. Without adequate support, we risk the permanent loss of roughly half the nation’s child care slots.
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) has partnered with national and regional funders and local partners to provide more than $40 million to the small businesses – primarily owned by women and people of color – that provide this critical service. Meeting the immediate needs of child care providers in this moment is critical, it is also a generational opportunity to rethink how we invest in our early education system as a nation. Read more about LIIF’s work.
Regional Relief Efforts
Through the generous support of our funders, LIIF has provided more than
$40 million in emergency relief grants to 1,300 early care and education providers in four of our regions. This funding goes directly to child care business owners to cover staff salaries, rent and other essential operating expenses.
New York City
Funders: Alphadyne Asset Management, Anonymous Donor Advised Fund, Early Childhood Partners NYC in the New York Community Trust, Goldman Sachs, The JPB Foundation, Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, Robin Hood, Wells Fargo Bank
California
Funders: City of Los Angeles, City and County of San Francisco Give2SF Fund, First 5 Alameda County, Heising-Simons Foundation, Hellman Foundation, San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education (Prop F funds), Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Tipping Point Community, Wells Fargo Bank
Washington, DC
Funders: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Want to participate in LIIF’s COVID-19 Child Care Relief Effort? Your generosity will provide direct relief to those child care businesses left vulnerable by the pandemic. Please contact us to learn more about how to contribute to our regional relief efforts.
Family Child Care
The Need
Family-run, home-based child care sites care for more than 7 million our our nation’s children. These small businesses, primarily owned by women and people of color, will be hard pressed to survive the closures affecting communities across the nation. Without adequate resources, nearly half (4.5 million) of these slots are at risk during the current crisis.
Only 22% of essential workers said they have been able to use their previous child care arrangement. Nearly two-thirds of parents have had difficulty finding child care during the crisis, and about half are concerned they won’t be able to afford child care when they can return to the workforce. (Bipartisan Policy Center and Morning Consult Survey)
We must invest in this critical resources now and for the future. This is crucial for our nation’s economic recovery and long-term success. Read more about our platform for investing in ECE in an article from our President and on our National Policy page.
