2 days ago
Over a thousand advocates rally 'to pay childcare providers fairly' at CA Capitol
( — Over a thousand childcare providers, parents, children, and legislators gathered on the west steps of the California Capitol building to call on the legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to pay childcare providers the full cost of care.
'I need to make sure that I don't have to rob Peter to pay Paul,' childcare provider Horace Turner said. 'I'm juggling credit cards just to make sure I can provide for these beautiful children. Without us, the economy cannot run.'
The rally comes as the providers' contract with the state is set to expire on July 1.
Liliana Camacho, a mother of four and a member of Parent Voices California, was on a three-year waitlist for childcare and had to pay out of pocket for an unlicensed friend to watch her kids while she worked.
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'I had to quit my job. I felt that was the best thing I could do, because I couldn't afford to hire someone to watch them,' Camacho said.
Since securing care for her children, she has been able to return to work, but many others haven't.
'A lot of people assume we want free childcare, but that's not exactly what we want,' she added. 'We just want something affordable. [Families] are going into homelessness because they can't find childcare that allows them to get a job.'
Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, who represents downtown Los Angeles, said the recent chaotic ICE raids in the heart of his district underscore how invaluable childcare providers are to all Californians.
'Families who dropped their kids off with their childcare providers didn't come home that day because they were taken by ICE,' said Gonzalez (D)- Downtown Los Angeles. 'That hurts. Many of these people behind me are the ones who have to explain to these kids what's going on. We want to make sure the folks behind us are included in the budget — that those dollars are allocated, and that they are the ones who receive them.'
FOX40 reached out to the governor's office for comment on the matter, but did not hear back.
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