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Present: Penny Adler, Sue Braun, Cathy O'Leary Carey, Beryl Flom, Sarina Lynn, Betsy Mueller, Tara Ryan, and Crystal Trull.
Speaker: Erin Hogeboom, San Diego for Every Child; Shirley Larson is her grandmother in-law

Introductions and Updates
Tara is with the SD Office of Child & Youth Success/SDC&YS for the City of San Diego.  It has been merged into the Library Department and the Director of SDC&YS was cut.  They are still working on a plan with some changes and then it will go to the City Council.  They are partnering with the Policy and Innovation Center, SD Foundation and Prebys Foundation on research on indicators of child and youth well-being in the SD region.  The Youth Commission is filling up.  They are rolling out positive youth development to all depts. in the city.  Penny asked if the LWVSD should push to prevent this separation.  Tara suggested testifying at the city budget hearing.  Erin said they plan to testify that SDC&YS should be a separate department.  It does not have a big budget.  Penny asked if the LWVSD should sign on to the San Diego for Every Child letter or do it separately.  Penny asked Tara if she felt restricted in what she can do; Tara said not yet because things haven't changed.

Betsy is the VP of Education for the 9th District PTA.  They had a Founders Day event for all the PTA's.  Their election is done, so people will be taking new positions on 7/1.  Betsy will be the VP of Community Concerns.  It mainly does grant giving.  Paradise Hills opened a new PTA.  There is a very different level of what parents can do and not do.  The Acting Supt. of SDUSD is very interacting, speaking more, and engaging with people.  She's very interested in family engagement.  Beryl observes the SDUSD and said the District has balanced its budget largely due to working on attendance and giving retirees a nice packet.

Beryl has been in LWV over 50 years and is now chair of the Immigration & Deportation Committee.  She has been on an education committee most of those years.

Sarina - At the state level, they've been talking about whether to adopt alternative methodology or have subcontractors pay their contract rates even if their slots are not full.  Providers are trying to fill gaps in slots since TK started; a lot of districts need help and money.  The Office of Child & Youth Success is being discussed at a meeting of the League of Cities but Tara said it probably is not a public event so she and LWVSD members can't attend.

Sue was on the SDUSD Board for 12 years but otherwise has been a member of this Education Committee for years. She is concerned about child development; she used to be a social worker.  Sue has 3 children and 7 grandchildren.  She is trying to get newspapers and the Voice of San Diego to come to the LWVSD May 3rd Education meeting, but has had no luck so far.  Papers are now picking up articles from the AP.  VOSD is very critical of SDUSD because they don't open their records.  Alta Dena School District has a decrease in population and is cutting teachers.

Crystal is the parent of 3 SDUSD students and teaches at UCSD.  Crystal ran for SDUSD board but lost the election.  She is not a LWV member.

Penny announced that this committee is co-sponsoring a luncheon meeting on 5/3 at 11:30 a.m. at Elijah's Restaurant.  The Acting Supt., Dr. Fabia Bagula, and Shana Hazen (school board member) of SDUSD will focus on their goals and priorities, supporting students,  balancing the budget, and students with special needs.  Lunch costs $35.  Once the flyer is out, please share it.

Erin Hogeboom, erin@sandiegoforeverychild.org
Erin said she just met Ana, the founder of Include Ed who has been struggling to get special services for her child; she would be a good speaker for this group.

San Diego for Every Child is fiscally sponsored by Jewish Family Services.  Sara Jacobs is the founding chair.  Their initiative is to cut child poverty in SD Co.  It was started 5 years ago.  Pre-COVID, 40% of children living in the Co. were living in households below the poverty level.  This approach is to really look at 4 areas: healthy food, reliable healthcare, stable housing, and quality childcare/early education.  These services need to be interconnected.  The Children First Collective focuses on equity, compassion and hope mostly done at the state and federal levels.  It meets every Thursday at 8:15 a.m.  They have decided to keep ""equity"" in their goals because they believe you should not change what you do and think is right.  They do not have funding by the Feds.  Childcare is still racist and thus underpaid.  The history is that childcare was free but parents couldn't work.  San Diego for Every Child focuses on facilities for childcare, the workforce, mental and behavioral health, benefits and policies, local government and dedicated funding.  Workforce is the biggest issue because people are not paid as much as other minimum wage jobs, so employees don't stay.   They are working with people constructing low-income housing to include a childcare facility in the building; it's much cheaper than remodeling.  The City gives extra points for inclusion of childcare in housing. 

Their advocacy campaigns are focused on replacing First 5 which is funded by the tobacco tax which is decreasing.  It provided $3 million in SD Co. and may disappear.  Now they are asking the BOS for sustainable healthy developmental services.  They also met with the SD Foundation; they agreed to host a founders circle to save healthy development.  The Office of Child and Youth Success has done a phenomenal amount of work; putting it in the Library Dept. may lose its impact.  Now San Diego for Every Child is polling public sentiment for a ballot measure for child development.  Most states have voter-approved funds for this.  Only a community foundation can host a bond issue, not the Jewish Foundation which Sue recommended.  Erin did reach out to them recently, though.  The recent tax ballot measures failed by a slim margin.  72% of voters support children and youth so the strategy is to try to pull on their heartstrings.   There will be a new website for this ballot measure.  A citizen's initiative costs $1.8-2.5 million.  Child welfare bills in the state Legislature seem to slide.  They are getting a head start and hope it works.  There is a new cost model analysis.  90% of brain development happens before age 5. They still lack public funding for 0-3 y.o.  90% of people looking for infant and toddler childcare can't find it in SD.  During COVID, half the women left the workforce to take care of their children.  Sue advised that the ballot measure has to counter the thinking that women should be home taking care of their children.  Single women have to work.  There is no way a San Diego family can be supported by one salary.  It was suggested that they should get right-winged people on their committee.  A survey showed that childcare is the most controversial issue.  San Diego for Every Child promotes family leave. 

Discussion
The City of SD used to pay for after school care.
There may be other tax issues on the ballot competing with this.  Erin said that's why they are starting early.  They've been waiting our turn.
Services such as rental cars could be taxed.  Erin wonders if this would be enough income.  Cities outside of San Diego have less services for children.  Beryl has to take a child from El Cajon to Chula Vista to urgent care for an eye problem because there are no eye doctors who treat children on MediCal in El Cajon.  Comprehensive healthcare would be best, Erin replied.  There is so much disparity.
Beryl said IRC is training immigrants on childcare.  Erin said various groups are trying to supplement the childcare workforce, but workers don't stay when they can get paid more at McDonalds.
Penny said there are many groups to support this ballot measure.  Sue added we need to encourage poor people to vote and tell rich people that childcare and a good beginning for a child is in their best interest.  Erin added that it also affects their future job.  San Diego wants a phenomenal workforce, so this is one way to pay for it.

Chat
Erin Hogeboom (she/her/ella), San Diego for Every Child
Beryl, want to make sure you've seen this resource link from San Diego County Office of Education on immigration resources for educators: https://www.sdcoe.net/students/resources-guide-library/post/~board/resource-library/post/immigration


sarina - Which requires parent engagement as well maybe

Erin Hogeboom (she/her/ella), San Diego for Every Child
If it's helpful, I can also share the slides and information on our local cost model analysis speaking a little to what Sarina is touching on regarding child care market rate v. cost of care


Erin Hogeboom (she/her/ella), San Diego for Every Child
@Susan, I can try to help with that...

sarina - Working families is a good way to talk about it and good points Betsy


Erin Hogeboom (she/her/ella), San Diego for Every Child
https://www.includedsd.org/


Erin Hogeboom (she/her/ella), San Diego for Every Child
erin@sandiegoforeverychild.org