The Education Committee focuses on childcare and preK-12 education in San Diego. The group meets monthly on the third or fourth Wednesday from 9:30am to 11:30am by Zoom. We are frequently joined by representatives from the 9th District PTA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Education Enrichment Systems, Parent Voices, and the San Diego Office of Child and Youth Success. At each meeting, attendees share upcoming activities and any legislation they are supporting. We educate ourselves and look for opportunities to advocate for issues that improve education for youth.
This year, one of the local issues for League focus is: Increasing child care access, quality, and affordability through significant investments in the education and compensation of the early childhood workforce, facilities, and family supports.
In 2020, just 17% of California children under the age of 4 whose families met the income limits for subsidized care actually got it. More than half of the families live in childcare deserts, where there are either no providers or so few that there may be more than three kids for each available spot.
Childcare costs are prohibitive for most parents (if they can even find slots), and it pays so little as a profession that even people who love caring for children can't afford to do it. The State will formulate a new reimbursement model based on estimates of providers’ costs. This means childcare workers will soon be paid higher wages.
The Education Committee will be focusing on the major issues related to this topic and how the League can support ways to deal with them. We will continue to work with our current coalition partners, and hope to add other League members as well as partners to move our agenda forward. We welcome you to join us.