California launches new portal for childcare for essential workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that the Department of Social Services is putting up a portal for childcare to help parents who are struggling to work while also finding care for their children now at home.

The website allows parents to type in their address or zip code to find child care centers or homes that are open during the pandemic in their area. Newsom said the centers on the site have been vetted by the state. Information on health and safety criteria, licensing, and available slots at the centers will be made available.

“This portal is profoundly important,” Newsom said. “Childcare is essential. These are essential workers out there that need childcare. We need to provide that support.”

The site is meant for parents who are essential workers or belong to vulnerable populations.

Kim Kruckel, Executive Director of the Child Care Law Center, said a website like this has been in the works for years, but was sped up because of the pandemic. Newsom said 63% of licensed child care facilities have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis. 

“They recognize we will not keep our economy going unless parents who are essential workers can find child care and unless child care centers themselves have the ability to stay open,” she said.

The state has already opened more than 400 “pop up child care centers. Newsom also explained how $100 million would be allocated for child care investment. He said half of the money will go toward helping 20,000 people in accessing child care subsidies, while the other $50 million will help facilities with cleaning supplies and protective gear.

Kruckel said that money is a start, but not nearly enough.

“It's part of the reason that many of them have closed, many have closed because they cannot care for kids safely,” she said.”

Newsom said child care will become more important as the state begins to modify the stay-at-home order.

His announcement came one day after Bay Area counties issued a modified shelter-in-place order that said childcare establishments, summer camps, schools, and other educational and recreational programs can operate to provide care and supervision for children to allow all who are working in essential businesses or outdoor businesses or performing minimum basic operations to access childcare. They must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer children.

On Thursday, Mayor London Breed sent out clarifications on her city's order to help clear up any confusion about what this means. 

Under San Francisco's order, parents are not allowed to organize small group gatherings of children, she said. And this includes for recreational or any other purpose.

 The definition of a childcare establishment is relatively broad to allow as many working parents as possible access to childcare so they can do their jobs, Breed said.

Schools, camps, and recreational institutions are allowed to operate solely for the purpose of providing childcare to parents allowed to work under the order. "You may not send your child to any of these establishments if you are not working," she said. "Youth sports teams may not meet, practice or play. Recreational gatherings of small groups of children are not allowed."

For more information on Calfornia's new childcare portal, click here. 

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.