Grant Program Keeps 3,355 San Diego Childcare Providers Open During Pandemic

For Immediate Release

County of San Diego partnered with The San Diego Foundation, Child Development Associates and YMCA of San Diego County to manage the Childcare Provider Grant Program

February 18, 2020 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation today released the Childcare Provider Grant Program impact report, disclosing that more than 81,000 children were assisted thanks to funding for 3,355 childcare providers in 90 zip codes across San Diego County.

The Childcare Provider Grant Program is an initiative launched last fall to address the childcare crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing grant funding to childcare providers for staffing, supplies, mortgage and rental assistance, capital improvements for outdoor areas, and business resilience.

Last August, recognizing that childcare is essential to the economic recovery and ongoing health of the region, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved $25 million in CARES Act funding to establish the San Diego County Childcare Provider Grant Program. The County of San Diego partnered with The San Diego Foundation, Child Development Associates and YMCA of San Diego County to manage the application, verification and grantmaking process.

“Childcare is essential to keep our economy moving and our families thriving,” shared Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “We are proud of this partnership and its impact because when local providers and parents were most in need, the Childcare Provider Grant Program helped ensure that the people we trust to care for our children still had the resources and support they needed to keep them safe.”

The County of San Diego, The San Diego Foundation, Child Development Associates and YMCA of San Diego County were committed to ensuring equity of access for all provider applicants. Funding was allocated based on pre-determined categories outlined in the CARES Act agreement. To ensure that language barriers did not prevent eligible providers from accessing the funds, translation services were provided in eight languages. The group also partnered with nonprofit organizations that have deep connections throughout the region to provide technical assistance, translation and outreach support.

The initiative supported 2,494 Licensed Family Childcare, 757 Licensed Childcare Centers and 104 License-Exempt Group Care providers. At least one application was received from a total of 90 zip codes throughout San Diego County. The highest volume of applications was received from City Heights, El Cajon and Otay Mesa.

“The childcare sector is very important as our economy cannot be sustainable if parents do not have safe places for their children to be cared for, and educated while they are working,” said Chair Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County Board of Supervisors and lead policymaker for the County’s COVID-19 Subcommittee. “This $25 million grant program helped childcare providers make their centers safe during the coronavirus pandemic and allowed them to remain open so parents could return to work.”

To learn more about the impact of the San Diego County Childcare Provider Grant Program, please visit childcare.sdfoundation.org.

Contact

Theresa Nakata, The San Diego Foundation, 619-814-1305, theresan@sdfoundation.org