Back to School: Child care options for working parents in Southern California
LOS ANGELES - Due to the coronavirus pandemic, millions of parents suddenly saw their primary source of child care disappear, with no alternatives on the table.
Schools will be remote when the 2020-21 school year begins next month, so what are parents going to do?
As many as 40% of child care programs say they will have to close permanently.
With a lack of options, there are two great options for working parents in Southern California needing help with their kids.
One of those solutions is Pathways LA.
"We'll help them navigate through their situation and try to connect them to the most appropriate child care options that are available to them. We also partnered with Parks and Recs and Boys and Girls Club," said Jessie Salazar of Pathways LA.
Pathways can even help residents turn their home into a licensed child care center.
For low-income families, they offer subsidized childcare services that help pay for the child's child care while the parents are working or going to school.
Last year, Pathways LA provided more than $15 million in child care financial assistance to low-income families across Los Angeles. They're hoping to do that for parents who need it now more than ever.
For parents working in corporate America, Ahmni Co. offers a solution and it's based in Los Angeles.
They work with companies to custom-create a child care center.
"We go in and we site survey, we curate, and build out a space for the children who will be using it we create it, staff it and permit it. It's all paid for by the employer so it becomes an employer-sponsored benefit," said Jess Zaino of Ahmni Co.