California child care providers struggle to make ends meet, worry about health risks

California child care providers are struggling to keep programs open during the pandemic, with fewer children, lost income, and higher cleaning and staff costs, and they are deeply concerned about the health risks of staying open, according to a survey published Wednesday by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley.

The center surveyed 953 child care programs, both private centers and in-home sites. They found that those providers that had closed did so because they were worried about the health risks to themselves, their families, and the children they serve.

The main reason other providers have stayed open is that they could not financially survive a closure. More than 1/3 of those that are open are worried that they, their families or the children they serve will get sick. Almost 2/3 of child care centers that are open have teachers who are not working because they are worried about the health risks.

Those that are open are facing lost income because of decreased capacity and fewer children attending, higher staff costs, higher cleaning costs and other expenses related to changing physical spaces to meet health and safety guidelines.

Many providers, especially those operating programs out of their own homes, have not paid themselves, missed a mortgage or rent payment, or incurred personal credit card debt, because of the loss of income and increased costs.