Building a Better Childcare System in L.A.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Building a Better Childcare System in L.A.

Episode Overview

In the episode titled "Building a Better Childcare System in L.A.," Lemonada Media's No One is Coming to Save Us delves deep into the complexities of America's childcare crisis, focusing specifically on Los Angeles County. Hosted by veteran reporter Gloria Rivera, Season 5 highlights the struggles faced by families and educators while showcasing the efforts of local leaders striving to create a more integrated, accessible, and culturally responsive childcare system. This episode features insightful conversations with Deborah Coleman, Director of the LA County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, and Vicki Ramos Harris, Vice President of Policy and Programs for Catalyst California.

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1. The Stark Reality of LA’s Childcare Crisis

Gloria Rivera opens the discussion by painting a vivid picture of Los Angeles as an idyllic place to raise a family, yet cloaked in a significant childcare challenge. She states:

“LA is a great place to raise a family. It's got sunshine, a rich mix of cultures, and lots of outdoor spaces for hiking and beach days. But what seems like a California dream can also be a bit of a nightmare for parents when it comes to finding the right childcare.”
[02:28]

Deborah Coleman underscores the severity with alarming statistics:

“We have 480,804,000 children that are birthed through 36 months in LA county, but we only have licensed capacity through an infrastructure of child care centers, unlicensed family child care homes to care for 4% of those children.”
[02:28]

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2. Navigating a Fragmented System

Rivera elaborates on the fragmented nature of LA’s childcare system:

“LA county only has enough child care spaces for 4% of infants and toddlers. With the demand far outpacing supply, LA parents are struggling to find any kind of child care, let alone an option with the right cultural fit.”
[02:52]

Deborah Coleman discusses the dependency on an "invisible support system" comprising family and friends:

“We're very dependent in LA county and many other communities on what we call our invisible support system, which our family, friends and neighbors... are the backbone of our early care and education system.”
[04:27]

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3. The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

The introduction of Transitional Kindergarten (TK) adds another layer of complexity. Rivera explains:

“The state of California recently created a new grade level called transitional kindergarten or TK... making it so almost 400,000 California four-year-olds would receive an extra year of public education.”
[05:42]

Deborah Coleman highlights the unintended consequences:

“The goal of California is by the 25/26 school year to make sure that it is available to all four-year-olds... early care and education system and our public school system have operated very separately.”
[07:30]

She further notes how TK has strained existing childcare providers:

“With more and more four-year-olds enrolling in TK, many early child care and education programs are struggling... It takes much more attention, many more staff.”
[08:09]

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4. Workforce Challenges: Low Wages and High Demand

Coleman sheds light on the economic struggles within the childcare workforce:

“The average preschool teacher only makes $16.90 an hour, compared to a kindergarten teacher that makes about $40. So we have a workforce where almost half of them are on some kind of public assistance.”
[10:40]

She emphasizes the need for:

“A system where every family has access to affordable, quality early care and education. How do we ensure we have a workforce of early educators that are well compensated and well qualified?”
[12:08]

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5. Bridging Early Care and Public Education

Coleman discusses efforts to integrate early care with the public education system:

“We realized that these two systems do not talk and they don't have relationships. And so we decided... to build a bridge between those two systems.”
[09:10]

This integration aims to create a seamless experience for children transitioning from early care to public schooling, ensuring continuity and stability.

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6. The Crucial Role of Cultural and Language Connections

Transitioning to the conversation with Vicki Ramos Harris, the focus shifts to the importance of cultural and language support in childcare.

Rivera summarizes the dire access statistics:

“In LA county, one in three children under the age of six have access to any childcare.”
[15:08]

Vicki Ramos Harris provides deeper insights:

“In LA county, one out of three children under the age of six have access to childcare. That's just childcare. For children birth to age three, 86% are eligible for subsidized childcare, and only one out of seven actually have access.”
[15:08]

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7. Dual Language Learners: Opportunities and Challenges

Harris emphasizes the significance of dual language programs:

“California is really uniquely positioned in the nation to lead on dual language learner education because we have the largest population of dual language learners or multi-language learners in the country.”
[20:20]

She criticizes the marginalization of dual language support:

“Often we say, oh, well, this is what we do for all kids. And then for these kids, dual language learners, we do these other things. And so in our advocacy work, we're saying... defining and supporting quality and professional development really needs to include that in the center, not as we do this thing on the side.”
[20:20]

Harris shares a poignant success story:

“My friend Karina was trying to teach her daughter Spanish... she put her in a preschool dual language program. Within a couple of days, she came home just speaking all kinds of Spanish... the system was giving that to her, and she really started to thrive.”
[24:20]

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8. Strategies for Increasing Access and Equity

Harris outlines Catalyst California's initiatives to address the crisis:

“We're building what we call a whole child equity tool in California. It's a way to help us target, understand where do we have highest need communities... how do we identify and then target resources so that we can increase access to childcare...”
[27:51]

She also stresses the importance of rate reform:

“There's been a big conversation around rate reform, which means what is the actual cost of care? It includes salaries, diapers, child engagement... LA has done its own analysis as well.”
[30:08]

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9. A Vision for the Future: Unified and Supported Systems

In her concluding remarks, Harris expresses a clear vision:

“When I think about the magic wand, I think about the clarity we have during the pandemic of how important child care was... my wand would make that crystal clear so that we can start having the solutions that are really actionable...”
[32:23]

Rivera encapsulates the episode's essence:

“Their goal is a more unified and accessible system, one that fosters the diversity of culture and language for LA's infants and toddlers. It's an ambitious goal, but I know there is a better way forward...”
[34:20]

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Conclusion

This episode of No One is Coming to Save Us provides a compelling examination of LA County's childcare crisis, highlighting systemic issues, workforce challenges, and the urgent need for culturally responsive solutions. Through the expertise of Deborah Coleman and Vicki Ramos Harris, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the barriers families face and the innovative strategies being implemented to create a more equitable and effective childcare system. The discussions underscore the critical intersection of policy, community support, and cultural inclusivity in shaping the future of early childhood education in Los Angeles.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Deborah Coleman [02:28]:

  “We have 480,804,000 children that are birthed through 36 months in LA county, but we only have licensed capacity... to care for 4% of those children.”

• Gloria Rivera [02:52]:

  “LA county only has enough child care spaces for 4% of infants and toddlers... parents are struggling to find any kind of child care.”

• Vicki Ramos Harris [15:08]:

  “In LA county, one out of three children under the age of six have access to childcare... one out of seven actually have access.”

• Vicki Ramos Harris [20:20]:

  “Defining and supporting quality and professional development really needs to include [dual language learners] in the center, not as we do this thing on the side.”

• Deborah Coleman [12:08]:

  “How do we create a system where every family has access to affordable, quality early care and education? How do we ensure we have a workforce of early educators that are well compensated and well qualified?”

• Vicki Ramos Harris [32:23]:

  “My wand would make that crystal clear so that we can start having the solutions that are really actionable... permanent funding streams at all three levels.”

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing readers with an in-depth understanding of LA's childcare challenges and the proactive measures being taken to address them. By focusing on the key discussions, insights, and quotes, the summary serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the future of early childhood education in Los Angeles.

Transcript

[Gloria Rivera]

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[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

Hey everyone. First off, we want to thank you for listening to no One Is Coming to Save Us. And now we want to hear from you we what you've learned, what's sticking with you, what questions you still have, and what you're motivated to do as a result of listening. Right now, you can take our short survey to help us better understand the impact of our work. And even better, once you've completed the survey, you can enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. The survey is short and sweet, I promise, and it will really help us keep bringing you content you love. Take the survey at Bit ly noonesurvey that's bit ly no onesurvey thanks again. LE Monada LA is a great place to raise a family. It's got sunshine, a rich mix of cultures, and lots of outdoor spaces for hiking and beach days. But what seems like a California dream can also be a bit of a nightmare for parents when it comes to finding the right childcare.

[Deborah Coleman]

We have 480804000 children that are birthed through 36 months in LA county, but we only have licensed capacity through an infrastructure of child care centers, unlicensed family child care homes to care for 4% of those children. So just take a moment and wrap your head around that.

[Gloria Rivera]

Yeah, let's take a moment with that stat, L.A. county only has enough child care spaces for 4% of infants and Todd. With the demand far outpacing supply, LA parents are struggling to find any kind of child care, let alone an option with the right Cultural fit.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

The vast majority of children in California are children of color and like 60% of children 0 to 5 are dual language learners. And so we want to continue elevating the importance of cultural and language connections.

[Gloria Rivera]

I'm Gloria Rivera and this is no One Is Coming to Save Us, a show about America's childcare crisis. In this bonus episode, we're hearing from two LA leaders dedicated to creating a more integrated, accessible childcare system that truly reflects the cultural diversity of LA County. I sat down with Vicki Ramos Harris from Catalyst California to talk about how we desperately need more culturally diverse care. Opt for LA parents and what that care might actually look like. But first I spoke with Deborah Coleman, the director of the LA County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education. An LA native with 30 years of experience, she is really steeped in the issues of early child care and education, including the issue of supply and demand that makes LA's system so challenging.

[Deborah Coleman]

There's not an easy system even to navigate for the limited access that we have. We're very dependent in LA county and many other communities on what we call our invisible support system, which our family, friends and neighbors who may get paid, may not get paid, but are the backbone of our early care and education system.

[Gloria Rivera]

Like Deborah said, families in LA county aren't getting the care they need. And even for that 4% that do get access, the process of navigating the system is complicated. LA county and California as a whole has what's called a mixed delivery system. That means there is no single child care system. Instead, it is a patchwork of programs, providers and settings. On top of that complexity, the state of California recently created a new grade level called transitional kindergarten or TK. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill expanding the program, making it so almost 400,000 California four year olds would receive an extra year of public education.

[Deborah Coleman]

The goal of California is by the 2526 school year to make sure that it is available to all four year olds, which is wonderful for families. It's free, it's at your local elementary school. We do have some challenges though because our early care and education system and our public school system have operated very separately. Our early care and education system sometimes connects to school districts, but most of the time it's in community based organizations, private childcares, what we call our family child care homes, which is a facility serving up to 14 children that's licensed in someone's home. What has happened as children move out of our existing early care and education system into now the public education system is you have small businesses who have developed business models and operational structures based on caring for older children. So you have more four year olds. You can basically subsidize the higher costs because you can only care for so many infants and toddlers at a time. It takes much more attention, many more staff. And so many programs operate by blending and braiding their funding together, whether it's fees for parents or grants, and using the fact that they can care 24 preschool age children compared to caring for, you know, three infants by a single person.

[Gloria Rivera]

What I'm hearing you say is that the disconnect between the world of early childcare and education and the public school system, those are two separate entities. And the introduction of TK Transitional kindergarten, which has many positives to it, it's free, it serves 4 year olds, it's TK is designed with very good intent. The idea that they will alleviate part of the crisis. In trying to alleviate the crisis of early childcare and education, there are ways in which it has been exacerbated.

[Deborah Coleman]

That is absolutely correct, Gloria.

[Gloria Rivera]

When you take the older kids out of the early system, it puts too much pressure on the business models that operate that system because it costs more to care for younger children than it does for the older.

[Deborah Coleman]

That's correct. That's correct.

[Gloria Rivera]

Okay.

[Deborah Coleman]

So very, very good intentions by our governor in expanding transitional kindergarten and adding a new funding stream for our four year olds.

[Gloria Rivera]

Early childcare and education programs are a fragile business model. Before the statewide introduction of tk, many were able to stay afloat by serving kids of all ages, subsidizing the high cost of infant care by enrolling kids up to four years old. But now, with more and more four year olds enrolling in tk, many early child care and education programs are struggling. One possible solution, integrating the system.

[Deborah Coleman]

Now, the state gave a directive to all of the local child care and development planning councils to figure out how to integrate our existing early care and education system that exists over here outside the school district with our new system with transitional kindergarten. We call that universal pre kindergarten. So that's our goal, to integrate at least services for our three and four year old children. Now, that is a challenge because they operate very differently. They don't know each other. In fact, as we began to unpeel this work and pull back the layers, we realized that these two systems do not talk and they don't have relationships. And so we decided as the convener in this role, that we would bring folks together to have a meal, get to know each other because our goal is to build a bridge between those two systems. We have a lot of children and a lot of need, and we need to weave together our resources into a bridge for all children.

[Gloria Rivera]

TK is just one of the issues Debra is hearing about from providers and parents of toddlers and infants. I asked her to run through some of the other concerns she hears in her role. Spoiler these are not unique to la.

[Deborah Coleman]

It's confusing. I don't know where to go. Childcare is expensive. They ask. Is a program at an elementary school better than a program at a family child care home? How do I find a place that has a space for me? These are all of the things that I hear from families. From our early educators, I hear that, you know, they are taking money out of their pocket to buy supplies. They make very, very low wages. The average preschool teacher only makes $16.90 an hour, compared to a kindergarten teacher that makes about $40. So we have a workforce where almost half of them are on some kind of public assistance. Many of them are very passionate about this work. They love the work they do. The questions I try to manage every day is how do we create a system where every family has access to affordable, quality early care and education? How do we ensure we have a workforce of early educators that are well compensated and well qualified? We want both. And it's one of those jobs I hope by the time I retire I can work myself out of.

[Gloria Rivera]

Amen. I hope you do. When we come back, we'll hear from another leader on a mission to bring affordable, quality childcare to LA families with a focus on celebrating cultural and language connections.

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[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

Like so many places across the country, government funding hasn't met the needs of diverse families. As Deborah shared earlier, that's led to poverty wages for the workforce and limited options for parents. When I sat down with Vicki Ramos Harris, she echoed these concerns. As the Vice President of Policy and Programs for Catalyst California and a mom herself, she knows just how much this fractured system deepens existing inequalities.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

In la, In LA county, one out of three children under the age of six have access to childcare.

[Gloria Rivera]

Let's just stop right there. So in LA county, one in three children under the age of six have access to any childcare. That's not just quality, accessible, affordable childcare, that's just childcare. Period.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

That's just under the age of six. Then when you talk about children birth to age three, 86% of our babies are eligible for subsidized childcare and only one out of seven actually have access. We have a way bigger gap for our babies and toddlers. The stress that it puts on families to figure out how to care for their children, that's one of the huge inequities. We have a lot of kids on the wait list.

[Gloria Rivera]

That data is unacceptable. I mean, it's just unacceptable in the state of California and I'm sure it's reflected nationwide. And you know who is often hit the hardest? Families of color in la, Black and Latinx children have the greatest need for subsidized childcare and the lack of it only deepens existing inequalities. With so many toddlers and infants on waiting lists, Louisiana is still a long way from meeting families needs. Governor Gavin Newsom is committed to increasing childcare slots, but that expansion has been delayed for years. In my conversation with Vicki, we get into these issues and what a better system could look like. But before that, I just wanted to get to know her on a personal level, because this work is personal for her. I would love to know a little bit about you on a more personal level. And I read that you're a mom to a toddler.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

I am. Yes.

[Gloria Rivera]

So congratulations for looking like you got up and got dressed and you're at work. What, if anything, would you say that you triaged in your head when you woke up this morning? I remember when my babies were little, I would often wake up and the to do list. I'd be, like, halfway through the to do list before I even opened my eyes. Were you triaging anything in your head this morning when you woke up?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

So my daughter Nayeli is four, and she just started transitional kindergarten last week, and she's in a bilingual program. And so we've just been really excited that she's excited about learning Spanish. And so this morning, she woke up with a smile and full of hugs. And so I thought, okay, we did our job last night. We got her to bed on time. She's a happy baby.

[Gloria Rivera]

That is so sweet. Transitional kindergarten sounds like a really nice structure to have, and I know it's a big deal in the state of California. As somebody with an absolute ton of advocacy experience in this space, what has your experience as a mom been like yourself?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

That's a really interesting question, because all along the way, each stage, I keep going through my experiences and thinking, when it's easy, I think, what made it easy? And did that have anything to do with the resources I have or the supports that I have? And when it's hard, I think, wow. And I know how to advocate. I know how to stand up for myself. So if it's this hard for me, how much harder is it for other families? So, again, at every step, I'm always thinking about if it's joyful. Can all kids have that? Right? And so especially when moments are really high or really low, as an advocate, I think about the systems and what makes that possible or what makes that hard. From the doctors to getting food and how important. Stability of housing and having a job and even childcare. Knowing that, okay, I feel good leaving my baby where I've chosen to take her. I can focus on the rest of my life because I know she's in good hands. So what does quality mean to me? It changes as a parent. Right. Like, the conversations in policy about professional development and all these things. But how do we feel as a family? How does my baby feel? Does she come home with a smile on her face? Does she want to go back? So every day when she went to her Montessori school the first, I kid you not like six months, every day that we drove up, she says, that's my preschool. And I just gave me so much joy because I knew that they loved her and I knew she loved them. And so when we talk about quality and what we want for childcare, we need our families to feel that they are thriving, that they are comfortable, that they can feel peace of mind when they leave their child, their most precious, precious thing in their life, and hand that over to another person.

[Gloria Rivera]

You're not saying anything that shocks me, but you're saying things that I think we all need to hear out loud again and again and again. I love that you said, when it's joyful and you're thinking, can all kids have that right? Like, is that accessible to everyone? And you also said, when it's easy, what made it easy? I like that sentence. In the context of accessibility, I'd love to learn more about Catalyst California's advocacy work specifically around dual language learners. So can you break down for me why it is so important to focus on that in LA specifically, and what are the downsides of missing that opportunity?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

So in terms of dual language learners, right, why does it matter so much in la? Well, California is really uniquely positioned in the nation to lead on dual language learner education because we have the largest population of dual language learners or multi language learners in the country, and LA has the largest population of these children in the state. So in effect, we are home to the largest population of dual language learners. That means that every early childhood provider will serve dual language learners, and to know how to support their home language is really critical. So when we think about quality, often we say, oh, well, this is what we do for all kids. And then for these kids, dual language learners, we do these other things. And so in our advocacy work, we're saying in California and LA in particular, defining and supporting quality and professional development really needs to include that in the center, not as we do this thing on the side. We have been advocating for more of that support for professional development and training and having that reflected in policy. We've helped LA Unified build a dual language learner pilot because we have a lot of bilingual programs in the K12 system. But when you look at the cross section of early childhood, that's when they're learning. Learning language. So in the earliest years. And so why are we waiting till later to start them when we can do so much more in the earliest years?

[Gloria Rivera]

Vicki, when I hear you say that, you know, dual language learner focus is something that is done on the side, I'm astounded to hear that, because it should be at the center in a state like California. I think particularly what I've heard from people who speak two languages and have grown up educated in two languages is that when they don't have support at an early age, they then feel singled out. Right. When they get to first grade or second grade or third grade. So to be able to enter those older classroom years fully fluent and comfortable in both languages, that's a gift that needs to be given to those students.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

Absolutely. So we've spent a lot of time stripping families of their home language. And then in high school, we say, oh, and learn. Take a foreign language. So that's kind of crazy. So in California. Right. It was in the 1990s that California passed a ballot initiative that really limited bilingual education in California. And so it wasn't until 2016 that the voters were able to undo that harm. Right. And so that was like 20 years of this idea of English only and that kind of thing in between. We've had tremendous research that shows that children are capable of learning two or more languages. That home language provides a really solid foundation for English and overall academic success. So making sure they develop their home language is really critical. And it's critical for, yes, the academic path, but it's also critical for family connections. I remember being at a farmer's market in east la, and I was talking to my daughter, who was one at the time, in Spanish, and the mother said to me, in Spanish, keep talking to her in Spanish. My daughter is in fifth grade, and we can't talk to each other anymore. She doesn't understand me. I don't understand her, and I don't know how to help her. And it just really broke my heart. But I've heard that story so many times.

[Gloria Rivera]

You know, I was someone who grew up in a home with a fluent Spanish speaker. My grandfather came from Mexico, and I didn't learn the language in my home. And so guess what? What I took when I got to college. Spanish. I mean, ridiculous. And so I feel like I also have heard many stories about parents who don't feel like they can talk to their children's educators because there's this disconnect. So have you seen any success stories? Are There any stories that you keep close to your heart of what it can look like when it's done well?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

So this is a story of my friend Karina was trying to teach her daughter Spanish. It was a little bit different, but she was rejecting it because, you know, kids know English is the power language in this country. Radio, tv, everything around them is in English. And so she was trying to teach her daughter Spanish and she understood a lot, but she didn't want to speak over time, even with her grandmother. And she put her in a preschool dual language program. And within a couple days, she came home just speaking all kinds of Spanish. There was a pride that she had and there was such relief in that family of we are going to be able to pass on our home language to her. So having the opportunity to see her teachers validate that that was an important language that they were teaching. They were having fun singing all these things like it mattered. It wasn't just that the family was trying to give that, but that the system was giving that to her. And that's when she really started to thrive. The more we embrace it and the more we build it in systemically, the pride that kids will have is part of the who they are, their culture, identity that they can really lean into. And there's so much that we can support them in that systemically. I think we're making important strides in California to do that. And so I'm really hopeful that will continue.

[Gloria Rivera]

Yeah, I hope so, too. And you're reminding me. I used to smile with my grandfather who would say, you know, I didn't teach you Spanish because I was in America. He was an immigrant. And, you know, in America you speak English. And I said, no, in America you speak many languages.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

That's right.

[Gloria Rivera]

We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, Vicki shares strategies to increase access plus her call to action for leaders at the federal, state, and local levels.

[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

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[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

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[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

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[Unknown]

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[Gloria Rivera]

Would love to hear about some local advocacy opportunities. Can you share with me now what your focus is when it comes to local advocacy and any champions of that work that stand out to you?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

So I'll start state, but this absolutely impacts la. I'm excited that we're building what we call a whole child equity tool in California. It's a way to help us target, understand where do we have highest need communities? Where do we have communities have been historic, underinvestment and just really are not getting the support they need systemically and for a long time. How do we identify and then once we know what that looks like, how do we then target resources so that we can increase access to childcare, that we can help providers open up more programs and things like that? This is a statewide equity tool that we're building. And as part of this conversation, we're also having a conversation around what is equity in early childhood in California mean? LA has the largest population of children in the state. And so this is an important conversation not just for California, but for Los Angeles. And so we've made sure that families and providers are a part of this conversation, including some from Los Angeles. And as we get this tool, it should be built at the end of next year. How we can bring that to look at how we support young children in la? What often we'll do is we'll say as a state, there's this money for slots. Well, the money for slots does me no good if there is no facilities in my community. So how do we help more childcare providers open up programs in their homes and things like that? Can we think about other strategies to increase access? So I'm excited that this tool will go a long way for what we can do at the local level.

[Gloria Rivera]

In getting ready for this interview, I read that the county currently has five female board of Supervisors, which is incredible. And that's never happened since the inception. So it is high time, and it seems to me like an opportunity for more dedicated local funding resources for families, including childcare. I love that. LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell attended a meeting and she witnessed three male lawmakers, one could argue, unceremoniously, cut a billion dollars from childcare in the state of California. Do I have that right?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

Yes. In terms of the cut, this was really, if I get it right, this was during the recession. And actually early childhood took a much bigger cut than any other field, and yet it's one of the most underfunded. We've been trying to recover from that ever since. In terms of LA county, it's amazing to have these fabulous women leaders in those positions. I think certainly Supervisor Holly Mitchell continues to be a strong champion for early childhood and so many others on the board. In terms of an LA solution, there's been talk for years about can we have a local ballot initiative like San Francisco or other counties that have done that? It's a goal we still have, but that alone is not going to be enough. We really need a federal, state, local solution. So those are the kinds of conversations that we are trying to advocate for. Right. Is there's a big conversation right now around rate reform, which means what is the actual cost of care? It includes salaries, it includes diapers, it includes children, it includes family engagement, all that stuff. LA has done its own analysis as well. Louisiana plays a really big role in what that looks like. And in California, what gets designed really needs to work for la.

[Gloria Rivera]

These conversations Vicki is talking about are so vital to improving the child care system, like she mentioned, that could look like getting more funding through a local ballot initiative. It could also mean pushing for rate reform to better reimburse its child care workers. There are currently two rate reform bills before California's legislature that would make care more affordable for families and more sustainable for workers. If you could wave a magic wand, like when you're looking at your daughter and you're thinking about her four years and you're thinking about all the benefits she received, but what it might be like for her in a more perfect world in the United States, and there was one thing you could change, what would it be?

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

Only one. I have so many things I want to do with this one.

[Gloria Rivera]

Okay, I'll give you number one, and then you can have two and three after that.

[Vicki Ramos Harris]

When the pandemic hit, everyone said, well, the essential workers. We need the essential workers. And one of the first things we did is we made sure that they had childcare. There was a clarity that we had as a state that said we need to fund our childcare workforce so they can go and support our community. And then I think about that and I think about my daughter, as you said, like, what is it that she needs and how do I give her everything she needs and how do I have the support where I can leave her in a childcare program and have no worries? And every family deserves that. So when I think about the magic wand, I think about the clarity we have during the pandemic of how important child care was, I would love that clarity to be at the forefront of the minds of our leaders at the federal, state and local levels. Because when we have that clarity, we reflect those priorities in our budgets and in our policies. My wand would make that crystal clear so that we can start having the solutions that are really actionable, so that that we have the resource that we need and children can have. What I've been so blessed to be able to give to my daughter, find really good childcare opportunities, because with that, we would then have permanent funding streams at all three levels. Right? We wouldn't be trying to fight and prove over and over again what the research shows. It would just be truth and we would just do it. And so that's what we're fighting for. That's why we uplift the research and back the story and really try to uplift what is possible and how we can do that at the local level in la, how we can do that in California, and how we can work to achieve this for our babies.

[Gloria Rivera]

I'm so glad we have two forces on the ground in la chipping away at the child care crisis bit by bit. Their goal is a more unified and accessible system, one that fosters the diversity of culture and language for LA's infants and toddlers. And even amid the tumult of TK and rising costs, gives providers the support they need. It's an ambitious goal, but I know there is a better way forward, and that is a California dream I can get behind. There's more. No One Is Coming to Save Us with Lemonada Premium, so subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like unheard clips from our interviews. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts. No One Is Coming to Save Us is a Lemonada original produced with Neighborhood Villages. I'm your host, Gloria Rivera. Muna Danish is our senior producer. Lisa Fu and Hannah Boomershein are our producers. Bobby Woody is our audio engineer. Our main music is by Hannis Brown, Jackie DanZiger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Stephanie Whittles Wax and Jessica Cordova Kramer, along with me, Gloria Rivera. This series is presented by Imaginable Futures, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott foundation, the Baynham Family foundation, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. If you like the show and you and you believe what we're doing is important, please help others find us by leaving us a rating and writing a review. And most importantly, tell your friends. Follow no one is coming to save us. Wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. Thanks for listening and we'll be back next week. Until then, hang in there. You can do this. This episode is presented by the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund at the California Community foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

[Unknown]

It's Teacher Appreciation Week, so join Teach for America, a group of change makers working toward educational excellence for all kids, and Ripple, a tech company creating greater economic opportunity through transformative crypto and blockchain enterprise solutions. In celebrating teachers for the little things they do that create possibilities that go far beyond the classroom, you can celebrate your favorite teachers with a gift that helps them create their biggest ripple effect for America's kids. Give [e-mail] ripple and ripple will partner to match your gift.

[Gloria Rivera]

Hey, I'm Reshma Sajani, founder of Girls who Code and Moms First. I consider myself a pretty successful adult woman, so why is it that in midlife as I'm about to turn 50, I feel so stuck? Join me as I try to find the answer on my so called Midlife from Lemonada Media. I talk to experts and extraordinary guests about divorce, exercise, menopause, sex, drugs and more to understand what we're going through and how to make the most of it. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.