More than half of all coronavirus outbreaks reported at child care and early education programs in Los Angeles County since the pandemic began have stemmed from the recent record surge in COVID-19 cases.
There are 22 open investigations into sites with three or more cases in staff and children. Since June, 40 outbreaks have been recorded. I want to give a lot of credit to all of our providers, or our childcare providers, they ve done an amazing job, said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer at a media briefing last week. For many, many months, taking care of small children, young children and using a lot of safety and there have been very, very few cases.
Today
Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 21F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..
Tonight
Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 21F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Updated: April 1, 2021 @ 9:39 pm
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High-stakes negotiations underway in Washington, D.C., over a new round of pandemic relief funding could help California to achieve a relatively quick recovery or, if they fail, contribute to an economic slump that lasts for years, UC Berkeley scholars say.
In a series of interviews, experts said a new COVID-19 relief package could provide critical aid to vulnerable groups as the pandemic renews its devastating surge. Millions of unemployed workers are slated to lose their benefits on the day after Christmas, and hundreds of thousands of renters could face eviction in the new year. Hard-hit small businesses, child care centers, local governments and universities also face historic financial threats.
California’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care may seem at first glance like an overly forward-looking plan in this time of urgent need. But the plan is a template for a better life, not only for our youngest children, whose futures hinge on their access to quality early learning and care, but for women working mothers and the early childhood workforce, almost all women, disproportionately women of color.
The plan was unfurled during a tidal wave of Covid-19, when looming shelter-in-place orders threaten to shut down even more of the already devastated child care system and force even more women who continue to shoulder the brunt of child care to leave the workforce to care for their children.
Child care’s long-standing strains brought to light in Covid era
Experts say pandemic relief is a start to addressing gaps, not a solution
December 15, 2020
Roberta Royce has always thought of the childcare industry as resilient.
When the novel coronavirus upended businesses, schools and social systems this year, she was hopeful The Winchester Learning Center, where she serves as executive director, would find a way to keep providing care throughout the crisis.
But the challenges were significant, from the high cost of personal protective equipment for employees to a decline in enrollment as some parents opted for family care over group settings.