Families and providers describe child care pressures

Helen Zamora-Bustos and her family pay $2,500 a month for child care for each of their three children. Their monthly bill is $7,500. She told lawmakers the cost leaves little for other necessities. Parents, providers, and lawmakers rallied at the State House for more state funding.

Dillon said nearly two dozen families on the center’s waiting list were left without subsidies. Assemblywoman Shanique Speight organized the hearing around falling enrollment, staffing shortages, and rising operating costs. Dillon said nearly two dozen families on the center’s waiting list were left without subsidies, and a third of the mothers left the workforce. Dillon said nearly two dozen families on one center's waiting list lost subsidies.

Providers struggle to retain qualified workers amid rising operating expenses. Lead teachers who have master’s degrees in early childhood education earn $44,000. Wong said experienced teachers have left for better-paying jobs outside early childhood education. Advocates called for $35 million more in state assistance as legislators debated budget priorities.