Childcare and COVID-19 in Los Angeles County: An Urgent Need for our Healthcare Workforce

About

The urgent need for emergency childcare among our healthcare and crisis response workforce has been identified as a high priority by Los Angeles County health leadership and emergency response leadership alike.

In response to this critical need, a cadre of dedicated partners—including but not limited to the LA County Department of Public Health’s Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, First 5 LA, the Department of Health Services, Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, the Center for Strategic Partnerships and City of Los Angeles—has been working to align Countywide efforts and resources, maximizing the leveraging of existing funding streams and infrastructure to meet these crucial workforce needs in a timely, safe and responsible manner.

In record time, this effort has yielded three important actions: (1) the creation of a hotline for the essential workforce that provides enhanced child care connection, (2) a process for vetting and supporting new “pop up” emergency/hospital childcare sites so that they may be healthily integrated into the pool of options available to parents, and (3) a set of subsidized care options for low-income essential workers.

This important work is just beginning. Please join Wendy Garen from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Michael Olenick from Childcare Resource Center (CCRC), and Debra Colman from LA County Department of Public Health to learn about this effort and opportunities for partnership.

Moderator
Wendy Garen, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Speakers

• Michael Olenick, Childcare Resource Center (CCRC)
• Debra Colman, Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education - LA County Dept of Public Health
• Keesha Woods, Los Angeles County Office of Education
• Rochelle Alley, Center for Strategic Partnerships