The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday voted to have two city departments draft a report on funding for a potential universal child care system in Los Angeles.
The motion, which was introduced by Council President Nury Martinez and Councilwomen Monica Rodriguez and Nithya Raman, states that “Strong universal child care is a foundational element of economic mobility and opportunity. One in three families spend over 20 percent of their income on child care, and the cost has outpaced most in-state college tuition.
“Women, especially, have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced to withdraw from the workforce in record numbers, they will be unable to rejoin the workforce or will be slower to do so if the cost of child care remains a barrier to employment outside of the home,” it continues.
The motion directed the Housing and Community Investment Department and the chief legislative analyst to report on potential state funding for child care. It also calls on the departments to ensure the plan provides equitable access to child care for communities of color.
The motion’s approval came on the same day President Joe Biden called for a $1.8 trillion plan to fund child care and other family programs across the United States.
“The pandemic has shown inequalities in our communities that we must address during the economic recovery,” Rodriguez said in a statement after the motion passed.
“Universal child care is an important tool for recovery as it allows women to return to the workforce to support their families. I want to thank President Biden for his commitment to close that gap, and here in the city of Los Angeles we must have departments prepared to assure those resources are distributed equitably,” she added.
Rodriguez’s office notes that the motion will prepare the city to be able to use state and federal resources for child care once funds are available.