TWO
TWO POINT
TWO POINT FIVE DOLLARS BILLION CLEARED FOR BY LAWMAKERS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES EARLIER THIS
YEAR RISING CHILD CARE COSTS
ARE TAKING AN EVEN BIGGER TOLL
ON SOME WORKING MOMS. THEY ARE
BEING FORCED TO GIVE UP THEIR
CAREERS NEWS8 LEMOR ABRAMS
SHOWS US HOW PARENTS ARE COPING
AND HOW LAWMAKERS ARE TAKING
ACTION. WORKING WOMEN ALREADY
FACE SO MUCH PRESSURE TO
BALANCE BOTH WORK AND HOME
LIFE. HERE'S PROOF THROW IN
COVID-19 AND FOR MANY LIKE
MYSELF NEW BABIES AND YOU'VE
GOT YOURSELF ONE EXPENSIVE
RECIPE BUT IT'S NOW COSTING
SOME WOMEN THEIR CAREERS.
JUDITH MILLER LOVES BEING A
STAY AT HOME MOM TO HER THREE
YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HERE BUT
OFTEN FINDS HERSELF SEARCHING
FOR WORK THAT'LL PAY ENOUGH TO
COVER THE COST OF PRESCHOOL. I
MISS WORKING AT THE SAME TIME
I'M STILL ADJUSTING. IT WAS
JUST BEFORE THE PANDMIC WHEN
JUDITH MOVED TO SAN DIEGO FROM
THE PHILIPPINES FOR HER
HUSBAND'S JOB. SHE PLANNED TO
GET RIGHT BACK INTO HER
MARKETING CAREER WHEN SHE
LEARNED WHAT IT WOULD COST TO
CYNTHIA TO DAYCARE. THE ONE
FOODERY HERE IS LIKE THE ANNUAL
FEE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
CALIFORNIA ALREADY RANKS THE
THIRD LEAST AFFORDABLE STATE IN
THE NATION FOR CHILD CARE.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR
IS WHAT IT COSTS ON AVERAGE TO
SEND AN INFANT TO A LICENSED
CHILD CARE CENTER THAT'S
EQUIVALENT TO A COLLEGE
TUITION. NOW AT COVID-19 TO THE
EQUATION, A LOT OF DIRECTORS
AND OWNERS SAID THIS ISN'T
WORTH IT ANYMORE. IT'S TOO HARD
IN JUST OVER A YEAR SINCE THE
START OF THE PANDEMIC, AT LEAST
EIGHTY FIVE HUNDRED CHILD CARE
CENTERS HAVE PERMANENTLY CLOSED
ACROSS THE STATE. NOT ONLY ARE
SPOTS NOW LIMITED TUITION
ENOUGH TO COVER COVID RELATED
EXPENSES NATIONWIDE, THE COST
OF CENTER BASED CHILD CARE HAS
SPIKED 41 PERCENT DURING THE
PANDMIC STANDING DEMAND FOR
IN-HOME CARE THROUGH THE ROOF
AND THERE IS SUCH A SHORTAGE
OF CARE PROVIDERS. STACEY
STILLMAN IS THE CEO AND FOUNDER
OF KRUNCH CARE, A NATIONAL
NANNY STAFFING COMPANY BASED IN
SAN DIEGO. SHE SAYS A NANNY IS
THIRTY FIVE PERCENT MORE
EXPENSIVE NOW COMPARED TO PRE
PANDMIC LEVELS. IT'S OUTRAGEOUS
HOW KIND OF WORKING PARENT PAY
FORTY DOLLARS AN HOUR FOR A
NANNY. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM,
SHE SAYS MANY CAREGIVERS ARE
STILL RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS AREN'T RETURNING TO
WORK MAKING IT THAT MUCH HARDER
FOR WORKING MOMS TO GO BACK.
THE LATEST REPORTS SHOW 42
PERCENT OF WOMEN WITH CHILDREN
UNDER TWO HAVE LEFT IN THE LAST
YEAR. A QUARTER OF WHICH DID SO
BECAUSE OF CAREGIVING
RESPONSIBILITIES DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC. AND WE'RE SEEING MOMS
THAT HAVE UNBELIEVABLE CAREERS
WHO'VE MADE SUCH ADVANCEMENT TO
WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE HAVE TO
LEAVE. ARE YOU WEARING THE
CUTEST LITTLE OUTFIT? IT WAS AN
ISSUE THAT HIT CLOSE TO HOME
AFTER I HAD MY SECOND FOR ME IT
MADE A LOT MORE SENSE TO REDUCE
MY WORK HOURS SO I'M NOT
SPENDING HAD TO PAY FOR SOMEONE
ELSE TO WATCH MY BABY
FORTUNATELY FOR FAMILIES ACROSS
ALL INCOME LEVELS, LAWMAKERS UP
IN SACRAMENTO SAY THERE
COULDN'T BE A BETTER TIME TO
OVERHAUL THE SYSTEM. IT UPENDED
THE SYSTEM THAT EXISTS AT THE
HEART OF THE CRISIS. CALIFORNIA
ASSEMBLYWOMAN BUFFY WICKS MADE
A VIRAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE
STRUGGLE. I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE
MIDDLE OF FEEDING MY DAUGHTER
WHEN THIS BILL CAME UP SHOWING
UP TO THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR WITH A
WEEKS OLD BABY IN HER ARMS
PUSHING FOR AMONG OTHER THINGS
CHILD CARE REFORM SHE HAD
REQUESTED A VOTE FOR THE
UPCOMING BILLS REMOTELY. IT WAS
DECLINED BECAUSE MATERNITY
LEAVE DOESN'T QUALIFY. I HAD NO
IDEA THAT IT WOULD TURN INTO
THIS BIG THING. THE EXPERIENCE
RESONATED WITH SO MANY MOMS IT
INSPIRED NEW LEGISLATION AIMING
TO GIVE PARENTS MORE
FLEXIBILITY WHEN THE UNEXPECTED
COMES UP. YOU ARE LITERALLY
LIVING MY DREAM. YOU ARE ABLE
TO DO THIS JOB FROM YOUR HOME
WITH YOUR BABY ON YOUR LAP, YOU
KNOW, AND IT STILL MEANS YOU
PRODUCE A GOOD PRODUCT AND GOOD
CONTENT AND YOU ARE GOOD AT
YOUR JOB AND YOU CAN DO IT BUT
YOU JUST REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT
OF FLEXIBILITY RIGHT NOW.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS IS
JUST ONE APPROACH. THE STATE
LEGISLATURE IS WORKING ON
INCREASING FUNDING FOR EARLY
CHILD CARE SLOTS AS WELL AS
UNIVERSAL TEEKAY THEY WERE
COUNTING ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S
RELIEF BILL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THE GOLDEN STATE STANDS TO
RECEIVE CLOSE TO FOUR BILLION
DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AID TO HELP
LOW INCOME FAMILIES PAY FOR
CHILD CARE. I THINK THE
MOMENTUM IS ON OUR SIDE. MARY
IGNATIUS IS AN ADVOCATE AT
PARENT VOICES. THE NONPROFIT
HELPS WORKING PARENTS ACROSS
THE STATE APPLYING FOR
SUBSIDIZED CARE A PROCESS FULL
OF RED TAPE. THIS IS A
BIPARTISAN ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE ARGUMENT IS AGAINST
INCREASING AND INVESTING IN THE
CHILD CARE SYSTEM AND AS RELIEF
MEASURES WORK, THEIR WAY
THROUGH THE SYSTEM. JUDITH IS
HOLDING OFF ON WORK FOR A
WHILE. I'LL BE PROBABLY WORKING
AFTERWARDS IF EVER MY SECOND
WOULD BE HER AGE OR TO REFOCUS
HER ENERGY ON BABY NUMBER TWO,
YOU JUST HAVE TO REALLY ENJOY
AND EXPERIENCE MOTHERHOOD AND
WHILE IT IS SUCH A GIFT TO GET
TO STAY HOME, EXPERTS SAY
WORKING WOMEN ARE THE BACKBONE
OF OUR ECONOMY AND GETTING MORE
BACK TO WORK WILL HELP IT
RECOVER SUCH HUGE CHALLENGES
FOR PARENTS. SAN DIEGO IS
ALREADY INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ON
MANY LEVELS TO LIVE. YOU ADD
THAT AND IT CAN BE A BACK
BREAKER. THERE IS SO MUCH TO
JUGGLE AS A WORKING MOM I KNOW
I'VE LIVED IT WITH A COUPLE
OF KIDS AND IT'S NICE THAT
THERE'S REFORM AND LEGISLATION
TAKING PLACE TO MAKE IT A
LITTLE EASIER SO WOMEN DON'T
HAVE TO MAKE THAT CHOICE