As part of KQED’s #affordability series, l report on how rising #childcare prices are forcing #bayarea parents to make painful tradeoffs. They’re walking away from careers, but not entirely leaving the workforce. Instead, they’re working gig jobs to afford part-time care. www.kqed.org/news/12075761

When Child Care Costs Half a Paycheck, Bay Area Parents Must Choose: Kids or Career | KQED

Rising child care prices leave many Bay Area parents with little choice, but to turn down career opportunities, cut back hours, quit or come up with creative solutions.

kqed.org

A must read on the shattering impact of #ICE enforcement on Minneapolis kids. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...

What the Crackdown Has Done to Minneapolis Children

nytimes.com

RIP Betty Reid Soskin, oldest National Park Service ranger, and American hero. Here’s an obituary I helped prepare when I worked at the Associated Press:

Betty Reid Soskin, oldest National Park Service ranger, dies at 104

Betty Reid Soskin, who used her fame as the oldest National Park Service ranger to raise awareness about often-overlooked and untold stories, has died. She was 104.

apnews.com

A new survey from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood found that 3 out of 4 families with young kids can’t cover at least one basic need, whether it’s utilities, food, housing, child care or health care. When parents experience material hardship, it has a ripple effect on kids’ development.

New Stanford Survey Finds 3 out of 4 Families with Young Kids Can't Cover At Least One Basic Need - KQED

Food is not the only thing becoming too expensive for many California families. A new survey from The Stanford Center on Early Childhood found that 3 out of 4 families with young kids can’t cover at l...

omny.fm

When October rolls around, child care centers in San Francisco’s Tenderloin usually take kids to a pumkin patch mikes away. For the first time, this week on Wednesday, the pumpkin patch came to them. www.kqed.org/news/12062406

A Pumpkin Patch Brings Joy to Kids in San Francisco’s Tenderloin Neighborhood | KQED

When October rolls around, child care centers in the Tenderloin usually take young kids miles away to visit a pumpkin patch. This year, the pumpkin patch came to them.

kqed.org

#bayarea parents told a KQED survey how much they pay monthly for child care, and the numbers are eye-popping. Across the board they told us high #childcare costs are affecting their career and family-planning choices. Thanks for sharing your compelling stories. www.kqed.org/news/12061802

How Are Child Care Costs Affecting the Lives of Bay Area Families? You Told Us | KQED

The high cost of childcare in the Bay Area is pushing families to make tough choices about jobs, homes and whether to have more kids.

kqed.org

California has lost almost 30% of licensed in-home daycares since the 2008 housing market collapse. A state law forbidding housing discrimination against family child care providers was meant to increase the child care supply. But an official says there’s no doubt this is still happening.

California Landlord Accused of Evicting Child Care Provider Settles Discrimination Complaint | KQED

The settlement is one of the first arising from a state law meant to deter landlords from discriminating against in-home child care providers.

kqed.org

#bayarea families spend a significant chunk of their income on #childcare, and the financial strain can lead them to make tough choices to make the math work. Tell us: how have #childcarecosts affected your family? Have you found an arrangement that works for you? Any advice for first-time parents?

Tell Us: How Much Do You Pay for Child Care in the Bay Area? | KQED

We want to hear your story. How do child care costs impact your family, your daily life and your spending decisions?

kqed.org

Child care costs in the Bay Area are among the highest in the US. Alameda is the latest county to use funds from a dedicated tax to increase the availability of child care. Their success has a spillover effect to neighboring counties looking to make child care more affordable.

Alameda County Is Giving Cash to Child Care Providers. Other Bay Area Counties Are Envious | KQED

In the Bay Area, where child care costs are among the highest in the nation, counties are seeking local funding solutions to support caregivers and the families who rely on them.

kqed.org

And here’s San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie reading “Llama Llama Red Pajama.”

San Francisco kids under 5 years old can get a free book mailed to them every month under a new partnership between the city and county, and the @realdollyparton.bsky.social Imagination Library. Sign up at the library or online. #earlychildhood #literacy

KQED News@kqednews.kqed.org · 12mo ago

Last year, I wrote about an attempt to block the development of a child care center in a Napa neighborhood. Opponents of the plan sued under California’s environmental review law (CEQA), delaying the project for a year.

Lawsuit From Napa Neighbors Could Block Much-Needed Child Care Expansion | KQED

Napa County has just one day care spot for every ten babies who need it. The shortage is putting pressure on working parents who help drive the local economy.

kqed.org

The Santa Clara County Office of Education cited federal funding uncertainties as the reason for issuing layoff notices. Its Head Start staffers were ready to clean out desks and collect their last paychecks today when news came that funding came through at the 11th hour.

KQED News@kqednews.kqed.org · last yr.

The Trump administration didn’t eliminate Head Start funding as feared, but job cuts are having real impacts on a local program in the California town of Hollister, where parents and teachers are going into summer break not knowing if they’ll have a classroom to return to. www.kqed.org/news/12044082

Layoff Threats Weigh on Head Start Teachers and Parents in Hollister | KQED

With funding running out on June 30 and no word on a new grant, parents and staff at a Head Start center in Hollister don’t know if they’ll have a classroom or job to return to in the fall.

kqed.org

Congress now has 45 days to pass by a simple majority, or let expire a White House proposal to claw back $1B in already-approved funding for public media. The cuts would hit smaller, rural PBS and NPR member stations the hardest. They rely on federal funding for larger portions of their budgets.

Trump formally asks Congress to claw back approved spending targeted by DOGE

The White House has officially asked Congress to claw back $9.4 billion in already approved spending.

apnews.com

On the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, @kqednews is focusing on the Vietnamese disapora. It’s honor to tell one family’s remarkable story of courage, sacrifice and resilience, and the memorable meal they shared after reuniting at a refugee camp. www.kqed.org/news/12037893

For One Vietnamese Family, This Soup Offers Comfort on the Fall of Saigon Anniversary | KQED

Cooking miến gà, the comforting Vietnamese soup, in their California kitchen, they reflect on what they lost to the war and what they gained by fleeing to the United States.

kqed.org

Head Start, an early childhood education program for low income families, is on the chopping block. Growing up, my own mom was an aide with the program; it’s helped countless young mothers, including the one who tells her story here. www.kqed.org/news/1203596...

For 60 years, Head Start has provided care, a preschool education and support to America’s poorest families. The federal program has never been more in danger of being eliminated. My interview with a laid-off worker whose life was changed by Head Start. www.kqed.org/news/12035966

‘I Know the Power of Head Start’: Laid-Off Worker Fears for the Program’s Future | KQED

Head Start programs worry that the closure of a federal office in San Francisco could create delays in getting funding requests approved — and weaken their support system.

kqed.org

The early education ecosystem is fragile and any additional costs brought on by a disaster like the LA fires can further destabilize it. As child care providers figure out next steps, some of them are looking to Santa Rosa for lessons of recovery from the 2017 Tubbs Fire.

From Sonoma to Los Angeles, Wildfires Hit Child Care Industry Hard | KQED

Nearly 300 child care facilities remain closed a month after the wildfires swept through Los Angeles County, upending tens of thousands of lives. Early educators there are looking to Sonoma County for...

kqed.org

California is contending with a child care shortage, and you’d think the state is doing everything it can to increase options for families. But a bureaucratic entanglement is causing child care centers to turn away or delay enrolling thousands of infants and toddlers. www.kqed.org/news/12017819

'Huge Lack of Communication': How a Building Code Update Disrupted Child Care Centers in California | KQED

A change in California’s fire regulations is setting some child care centers back, delaying their plans to open classrooms and enroll thousands of infants and toddlers.

kqed.org

In response to Trump’s threats of mass deportations, a California lawmaker wants to make schools and child care centers safe havens from ICE raids. State leaders worry the fear of being deported or separated from a parent may affect students’ ability to learn.

California Bill Would Protect Schools, Child Care Centers From Immigration Raids | KQED

California lawmaker says President-elect Trump’s pledge to deport undocumented immigrants has created fear for students and families.

kqed.org

Hello, and thank you for following my account! Local journalism is valuable, and here I’ll tell you what’s happening in early childhood education across the Bay Area and California.