Supervisors host town hall for child care

“Having a newborn and you have to go to work, you’re really entrusting your child to someone who could be a full stranger. You want to have peace of mind when they’re out of your sight,” Gauthier said.

The cost of child care for one infant in the county, which can reach above $30,000 a year, places extreme pressure on household budgets, the supervisors said.

According to a study commissioned by the Jackie Speier Foundation, 80% of families in the county say child care issues affect their work, 60% cut back hours because of it, and 40% leave the workforce because they can’t afford it.

At the town hall, residents shared the need for not only affordable child care but providers that offer flexible hours of care. A union member who attended with his pregnant wife shared that he needed options that offer care that starts earlier or ends later than typical work hours.

Palcare, which offers one of the largest infant care programs in the county, is the only provider providing flexible schedules for families with extended hours, Speier said. The facility, located in Burlingame, offers care from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

“Part of it is not just having a place families can go but about getting the word out,” Speier said.

Speier said her ultimate goal is to establish universal child care in San Mateo County.

“That’s aspirational, but you can start identifying sources of money,” Speier said.

Speier was looking to push forward a half-cent sales tax on an upcoming ballot that could generate $120 million a year for child care services but is postponing the effort because of other competing tax measures.

Speier noted the success of Michigan’s tri-share program that gets employers, employees and the state to contribute to a fund dedicated to covering child care costs.

The town hall is the first of three Speier and Gauthier will host. The second will be located in East Palo Alto, within Gauthier’s district, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27. Parents and child care providers can go to 1950 Bay Road to attend.

The third has yet to be scheduled, but Gauthier noted the need to make sure input from coastal residents is factored in.

“We should really consider listening on the coast,” Gauthier said. “Oftentimes, we expect the coast to come to us, but this is an opportunity for us to go to them and hear their experiences.”