These South L.A. women built a child-care haven on their block. Its a lifeline for families

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When the seven-beat rhythm of “shave and a haircut, two bits” resounds in the mornings on a car horn through this South L.A.neighborhood, Jackie Jackson or Guadalupe Andrade is likely behind the wheel, child-care providers who live on a one-block stretch of 115th Street.The cheerful honk is a familiar greeting among parents, community members and these local child-care workers on their pick-up routes.

At day’s end, the children will be dropped off at their doorstep, an invaluable service to working parents.In an effort born of their determination to keep their businesses afloat while serving their neighbors, a tight-knit group of child-care providers stands as an unusual, grassroots example of resilience amid a time of struggle for the child-care industry, which is beset by the high cost of providing their service, staff shortages and competition with transitional kindergarten to enroll 4-year-olds.Jackson and the three other child-care workers who operate on 115th Street lean on one another to keep their child-care homes open.

Their secret? They identified the pain points of parents and focus on addressing those needs — offering door-to-door transportation, tailoring support services to specific family concerns and keeping costs down by sharing resources.They often help families with food and have taken on a civic activist role when needed.The day-care providers of 115th Street call themselves “the learning village” and swap furniture and toys, send photos of activities they’ve developed and advise each other on anything from selecting kid-friendly cups to dealing with difficult behavior.

Together, they serve 60 children.“We all have things to share,” Jackson said.“Behavior, transportation — everything you want to name.

We all have it to share because we all try to make a difference.Engage with our community-funded journalism as we delve into child care,...