LAUSD seeks to expand affordable child care by using spare classrooms, shuttered centers

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LAUSD is seeking to double its infant care centers and expand early education programs for toddlers, a plan that aims to push the district deeper into the child-care industry, provide affordable day care and eventually bolster dwindling district enrollment.The proposal calls for reopening several shuttered early education centers, placing more preschool classrooms on elementary campuses and expanding the district’s relationship with local child-care providers.“We know early learning is transformative and very beneficial for the students that we serve in Los Angeles,” said board member Kelly Gonez, who introduced the resolution.“We know that there are still gaps in terms of access to programs and care for our families in Los Angeles, and that this is a really significant expense for families.”The resolution, which is expected to be approved by the Board of Education on Tuesday, could bring some relief to Los Angeles families that often face a heavy financial burden paying for care before a child is eligible to enter the public school system.The median cost for full-time care for an infant in L.A.

County was $1,209 a month at a family child-care home and $1,818 a month at a center in 2024, according to data from the California Budget & Policy Center.For a preschooler, the cost was $1,121 at a home and $1,271 at a center.“A lot of our families struggle with the cost of child care or with finding the right location for their family where there’s a quality program that they know is going to meet the social, emotional, academic and health needs of their students,” Gonez said.

“I think there will be great interest in expanded options for families.”Engage with our community-funded journalism as we delve into child care, transitional kindergarten, health and other issues affecting children from birth through age 5.It is unclear how many new slots would be opened ...