It's a high-demand job with lots of openings. How LAUSD trains adults for a role in child care
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An experiment involving preschool children is unfolding in South Los Angeles, one that aims to solve a persistent problem in the region’s stressed day-care industry: the lack of workers.In a partnership between a Los Angeles Unified adult school and an early education center — which happen to share a campus — adult students receive tuition-free job training plus convenient access to the field work hours they need to earn their child development assistant permit.“We know that there’s a big need in that space, and that many of our adult education students have this interest and these competencies,” said LAUSD board member Kelly Gonez.“It’s really about creating a pathway that’s going to help them meet the requirements and be able to enter the field.”This small-scale experiment — and the goal to scale it — comes as LAUSD embarks on an ambitious plan to broaden its early education footprint, an initiative unanimously approved by the school board in April.
The district’s planned expansion aims to provide access to affordable child care while building early loyalty with local families to help curb declining enrollment.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.Part of that effort includes investing in the workforce.Twice a week, students from Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center trek to early education center classrooms.
They lead storytime, serve breakfast on plastic plates and in sippy cups, lead music and movement activities, and handle tears and rambunctious behavior.“Why not let them get hands-on experience? Why just have them sit and watch?” said Rory Johnson, the child development instructor at the adult school.Student Carmen Esquivel, who graduates this week, said the course, “from the beginning to now, has been an e...