Webinar: California Needs Caregivers: The Importance of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care
The “California Needs Caregivers: The Importance of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care” webinar was co-hosted by Early Edge California and the UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 from 10 – 11 am (PT). It focused on uplifting the importance of Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care in serving California’s kids.
Webinar Resources
- Webinar livestream recording
- Early Edge’s Policy Brief: Increasing Access to Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiver Wages through California’s Child Care Subsidy System—available in English and Spanish!
- CSCCE’s Study: Project 2022 California Family, Friend, Neighbor (FFN), and Nanny Child Care Study
- NEW! FFN Webinar One-Pager
FFN care is provided by grandparents, aunts, uncles, extended family, neighbors, and friends and is the most common type of child care in California and the United States. It is estimated that a third to at least half of all children under 5, and nearly two out of every five children, ages 3 and under, are entrusted to the care of an FFN provider. These caregivers are often grandmothers and tend to reflect the demographics of the communities they serve, providing culturally and linguistically responsive, flexible, and more affordable care. Despite this, FFN care is often under-resourced, and data about this sector of child care providers has historically been lacking.
In this engaging webinar, we shared findings from a recent study by CSCCE that sought to learn more about the demographics, needs, and interests of FFN caregivers in California, as well as why parents seek out this form of child care. We will also presented an overview of a recent report by Early Edge focused on challenges FFN caregivers face in accessing state-sponsored child care subsidies. Participants heard directly from FFN caregivers and parents who rely on FFN care about why they value this form of care and what resources are needed to further support FFN caregivers and the families they serve.
Special remarks by: Assemblymember Corey Jackson, Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services
Speakers
- Patricia Lozano, Executive Director, Early Edge California
- Kelly Reynolds, Senior Policy Analyst, Early Edge California
- Anna Powell, Senior Research & Policy Associate, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley
- Eva Alcala, FFN Caregiver
- Nadchieli Davalos-Martinez, FFN Caregiver
- Fiorella Herrada, Parent
Hosted by:
