New fund aims to ease childcare costs for middle-class families

While some parents are fortunate to avoid the burden of childcare costs…

“I never had to, you know, thankfully, my husband makes enough," said Denise Esparza, Santa Maria resident.

That’s not the case for everyone. Some parents, even those whose children are grown, like Santa Maria resident Patricia Solorio, the struggle to afford childcare has always been difficult.

"It was just really expensive," Solorio said.

And it still is today.

More than 2.4 million California parents can’t afford childcare, according to recent research by Raise CA Strong.

"Parents and caregivers are struggling to access the childcare for the hours they need to meet their schedules," said Rose Levy, United Way Of Santa Barbara County Director of Strategic Partnerships & Advancement.

Although help is out there, it's limited. According to the California Budget & Policy Center, in 2021, California added $1.7 billion in federal relief dollars for subsidized childcare, but middle-class families often get left behind.

"Many families, as the survey results showed, are paying far more than the 7% of income that's nationally recommended for childcare," Levy said.

"We were paying about $700 a month for one child," said Larisa Traga, Santa Maria resident.

The United Way has launched a new fund to help families and even employers struggling with the cost of childcare.

"We are having active conversations with employers across the county and finding out who is thinking about or working towards investing into childcare spaces for their staff and workforce," Levy said.

The Brighter Futures Childcare Fund offers middle-income scholarships, aiming to bring families’ childcare costs down to 15% of their income.

Backed by over $700,000 from government, corporate, and philanthropic sources, they hope to help thousands of families across the county.