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Board directs county to speed child‑care recovery for families after wildfires
Summary
Supervisors approved a motion directing county departments to help child‑care providers rebuild, expedite licensing and connect centers and family child‑care homes to state and philanthropic relief; county staff reported dozens of destroyed or damaged facilities and nearly 2,800 lost slots.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion directing county agencies to accelerate support for child‑care providers who lost space, equipment or families because of the January wildfires.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell introduced the motion and said child care — especially for children under age 5 — is central to families’ ability to recover economically. The motion directs the Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education to coordinate with County Public Health, the Department of Economic Opportunity, First 5 LA and state Community Care Licensing to help providers access disaster grants, emergency licensing and permitting relief.
County licensing staff told the board that 42 child‑care facilities were destroyed and nine were damaged in the two wildfire areas, and that 17 emergency licensing applications have been submitted (13 pending). The departments reported a combined capacity loss of about 2,792 child‑care slots from destroyed and damaged sites.
What the motion does: It instructs county departments to identify available county‑owned or other public spaces that could be converted quickly to temporary child care, to coordinate zoning and permitting responses with regional planning, to prioritize outreach to affected centers and family child‑care providers, and to help providers apply for state disaster assistance and other aid. The motion also asks the county to coordinate with philanthropic partners and resource‑and‑referral agencies to speed repairs and reopenings.
Why it matters: Supervisors said child‑care losses ripple through local economies; when parents cannot find care they may be unable to return to work, slowing economic recovery. Mitchell said the loss of centers and family providers disrupts education continuity for children and increases pressure on families already dealing with housing and income loss.
Ending: The board approved the motion and asked departments to use an existing emergency response network to prioritize outreach and match providers with interim spaces and funding. Staff said they would continue to track applicants and report back on reopening timelines and resource gaps.
