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Mariposa County releases childcare feasibility findings; study points to childcare deserts, workforce risks and mixed solutions
Summary
A county-commissioned childcare feasibility study found declining available slots, childcare deserts in Coulterville/Greeley Hill and Yosemite-area communities, and workforce instability; consultants say solutions will require a mix of subsidies, loan programs and facility conversions, with a final report due Oct. 5, 2025.
Allison Tudor of the Integrated Human Services Group presented Mariposa County’s 2025 Childcare Feasibility Study during the Sept. 16 Board of Supervisors meeting, telling supervisors the final report will be submitted to the county on Oct. 5.
The study drew from surveys open June 9–30 that returned 161 parent/guardian responses, 22 employer responses and 11 provider responses (8 family-home, 3 center). Focus groups included a Spanish-speaking session with 18 participants and a family/guardian group with five participants. ISG and county staff also conducted key-informant interviews and a task-force review in late August.
Tudor said the data show an increase in overall childcare utilization compared with 2019 but a steady decline in available licensed slots. She described clear "childcare deserts" in the Coulterville/Greeley Hill and Yosemite areas and said the Yosemite National Park Childcare Center hopes to reopen in about a year, which could help local availability. The study also flagged workforce vulnerability: many family-home and center staff indicated they might leave the sector within three years.
The report identifies a range of responses rather than a single fix. Recommendations highlighted by Tudor include integrating subsidy information into employer onboarding, establishing a provider Facebook/real-time vacancy page, exploring Community Development Block Grant-funded forgivable loans to help new or expanding providers, assessing county-owned buildings for conversion to childcare, and re-establishing an ROP (career-technical) pipeline for early-childhood education training.
During public comment, local providers and advocates, including Infant Child Enrichment Services staff, urged the board to consider local expertise and partnerships with the county’s Child Care Resource & Referral agency to support recruitment and marketing. Parents at the meeting described high monthly costs even with subsidies, and employers signaled willingness to help but noted capacity limits.
Supervisor questions focused on the sample size and representativeness (Tudor said surveys were distributed via social media, community partners, QR codes at summer programs and school outreach), the current number of providers (Tudor reported 12 family-home providers, two full-day facilities and three half-day preschool programs), and vaccination requirements (licensed providers require children to have begun required vaccinations; family-friend-neighbor care operates differently).
The report, which was developed in part with UC Berkeley’s Institute on Labor and Employment, will also be provided to the CDBG grant administrator as required. County staff and supervisors said they will convene a follow-up group to prioritize implementable steps after receiving the final report on Oct. 5.
