Skip to content

key takeaway

California families face steep child care costs, with a single mother spending 61% of her income without subsidized care. In 2022, only 11% of eligible children received state subsidized care, highlighting a critical gap. Expanding subsidized spaces and tailoring solutions to diverse local needs, as seen in Monterey County, are essential for addressing this challenge and supporting families statewide.

Lea esta publicación en español.

California’s families struggle to afford child care, exacerbating cost-of-living challenges amidst soaring poverty rates. Specifically, without access to state subsidized child care, a single mother in California with an infant and a school age child spends, on average, 61% of their income on child care. Access to state subsidized child care is therefore critical for supporting families. Within California’s mixed delivery system, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) administers state subsidized child care, providing child care programs at low- to no-cost for families with low incomes. However, the demand for subsidized child care has far outpaced supply. In 2022, only one out of every nine children eligible for CDSS’s child care and development programs received services (approximately 11%), meaning that thousands of parents and guardians must confront the reality of spending over half their income on child care. 

To address this issue, the state has been working to expand the number of subsidized child care spaces. While statewide expansion of subsidized child care is an integral component to addressing challenges with access, localities also must consider how to best support families in their communities to utilize expanded access in a way that best meets families’ needs. Given California’s diversity, families across the state have a variety of child care preferences and needs. For example, family preferences vary with regards to hours of availability, setting, languages spoken, and cultural alignment. Thus, in addition to expanding the number of subsidized spaces overall, it is also critical to understand local community contexts so that expansion aligns with needs.

To spotlight the local context, this report details the unmet need for child care in one specific county, Monterey County, to uplift localized challenges and community-driven recommendations for expanding access to affordable and nurturing child care. By doing so, this report endeavors to share the experiences and perspectives of Monterey County families to make meaning of the significant gap in eligibility and enrollment in state subsidized child care and inform local and state decision makers as they work to expand affordable child care in California in a way that meets families’ needs.

About This Report

This report was supported by First 5 Monterey County. By prioritizing early childhood, fostering strong community connections, and advancing quality across systems of care and support, First 5 Monterey County enriches the lives of children, from prenatal through age 5, and their families.

Parents as experts: We extend our heartfelt thanks to Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño for their help capturing community voices and the parents who participated in the focus group. Their insights and contributions were invaluable in shaping this report.

Why focus on Monterey County?

Monterey County is home to a wide range of communities with different needs and priorities. As the seventeenth largest county in California, Monterey has nearly a half million residents with over half of all households speaking a language other than English. Additionally, compared to statewide statistics, families in Monterey County faces greater economic security challenges, namely, in 20231Monterey County data in this section are sourced from the Monterey County, California profile from the United States Census Bureau.:

  • 14% of the Monterey County population was in poverty, compared to 12% at the state level;
  • Women in Monterey County spend, on average, 45% of their income on rent, the highest percentage across all 58 California counties;
  • Median household income was $88,035 in Monterey County, compared with $95,521 at the state level; and
  • 29% of the Monterey County population has a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, compared with 38% at the state level.

These statistics point to racial and gender inequities in Monterey County as well as income inequality and barriers to opportunities for families with low incomes. Many families in Monterey County work in agricultural settings and speak indigenous languages. As compared with the more affluent coastal communities in the county, these families face greater barriers to economic security, including accessing affordable child care that meets their needs.

While families in Monterey County have community-specific needs, the same challenges of poverty and income inequality are mirrored at the state level, pointing to an opportunity to understand how barriers and solutions to affordable child care in Monterey County can inform improvements across the state. Listening to and uplifting the perspectives of Monterey County residents impacted by the lack of affordable child care not only supports working toward a more equitable Monterey County, but also sheds light on the possibilities for creating a California where families that have been historically underrepresented can thrive.

What is the unmet need for child care in Monterey County?

Compared with the statewide trend, the unmet need for child care in Monterey County is even wider. Specifically, approximately one in every twelve children eligible for subsidized child care in Monterey County received services in 2022. In other words, out of the roughly 27,000 children in Monterey County eligible for subsidized child care, about 2,235 are enrolled (approximately 8%). This fraction of children served versus children eligible is lower than the state average of 11%.

Disaggregating Monterey County’s unmet need for child care by race/ethnicity highlights that overall, Latinx children are disproportionately eligible for subsidized child care. Namely, nearly half of all Latinx children in Monterey County are eligible for subsidized child care. Therefore, when access to subsidized child care is limited, Latinx families in Monterey County are the most impacted.

Themes and quotes from this report reflect the perspectives from families across four focus groups. These focus groups included families from Southern Monterey County, namely Greenfield and surrounding communities. All four focus groups were conducted in Spanish with one focus group including interpretation for families speaking Mixteco and Triqui. In total, twenty parents participated across the four focus groups. Two were conducted in-person at Centro Binacional in Greenfield, and two were conducted virtually. While the proceeding narrative summarizes salient themes from these focus groups, specific information and themes pertaining to each focus group can be found at the links below:

What child care options do parents have in Monterey County?

As shown, the number of children eligible for subsidized child care in Monterey County far outpaces enrollment. This low percentage aligns with parent experiences. Specifically, while some parents were aware that they can access subsidized child care through the state —  mainly the migrant child care program — no parent had actually accessed this care. Given that so few families enroll their children in subsidized child care programs, they must access other types of child care. The following list outlines the options that parents have accessed or are aware of in their communities.

In addition to the care options described above, many parents shared that they stopped working in order to provide care for their child. For some families, they do not have a friend or family member to help provide care during working hours. Given less than ideal experiences with unlicensed care and the high cost and lack of availability of licensed care, they choose not to work in order to provide care for their child.

Given the limited child care options for families in Greenfield, many families rely on community support to provide care for their children and make ends meet. Specific examples include:

Why do Monterey County parents struggle to find affordable child care that meets their needs?

Families from different communities in Monterey County struggle to find affordable child care that meets their needs. At a high level, parents face this struggle for a few key reasons: 1) As it is the case in many other localities across California, there is an insufficient supply of child care providers and subsidized programs; 2) Even when some programs are available, families find it difficult to navigate the enrollment process; and 3) There’s also a lack of alignment between what parents need or prefer and the limited opportunities available to them. The following points provide further detail into the reasons why Monterey County parents are challenged when finding child care.

Families in Monterey County have unique language preferences. They value child care providers who support multilingual development, particularly in communities where children are learning English, Spanish, and indigenous languages.

What can state and local leaders do to improve access to affordable child care that meets Monterey County families’ needs?

The following recommendations reflect the voices and concerns of parents in both Greenfield and Salinas who have identified key areas for improving child care in their communities. These recommendations aim to address issues such as availability, affordability, and the need for culturally responsive care, with a focus on expanding services to meet the diverse needs of families, especially those with young children, nontraditional work hours, and multilingual backgrounds.

Access and Availability

  • Increase opportunities for infant and toddler care. Parents emphasized the need for more care options for infants and toddlers. There is a desire for more flexibility in care for children under two years old, as current offerings don’t have the capacity to support all age groups.
  • Ensure families have options during nontraditional hours. Parents, particularly those working in agricultural settings, emphasized the need for child care options that accommodate early mornings, late evenings, and even overnight shifts. Programs that extend care later in the day, such as afterschool programs, have been helpful for families in Monterey and highlight the need for similar early-morning programs to bridge gaps before school starts. Additionally, flexible schedules, with child care centers opening as early as 4-5 a.m. and closing around 6 p.m., would better align with the nontraditional work hours many families face.
  • Integrate state-funded services for rural communities. Connecting rural families (like those in Greenfield) to additional resources (e.g., developmental services) through child care centers provides broader support and reduces barriers to accessing multiple state-funded programs. This approach would provide a seamless, comprehensive support system for families.
  • Increase capacity in child care centers. Parents also suggested expanding the capacity of existing centers to address the growing demand for licensed care. New centers should also be considered and should be located in the community, as many families face transportation barriers. 
  • Adjust income eligibility requirements. Many families struggle to qualify for existing programs due to income eligibility issues. They recommended adjusting eligibility for subsidized child care by considering net income rather than gross income. Many families, particularly those working in agriculture, don't qualify based on gross income but still struggle to afford child care.
  • Improve access to information for parents. Parents recommended that child care information be made available in convenient locations such as schools, grocery stores, and community events, as well as through apps that allow easy access in multiple languages, including indigenous languages. Additionally, parents recommended more transparency and guidance about how to be placed on subsidized child care waiting lists. 
  • Simplify application processes for child care subsidies. Ensure families can easily check their eligibility status, complete and submit paperwork, and find multilingual and in-person assistance.

Inclusivity

  • Center multilingualism. Given the importance of language development, there is a strong demand to increase the number of providers who are multilingual. Families would like environments where their children develop English proficiency and educational support for children from non-Spanish-speaking homes, especially those speaking indigenous languages like Mixteco and Triqui. Centering these needs would be a critical step in making child care services more inclusive and effective.
  • Support children with special needs. Parents stressed the need for more resources and training for providers to support children with special needs, as many families currently have to travel outside of Greenfield to access services.

Workforce

  • Support pathways to becoming a provider. Families suggested supporting recruitment of local community members, including parents, into licensed provider roles by offering pathways and incentivizing prospective providers to meet licensing requirements and earn a thriving wage.
  • Ensure providers receive professional development. Parents would like that providers have access to ongoing training in child development, special needs, and health and safety practices. Parents also recommend enhanced support for providers to offer age-appropriate educational curriculum.
  • Support for Family, Friend, and Neighbor providers. Parents recognized the importance of informal care arrangements and called for resources to help these providers become more professionalized, including child development training.For example, parents mentioned that first aid training for providers is useful, especially when transportation and accessibility are prioritized.

Physical Environments & Infrastructure

  • Invest in child care facilities. Parents want larger facilities with more space and updated classroom equipment for children to learn, play, and explore. These investments can also improve capacity issues.
  • Maintain low ratios. Parents suggested that a 1:5 provider-to-child ratio would be ideal for their children to get the individualized attention they need.
  • Ensure child care providers receive sufficient funding to offer essential products and nutrition to all children. Families expressed concerns over the cost of basic needs such as diapers, wipes, and food, which can be a burden for many families. Parents recommended that providers offer these basic necessities to reduce costs for families.
  • Provide transportation. Parents expressed a need for transportation support to child care centers. For example, the option for bus or another transportation service, which will reduce barriers for working families.
  • Provide on-site sick care. Ensure child care settings have sufficient funding to include  on-site nurses when children are sick, reducing the burden on parents who often have to leave work to pick up sick children.

Based on the findings and recommendations from Monterey County, what are the statewide implications?

The perspectives and recommendations from Monterey County parents provide insight into how state-level decision makers can improve the child care system to support Monterey County parents and all families across California. Key implications include the following:

While this report outlines clear priorities and recommendations for improving California's child care system, it also highlights the need to continue centering families’ needs and priorities in local and state policies. Given the impact of these policies on families’ lives, they are the experts in knowing “what works” and the best ways to improve the child care system. As California and Monterey County work toward improving child care access for families, ongoing and meaningful opportunities for families to engage with the decision-making process is vital for creating a strong and supportive system for all families.

Stay in the know.

Join our email list!