Felisa Wright has been a child care provider in Altadena for 15 years. She put a lot of work into her business, which was not only a safe and secure place for the children she took care of but also her family’s home.
There were bikes, a slide and sandbox, home-cooked meals and quality care at her business for working families in the community, Wright said.
She lost it all in the Eaton fire that destroyed her community last month. Wright returned to the remains of her home and business for the first time on Friday, Feb. 7.
“It’s been difficult to come to terms with all the loss and heartbreak we’ve experienced,” she said.
Wright was accompanied by other local child care providers who also lost their homes to the Eaton fire to hold a press conference to call on Gov. Gavin Newsom to extend fire relief for child care providers and the families who count on them.
Newsom signed an executive order on Jan. 7 that provided child care providers with 30 additional days of pay after the start of the fire, but that emergency relief ended on Thursday, Feb. 6. Providers said that the state has not indicated any plans to extend it.
At least 24 family child care providers lost their homes and their livelihoods and at least 30 more sustained damage severe enough that they have not been able to reopen due to the Eaton and Palisades fire, according to a press release from Child Care Providers United (CCPU) — the union that represents thousands of family child care providers across the state.
“We’re demanding and we’re imploring that the state of California act with the same urgency that they had 30 days ago,” said Max Arias, chairperson for the CCPU, at the press conference. “We demand that payment to child care providers be extended indefinitely so they can start the process of recovery and rebuilding now.”
Additionally, CCPU is not aware of any licensed providers who have been able to secure a waiver to reopen in a temporary site, meaning they have no way to earn income, according to a press release.
Other barriers that child care providers, such as Wright, are facing include:
- No availability of houses for rent or purchase that are affordable or accessible to the area that would serve existing families;
- Waivers filed by individual providers to allow for interim operations have not been approved by the state;
- Site cleanup has not yet been authorized to occur;
- No funding is available for replacing equipment and safety materials; and
- FEMA, Small Business Administration and other sources of business aid have been denied to many providers due to their low income among other reasons.
During the press conference, Wright shared that she had applied for assistance from FEMA and from the SBA, and was denied.
“This situation is challenging for my family and I know that it is equally tough for those families who are searching for new child care options,” Wright said. “That is why our recovery efforts must prioritize assisting child care providers in regaining stability, such as securing affordable housing, to reopen our day cares. Without housing, I cannot operate. Without funding, I cannot replace what I lost.”
Alana Lewis, who has been a child care provider in Altadena for more than 24 years, said she was having similar issues. Even though her house withstood the fire, it is still severely damaged, and has not been able to go back home to reopen her child care business, she said.
“Now that the 30-day period has ended and my daycare is closed, I find myself without any source of income,” Lewis said. “Like many providers, I have been denied assistance from FEMA and SBA. The last month has been very challenging. I have moved from one place to another, but I can’t help but feel a longing for my home and the children I’ve been caring for.”
Lewis called on the governor to provide immediate assistance to child care providers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires by extending the executive order.
Supporting child care providers at the event was Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, who represents Altadena in the State Senate. Pérez said that without additional state support, these child care businesses would disappear, putting Black and Brown women out of work, making it impossible for working parents to return to work and intensifying the state’s child care crisis.
“We must act now to prevent this crisis from deepening in the midst of both an environmental and an economic disaster,” Pérez said during the press conference. “It’s crucial that we support this workforce of women of color because these are the folks that are doing the work to take care of our children, who have long been the backbone of our economy so they can recover and help our community rebuild.”
The help is much needed, Arias said, as child care providers earn an average of $7 to $10 an hour. Many who have applied for loans from the SBA have been denied because their income is too low, he said.
“At this moment, it seems like reopening my child care business might not ever happen,” Wright said. “It’s a difficult feeling to cope with. However, I remain hopeful and strong that providers will receive the support necessary for us to fully rebuild and recover.”