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Throughout the pandemic, child care providers have risked their health and safety in order to care for children of essential workers.

On this national Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, we thank providers and early educators for their commitment to caring for children. Not only did they prioritize children over their own wellness, these Early Childhood Education (ECE) heroes spent their own money on cleaning supplies, masks, and the necessary upgrades to Wi-Fi and technology required for children to learn remotely.

Due to the pandemic, many child care providers were forced to permanently close. Our research shows 20 percent of family child care providers and 36 percent of center based child care providers in Los Angeles County have closed. The trends are similar across California. But many more continue to operate and provide care.

Through a partnership with our partner agencies, Child Care Resource Center is proud to honor the hardworking men and women who continued caring for children so essential workers in the hospitals, grocery stores, and emergency responders could keep working. On behalf of Child Care Resource Center, Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Office of Education, First 5 LA, Child 360, and Quality Start Los Angeles, we offer our gratitude.

Kirstie Basal-De La Cruz, a mother of twins in Los Angeles County, is grateful to have had child care for her daughters so she could continue full time as a cardiac rehabilitation professional at Glendale Hospital.

“I breathed a sigh of relief that we don’t have to dwindle down our savings,” Kirstie told First 5 LA. “I know that the girls are well cared for and I can still go to work.”

Other parents like Kirstie tell us they are grateful to their child care providers and early educators for giving them the peace of mind that their child was in good hands while they were away at work.

“You became an essential part of my child’s life during the pandemic and supported his development,” Cynthia Barboza, a mother, says of her provider.

Join us in recognizing the critical work of child care providers and early educators, who ensure children are cared for in a safe, nurturing and enriching environment.

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