This report summarizes the San Bernardino County UPK Mixed Delivery Needs Assessment, examining how families of three‑ and four‑year‑olds navigate the early care and education system. Findings highlight major barriers, including limited availability, inconsistent information, language challenges, confusion about Transitional Kindergarten, and economic hardship. Recommendations to improve access, strengthen the workforce, enhance linguistic responsiveness, and expand comprehensive services are included.

California’s child care reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the true cost of care, leaving providers reimbursed well below what it costs to operate programs. The gap ranges from 24% to 65% across the regions shown, highlighting the need for reimbursement rates that better reflect the actual cost of care.

Government subsidized child care supports over 24,000 families to be able to work in CCRC’s communities. Some of the top employers include Amazon, Kaiser Permanente, Target, Walmart, the County of San Bernardino, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Los Angeles County Department of Social Services. Government subsidized child care brings $509M into the local economy to small child care businesses. When parents did not have access to this service, 60% had to call out/ miss work, work fewer hours, or change their work hours. Government subsidized child care is good for parents, employers, and the local economy.

One in three women and one in four men in California experience domestic violence. This has long-term implications for their health and well-being as well as the development of their children. CCRC led a collaborative effort to implement 36 listening sessions with a wide range of stakeholders across the state of California to illuminate critical barriers faced by survivors of domestic violence when attempting to access essential services. Recommendations for policy, program and service change are included to ensure this vulnerable population can begin to rebuild their lives.