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7Build Up for SMC's Children May 4, 2020 The Honorable Diane Howard, Mayor City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road Redwood City, California 94063 Re: Dedicated Funding for Child Care COVID-19 Relief Dear Mayor Howard and Honorable City Councilmembers Build Up for San Mateo County's Children, a collaborative multi -sector initiative designed to grow and improve the supply of child care and preschool facilities in San Mateo County is asking for your support. Across San Mateo County, close to 19,000 spaces are needed for child care, preschool and afterschool programs, and now more than ever we must act quickly to preserve all existing spaces. In the city of Redwood City, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic there were 145 licensed Child Care Programs, (40 Centers and 105 Family Child Care (FCC) homes) operating. Currently only 26 programs remain open. As you consider making investments to help mitigate the impact of the current public health crisis, we ask you to think of the unique child care sector which directly impacts the lives of children, families, and our woridorce. As the scope and scale evolves, it is clear that dedicated support is needed that reflects child care provider's essential status in providing care to the children of front-line workers and serving as the bedrock for Redwood City's future recovery. We understand it may be uncomfortable dedicating funding specifically to child care providers when many other businesses are also struggling. However, if child care providers cannot return to normal operations in large numbers, many workers will also not return. This crisis is affecting all parts of the child care industry, whether providers are part of the existing subsidy system or the private -paying market. Closures critical to preventing the spread of the virus, some mandated by state, and some reflective of educators' and parents' difficult decisions, have child care providers without the means to pay their basic operating expenses. At the same time, some providers are risking their own health to provide care for the children of essential personnel who simply cannot continue their critical work on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic without this care. As these providers remain open, they face additional expenses and insufficient resources to support the necessary measures they must take, including paying substitutes, purchasing protective and cleaning supplies, operating for longer hours, and making staffing adjustments to create small groups that protect children, families, and staff. Sobrato Center for Nonprofits 1330 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 119, Redwood City, California 94065 650.517.1436 lbuildupsmc@sanmateo4cs.org I www.buildupsmc.org