Nearly $1 billion in tax money now flowing to Alameda County child care providers

Alameda County officials announced Monday the release of $17 million in emergency grants to more than 370 licensed child care providers across the county. 

Childcare centers in Oakland, Hayward and Pleasanton started receiving checks Monday, officials said. Quinetta Lewis, director of St. Mary’s Center Preschool in Oakland said the $50,000 her school is receiving will help provide kids with better care. 

“With these funds we can now focus on better facilities for our children, better wages for teachers, recreation centers prioritizing quality services,” Lewis said, during the first of four check presentations that day. “We now have a sense of financial stability and can coordinate well within the system. Overall, it helps us access the quality that these children deserve.” 

Over 80% of licensed child care providers in Alameda County are eligible for the grants, which are funded by Measure C, a half-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2020 and the California Supreme Court upheld last year. Measure C will generate nearly $1 billion over five years, with the nonprofit First 5 Alameda County responsible for managing the funds and ensuring they reach those most in need. 

The one-time emergency grants, ranging from $40,000 to $100,000, will help child care centers and family providers stay open, improve facilities, hire staff, and raise wages, said Kristin Spanos, CEO of First 5 Alameda County. 

For children who were at St. Mary’s Preschool during the check presentation, the benefits were  immediate, as First 5 handed out tote bags with goodies. “It’s LEGOS!” a boy yelled, pulling a plastic block from the bag. “It’s mine now!” he cried, running around the playground with his new toy. 

Child care shortage

First 5 data shows that nearly a third of working families in Alameda County say that child care challenges prevent a family member from entering the workforce. Lewis pointed out that 27 families count on St. Mary’s Preschool so they can go to work and school. 

But countywide, spaces are getting more difficult to come by. There has been a 24% reduction in family child care spaces for children from birth to age 5, and an 8% decrease in infant and toddler care availability. Providers also face significant challenges, with a vast majority reporting urgent property needs and funding shortages, and more than a third citing a lack of qualified staff. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept children from experiencing immersive educational opportunities, has created additional hurdles. 

“Children born during COVID-19 often lack social and fine motor skills due to limited interaction,” Lewis said. “Many exhibit behavioral challenges, so we’ve brought in mental health consultants to help teachers and parents support these children better. This funding allows us to provide that crucial support.” 

First 5 has developed a five-year plan to allocate Measure C funds across five goals: Nearly half the money, $458 million, will go toward retaining and supporting early educators, 31% will be for increasing access to child care, 10% on administration and system improvements, 7% for enhancing child-serving spaces, and 3% to measure the project’s impact. The plan also establishes a wage of at least $25 an hour for Measure C-funded early educators, the creation of 2,400 new subsidized child care slots, and expanded support for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers.

“These emergency grants are more than a financial lifeline,” Spanos said. “They represent a commitment to building a stronger, more just, early childhood system that supports families, educators, and children.” 

The Measure C money arrived five years behind schedule. Passed by voters in March, 2020, funds from the measure were frozen after the Alameda County Taxpayers’ Association sued the country, arguing that the measure required a two-thirds majority to pass. Measure C received 64% of the vote. The state Supreme Court upheld the measure in April 2024 and three months ago, the Alameda County Supervisors adopted a five-year plan to implement it.  

(Top photo: Quinetta Lewis receives an oversized check for $50,000 from First 5 Alameda County, by Yu Wang)

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