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Childcare Is a Feminist Issue — And a Community Crisis
As Co-Presidents of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, we are compelled to spotlight one of the most pressing issues impacting California families in 2025: childcare.
This is not just a personal dilemma for parents, it’s a systemic barrier to gender equity. Recent data from the California Budget & Policy Center reveals that 67% of mothers in California have had to reduce hours or leave their jobs due to childcare challenges. For women, particularly women of color, the lack of affordable childcare continues to limit workforce participation, leadership, and financial stability.
At our Presidents’ Circle event in March, childcare emerged as a central focus in our 2025 Feminist Playbook. To bring this issue into sharper focus, we held a powerful conversation with Teresa Alvarez, Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP), and James Kyriaco, Goleta City Councilmember, both of whom are deeply engaged in solving this crisis.
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Teresa Alvarez: A Voice from the Front Line
Teresa began with a reality check on what’s happening in local early-education centers.
“We’ve had to rely heavily on fundraising. CCP lost access to State Preschool funds because the school district gave up their contract. SB County Education Office took over those slots, but not all families will be served. We’re hoping to subcontract with them, but meanwhile, we have to cover families with scholarships.”
She detailed how hard it is to balance rising costs with the need to support teachers:
“We’ve had to raise tuition to pay our staff better, but the state’s Alternative Payment Program won’t cover the higher rates. That means fewer families can qualify for help, and we’re stuck trying to fill in the gap.”
The lack of substitute teachers adds to staff burnout.
“We follow the school district’s schedule so staff can rest during breaks, but the Alternative Payment Program doesn’t cover that time, which puts a financial burden back on families.”
And infant care? Nearly impossible. The regulatory nightmare continues:
"We had 20 infants on our waitlist and were ready to open an infant center. But there was a fire code barrier—the school district wouldn't install sprinklers because that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for the whole building, not just one classroom."
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James Kyriaco: The Policy Perspective
James offered a broader picture on why local governments must step up.
The Alternative Payment Program, offered through Social Services, provides crucial vouchers for working families—but few know it exists. "Not enough people know about it, and there are waiting lists. It's hard to get into situations where you can always take advantage of it," Kyriaco explains. “Childcare has to be treated as economic infrastructure. Without it, families leave. Workers quit. Businesses lose staff. It impacts everything.”
The City of Goleta has taken the initiative by removing zoning barriers for home daycare providers and dedicating $250,000 annually to early childhood education from its general fund.
“We provide scholarships through United Way and Santa Barbara Foundation, and we partner with Women’s Economic Ventures to train and license new teachers. Still, childcare providers earn less than fast-food workers. That’s unsustainable. There's a great movie called 'No Small Matter' about childcare workers who work 2 or 3 jobs and still can't afford to stay in the sector."
James emphasized how policy choices shape real outcomes.
“A major challenge is the broken market for infant care. You can’t just raise prices—it’ll price families out. But lowering quality by increasing ratios is also unacceptable. There’s just not enough public funding in the system to make it work.”
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The Hidden Economic Impact
This isn't just about childcare—it's about economic survival. Kyriaco, raised by a single mother who sometimes relied on inadequate care ("their solution to everything was, take a nap"), explains the ripple effects:
"When a family decides to grow and have a child, to a great degree it falls to the woman in that relationship. She takes a step back from work for a while, or for years. That impacts how much money goes into their Social Security over their lifetime, how much they're putting into their 401K, the savings that doesn't happen."
Meanwhile, unlicensed care fills the gaps. Alvarez notices the impact: "We've seen more families using family friends and neighbors. We've seen delays in speech, behavior issues. When kids have been with family members who rely on screen time, it's harder for them to make the transition to structured care."
The regulatory maze makes everything worse. "Regulatory offices aren't speaking to each other," Alvarez notes. "It's been really difficult to navigate all these different barriers that come at you."
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The Advocacy Imperative
"If we feel like an issue isn't about us, it's still about us," says Alvarez. "These systems are interconnected."
The invisibility problem is real. "People don't understand that early childhood education access is an economic development issue," Kyriaco emphasizes. "If I could get into the heads of policymakers—the amount of effort, preparation and competence required to deliver an early education curriculum daily... on some level people think of this as babysitting. They don't get just how much goes into it."
Both advocates stress the need for sustained attention. Kyriaco notes that Governor Newsom initially had early childhood experts high in his administration, "but that's gone away, so I don't know that he's consistently hearing from voices that understand the system holistically. I honestly think the best thing that we can do is continue advocating with people like Gregg Hart, who has a personal understanding of the system, and Monique Limón, who's been such a champion for education in general and early childhood in particular. And then I think it's working with our local government and trying to find ways to get the county and our cities to put more money into increasing opportunities.”
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What SBWPC Members Can Do
We asked them how our members—and SBWPC as a whole—can help move the needle.
James: “It starts with attention. That’s one of the most powerful things we have. Show up. Speak out. Hold elected officials accountable. If cities can talk about funding affordable housing, they should also talk about funding childcare—because they’re linked.”
Teresa: “Even if it feels like it’s not your issue, it is. All these systems are connected. Childcare is tied to education, the workforce, and equity. Advocating for better support for childcare workers, providers, and families is essential.”
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Where We Go From Here
We at SBWPC remain committed to pushing childcare forward as a feminist and economic priority. We ask our members to:
• Advocate for public funding at all levels of government
• Support local centers and scholarships
• Attend public meetings and make your voice heard
• Join our Legislation & Advocacy Committee to stay engaged
• Learn more: https://calbudgetcenter.org/issues/childcare-preschool/
If Teresa or James alert us to pending legislation or budget changes, we’ll mobilize immediately—and we ask you to stand with us.
We envision a future where caregiving is valued, supported, and shared, and where no woman is forced to choose between her children and her career. Because when we invest in childcare, we invest in women's economic freedom, children's futures, and our community's prosperity.
— Lisa & Elsa
Co-Presidents, Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee
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