Child care costs in Bakersfield have reached $700/month for infants while providers continue closing. How are local families ...

Child care workers typically earned $13.71 an hour, or $28,520 a year, in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment remains lower than it was prior to the pandemic.

What both sides commonly miss is that a strong child care system does not stand opposed to the family, but in fact cultivates healthy soil in which family values can grow and thrive.

Hundreds of child care providers in 27 states and Washington, D.C., went on strike Monday to remind policymakers how essential they are, not only to families but to the nation’s economy.