Published by San Jose Spotlight
In Santa Clara County and throughout California, young mothers do not have equitable access to child care or economic opportunities.
In a study conducted by the Young Women’s Freedom Center and Alliance for Girls, young mothers in Santa Clara County said their main barriers to child care were high costs, service ineligibility for parents under 18, lack of accommodations for unconventional work schedules and transportation issues.
The findings echo data from a 2022 report by Children Now showing child care costs are the highest household expense in nearly every California county, surpassing housing. Meanwhile, the Public Policy Institute of California says the state’s underinvestment in child care undercuts families’ economic stability and the state’s economic growth, with lack of early childhood care costing California an estimated $6.8 billion annually.