**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
December 5, 2022
Media Contacts:
Victoria Gomez, tori@youngwomenfree.org, (213)642-7627
Uchenna Esomonu, uchenna@alliance4girls.org, 510-629-9464
THERE IS A CHILD CARE CRISIS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Young Women’s Freedom Center and Alliance for Girls report shows the need to fund local programs that provide young parents with reliable services
Santa Clara County, CA – Today, Young Women’s Freedom Center (YWFC) and Alliance for Girls (AFG) released a new report from their year-long youth participatory research looking into the experiences and needs of young mothers in Santa Clara County.
Among the key findings, the report shows a lack of access to childcare as the biggest barrier to young mothers progressing in education and maintaining meaningful work. In addition, harsh stigma and biases from service providers also impeded access to critical resources.
“A lot of moms aren’t able to work or go to school due to a lack of childcare. This not only puts a toll on their mental health but it also negatively impacts their self-determination because they feel as if they’re unable to provide for their family.” says Arabella Guevara, a research fellow at YWFC and young mom.
The research was conducted as part of the When Young Moms Thrive, We All Do program at YWFC and AFG. In addition to providing a picture of the experiences of young moms in Santa Clara County (SCC), the report sets out five recommendations for policymakers and local government departments in order to solve the childcare crisis and support young parents.
Among these recommendations are an increase in federal funding for subsidized programs, expanded services for parents under the age of 18, a standardized and transparent selection process to ensure equitable access to childcare services across county agencies, a Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot program to provide monthly payments for at least 100 young moms, and mandated stigma-free trainings for childcare providers led by young parents.
“We know best what we need for our families. This was demonstrated through our research findings, our cultural and narrative change work, and in the recommendations that we have provided. As a young mom myself, I want to thank Santa Clara County for funding this pilot program and I am asking policymakers and funders to uplift the work of WYMT by sharing the report with your networks and by including young moms in decisions that impact them the most.” says Viviana Arenas, a research fellow at AFG.
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For more information, read the full report.
About Young Women’s Freedom Center
Since 1993, Young Women’s Freedom Center has provided support, mentorship, training, employment, and advocacy to young women and trans youth of all genders in California who have grown up in poverty, experienced the juvenile legal and foster care systems, have had to survive living and working on the streets, and who have experienced significant violence in their lives. Our mission is to build the power and leadership of directly impacted young people and inspire them to create positive change in their lives and communities.
About Alliance For Girls
Alliance for Girls mobilizes girls’ champions to address barriers facing girls, create conditions for their success, and advance systemic change to achieve equity.