Nine new childcare start-ups open in SLO
Grant funding helps new businesses increase childcare options
– As the overall supply of childcare programs continued to decrease in California over the last few years, rising childcare costs and accessibility challenges continue to have far-reaching effects economically and socially. To help address this locally, the City of San Luis Obispo invested $108,000 over the last two years in a new pilot project at the Community Action Partnership of SLO County (CAPSLO) designed to increase the number of childcare options in San Luis Obispo.
To date, that program has been successful, according to the City of San Luis Obispo Economic Development Manager Lee Johnson. It’s been so successful that San Luis Obispo City Council just allocated another $25,000 per year for the next two years to the project when it adopted the 2023-25 Financial Plan on June 6.
“The grant funding provided by the city is administered by CAPSLO and can be used to start a child care business, eliminate barriers to obtaining a child care license, and accelerate the creation of quality child care slots in San Luis Obispo,” Johnson said. “Of those who applied, seven opened child care businesses and seven are in the process of obtaining their family child care license. In total, that creates about 112 new childcare slots in SLO.”
Managed through CAPSLO’s existing Child Care Initiative Project, the pilot program called “Direct Support for Family Child Care Start-ups” has helped the following nine child care programs successfully earn their family child care license in the City of San Luis Obispo since January 2022. These new businesses have created 64 new childcare slots for children and their families.
“Child care businesses are largely women-owned businesses and in the City of SLO, more than half of licensed family child care home businesses are minority-owned,” said CAPSLO’s Children Services Manager Shana Paulson. “In the first year of this program, our goal was to see 80% of the grant participants create at least six new childcare spaces – or four if they’re only serving infants or toddlers. We have accomplished that. The city’s investment has resulted in increased options and opportunities for children and their families. We appreciate their partnership in this work.”
Here are a few program highlights:
Agape Preschool: This care center will open on Aug. 14, and is licensed to care for up to 30 children ages two to five. The city’s grant funding allowed the preschool to purchase materials necessary to open up the program and start serving families in San Luis Obispo, such as child-sized tables, chairs, cubbies, and dramatic play items.
Holly’s House Daycare: Opened by Holly Clark in March 2023, Holly’s House Daycare now provides care for up to eight children at a time. Clark used the city’s grant funding to purchase developmentally appropriate materials to enrich children’s development.
Kidz View Daycare: Opened by La’Garyka McElearney in Feb. 2023, Kidz View Daycare now provides care for up to eight children at a time. McElearney used the city’s grant funding to purchase developmentally appropriate materials to enrich children’s development.
Little Wonders Daycare: Opened by Amorita Sjogren in Dec. 2022, Little Wonders Daycare now provides childcare for eight children at a time. Sjogren used the city’s grant funding to purchase developmentally appropriate learning materials for children.
Liz Family Daycare: Opened by Elizabeth Hernandez in Dec. 2022, Liz Family Daycare now provides care for up to eight children at a time. Hernandez used the city’s grant funding to purchase developmentally appropriate materials for children and health and safety items to provide a safe space for children in her care.
Flores Family Child Care: Opened by Graciela Flores in Nov. 2022, Flores Family Child Care now provides care for up to eight children at a time. Flores used the city’s grant funding to purchase developmentally appropriate materials for children and health and safety items to provide a safe space for children in her care.
Little Angels Daycare: Opened by Iraya Smith in Oct. 2022, Little Angels Daycare is an in-home daycare that now provides care for eight children at a time. The business used grant funding to purchase a six-seater stroller, which allows Smith to safely transport the children in her care from one place to another.
Mary’s Daycare: Opened by Maria Torres in Oct. 2022, Mary’s Daycare now provides care for up to eight children at a time. Torres used the city’s grant funding to purchase health and safety items to provide a safe space for all the children in her care. She worked hard to get her Child Care License quickly to be able to continue to support her two teenage daughters.
Gallegos Family Child Care: Opened by Liliana Gallegos in Jan. 2022, Gallegos Family Child Care now provides care for eight children at a time. The business received support from CAPSLO during the licensing process and used grant funding provided by the city to buy materials to support the business, including portable playpens for infants and promotional materials like business cards and flyers.
Get more information about this and other city-funded grant opportunities at www.slocity.org/Grants.
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