By DAILY PRESS STAFF
LOS ANGELES The child care industry directly employs more than 65,000 people and generates more than $1.9 billion annually for the local economy, according to a study released Monday county officials.
“The child care industry is a significant part of Los Angeles County’s economic infrastructure,” said county Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, who also chairs the county Children’s Planning Council.
“These small businesses not only educate and care for our children, but lay the groundwork for the county’s future economic success by preparing the next generation for constructive participation in the economy, which will help in attracting business to the area,” Burke added.
The findings were presented at a conference for business and government leaders by the Los Angeles Child Care Planning Committee, Los Angeles Universal Preschool and the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board.
The study was conducted by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. Researchers examined licensed and regulated care countywide to assess the direct and indirect impact the child care industry has had on the local economy.
In the county, an estimated 15 percent of the workforce has children ages 13 years and younger, and live in households where all parents work. While population numbers appear to be stable, more families are entering the workforce, so the demand for child care and development services continues to grow.
“The findings demonstrate the important connection between accessibility to high quality child care and the economic well-being and future of Los Angeles County,” said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Key points of the study show the child care industry: • Employs 65,000 people. • Generates $1.9 billion annually. • Benefits all industries in the county by enabling parents to work and attend job training/education programs to upgrade skills. • Supports the employment of thousands of families whose earnings are estimated at more than $22 billion. • Is projected to generate the sixth highest number of new jobs between 2006 and 2016 of all industries in Los Angeles County.
Recommendations targeted at businesses, government and the child care industry include: • Enhancing the affordability and accessibility of quality early childhood education (ECE), enabling children to receive the full benefit of a quality early education experience and working families obtain and maintain employment. • Developing an ECE industry-wide workforce development agenda to ensure a well qualified workforce for an expanding ECE sector. • Encouraging regional and local planning entities, including cities and community redevelopment agencies, to incorporate ECE issues into their agendas.
Members of the advisory board that oversaw the development of the report included Evelyn Martinez, First 5 LA; Bruce Ackerman, Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley; Maria Elena Durazo, LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Martin Castro, Mexican- American Opportunity Foundation; and Rafael Lopez, City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families.
The $210,000 study was funded by the Los Angeles Child Care Planning Committee, Los Angeles Universal Preschool, and the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board.
A copy of the executive summary and the full report is available at www.childcare.lacounty.gov.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 15, 2008. Read the original PDF.