ARPA Funds Allocated to Early Care and Learning Infrastructure
A historical investment by our County! Your voice made a difference! In June, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors announced the approval of $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to be invested locally in key child care and learning infrastructure including: teacher retention and attraction incentives, child care stipends for families, and child care business start-up support.
It’s been a hard year for our essential child care workers. “Teaching children in the first years of their life can be very gratifying,” shared Alejandra Salgado, Migrant Head Start Teacher, during public comment at a Board of Supervisors meeting. “However, the only disadvantage is the low salary.”
“Increasing child care equals a win for the economy and for families,” Francine Rodd, Executive Director of First 5 Monterey County shared. “Providers can keep their jobs to pay the bills; parents will find care and return to work; and the children will benefit from the expert care and socialization that child care provides.” You can read Francine’s full op-ed piece in the MCWeekly here.
A huge thank you to all who advocated during the budgeting process; we all play a role in building the child care and learning infrastructure we need for an equitably prosperous Monterey County. Click here to read the July 2021 Salinas Valley Business Journal article, page 14.