On Thursday, Hope the Mission and the Child Care Resource Center celebrated the opening of a daycare at the Woodlands Family Shelter in Woodland Hills.
The state-licensed Early Childhood Learning Center will serve up to 24 kids and will offer full-day care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, according to Hope the Mission CEO Ken Craft.
“This is a big deal because we have 400 beds, 100 families that are homeless that live here on site,” he told KNX News’ Karen Adams. “One of the greatest barriers to helping families get back on their feet is parents going back to work, but how do you go back to work when you have a small child? So, now we've said we're gonna integrate the solution right here on site.”
Craft also said there's a childcare crisis, and daycares like this are needed.
“It's so expensive, one, just to pay for rent, let alone to be able to make sure the kids have everything else that they need,” he said. “Even getting back to school and backpacks and school supplies and their clothes, it's no small process to make sure we have everything that they need. And starting with the youngest, we've got to help them.”
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Liliana, a mother of a three-year-old autistic child, said the daycare is a game-changer.
“I don't have to stress,” he said. “I just have a lot of support.”
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
