SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Picking out the perfect princess dress is just one part of Lexy Zuniga’s long day. Zuniga is a single mom with two jobs. So she sometimes needs help taking care of her three year old daughter, Remy.
“Trying to find childcare is just like so difficult, difficult with everything,” Zuniga said. “You have to go over their medical stuff, get clearance from doctors and so it’s a struggle. It's a long process and obviously childcare itself is extremely expensive.”
The County estimates that 77% of parents struggle to find caregivers for their children.
“Things that keep me up at night are wondering how we’re going to get through the next week with our schedule, what do I have to flip around?”
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors passed two policies to help. First, they plan to hire a third party contractor to help daycare centers expand staffing and facilities, and train their workforce. Second, the board agreed to a pilot program for emergency flex days. This means they'll offer County employees designated time off to take care of their kids in addition to their sick days and PTO.
The County Administrative Officer will now start next steps but the timeline for implementation is unclear. For Zuniga, it couldn't come sooner.
“My reaction is: will it actually help? Will they actually be willing to help people like us in our situation?”
