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Gov. Newsom expanded free preschool. Now private daycares say they can’t afford to stay open (apnews.com)

submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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There were once so many children at Frisha Moore’s Elk Grove preschool that families filled up the waitlist. Now, one of her playgrounds and two classrooms sit empty because one key group of kids has stopped coming.

Dozens of families in recent years have opted not to enroll their 4-year-olds at Moore Learning Preschool & Child Care Center, she said. Instead, they’re putting their children in transitional kindergarten, California’s new public pre-kindergarten grade.

Even though she provides a full day of preschool, compared with transitional kindergarten that lasts only about 3.5 hours, Moore can’t compete: Public school is free. She hasn’t broken even in months and thinks about closing the preschool, “every single day.” That would remove 91 licensed child care spots from the county, including 20 for children under age 2, for whom child care options are particularly scarce.

Transitional kindergarten’s expansion is one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature educational achievements and a key part of his legacy on how California cares for its youngest residents.

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[-] rockSlayer@lemmy.blahaj.zone 104 points 6 months ago

Capitalist crying crocodile tears because they can't make money off of children anymore.

[-] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 48 points 6 months ago

More petit bourgeois whining if you ask me. Adapt your model, or close your doors and figure something else out.

Free education and care for all children vs. crippling childcare costs for a few is more than a fair trade off imo.

[-] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 11 points 6 months ago

Free education and care for all children

… is not happening right now in California. Kids under 4 aren’t eligible, and are also more expensive to find daycare options for. That’s not going to get fixed by driving a bunch of daycares out of business.

The solution is obviously more state run care for younger children, but that’s not what exists right now. So it’s going to be a problem if a solution isn’t passed before these daycares start closing down.

[-] Inucune@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

Why don't the daycares shift focus to the younger kids? The older kids are going to tk and the daycares are not going to be able to compete for that demographic. Shift your services or collapse. There isn't going to be a daycare bailout.

[-] Soup@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

If the other options don’t exist then how are the private daycares struggling to fill the classrooms? People need their kids taken care of, I doubt anyone is prematurely taking their kids out of private daycare.

[-] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 21 points 6 months ago

"Waaahhh! Nobody wants to buy my canned air because they cracked down on air pollution!"

this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2026

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