When childcare provider Cassandra Davis started her business a decade ago, she advertised on Craigslist and Nextdoor.<\/p>\n
Now, new families learn about her through word-of-mouth. Emails pile up fast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI work 12 hours a day,\u201d Davis said. \u201cGetting back to families is one of the things I struggle with. Because I have a one-hour nap time \u2014 where I\u2019m lucky if everybody\u2019s napping, but they\u2019re not always napping \u2014 or I\u2019m calling families at like 7 at night or 6:30 in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making those connections with parents is vital to her small business staying afloat, especially when she has openings. She runs ECOdove Learning Center out of her home in Normal Heights.<\/p>\n
When she\u2019s fully booked, she brings in about $7,000 a month. Right now, she has two open spots for infants, bringing her monthly income down to $4,500.<\/p>\n
\u201cI may be eating ramen this week,\u201d she said. \u201cThe kids will have their organic, great food. But this week I\u2019m eating ramen.\u201d<\/p>\n
A website from the YMCA of San Diego County could help providers like Davis reach parents in search of childcare<\/a>. Childcare San Diego<\/a> relaunched in May.<\/p>\n Families can look for childcare openings, see if they\u2019re eligible for financial assistance and contact providers directly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really wanted this to be a one-stop shop,\u201d said Kim McDougal, the YMCA\u2019s chief social impact officer.<\/p>\n Shortly after the website relaunched, a parent found and enrolled in a subsidized childcare program within a week, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat could have taken a month prior, or even more,\u201d McDougal said.<\/p>\n The new site can help families determine their eligibility for childcare assistance and narrow down their search for providers who accept it, McDougal said.<\/p>\n But there also isn\u2019t enough funding<\/a> to assist all families who qualify. Just 22% of eligible families in San Diego County receive childcare assistance, according to the YMCA<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tuition and subsidies usually don\u2019t cover the cost of providing high-quality childcare, they add.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll never be able to charge parents as much as it costs a childcare provider to run a business without some kind of external support,\u201d McDougal said.<\/p>\n