How Affordable Is Childcare in Santa Barbara?
Local Parents Forgo Licensed Centers to Pay Thousands Out of Pocket
The Indy is the Santa Barbara Independent’s podcast, hosted by Molly McAnany. On this week’s episode, Zoë Schiffer, freelance reporter for the Santa Barbara Independent, shares more about this week’s cover story where she dissects accessibility to childcare in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is a unique case. Pre-K programs are impacted, and there are few licensed childcare centers in the area. This is leading many parents to forgo waitlists and pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for childcare so that they can return to work. Schiffer shares her own experience as a new mother and debriefs the stories of five local families who have struggled through the financial and emotional burden of securing care for their children.
The following is a lightly edited transcript of this week’s episode, which you can listen to here or wherever you get your podcasts.
