FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2020
Corporations and Philanthropies generate $500,000 in support of San Mateo Child Care Relief Fund
THE CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE, GOOGLE, THE CITY OF SAN CARLOS, FACEBOOK, CALWATER, THE COMMUNITY FUND OF SAN CARLOS & NEW COMMUNITY CHURCH CONTRIBUTE TO CHILD CARE RELIEF FUND
San Mateo County – Local businesses, government, philanthropies, and community organizations have contributed $500,000 to support the San Mateo County Child Care Relief Fund, which will assist local childcare providers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Home child care providers serving children ages 0-13 will receive grants up to $10,000. Child care centers, many of which face higher costs and lower incomes, will receive grants up to $55,000.
Child care providers — a critical workforce in our community — have been severely impacted by Covid-19. Local leaders recognize the need for multisector support that builds upon CARES Act funding allocated by the Board of Supervisors to address the unmet need in San Mateo County.
Redwood-City based Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) committed $200,000 to support the Fund. CZI is joined by a broad coalition of donors that includes churches, foundations, utilities and local employers. Additional contributions include $100,000 from Google, $50,000 from Facebook, $10,000 from CalWater, $10,000 from the Community Fund of San Carlos and $10,000 from New Community Church.
“In San Mateo County and across the Bay Area, CZI is focused on supporting communities most impacted by Covid-19. This includes child care providers, who offer a critical service in our community, but often have limited financial means,” said Andrea Jones, Director, Community Affairs, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. “We are proud to live in a community where neighbors are stepping up to support one another. We’ll need to continue to work together as the long-term effects of the pandemic become more clear.”
“We know that without child care there is no economic recovery. This is an investment not only in working families and children but also in ensuring a faster recovery for our City and County. We are grateful to CZI and to all the donors who have stepped up,” said Redwood City Councilwoman Giselle Hale.
According to Dayna Chung of Community Equity Collaborative, the administrator of the fund, “our goal is to provide a lifeline to this vital human infrastructure that powers our economy, with a deliberate focus on the providers serving the most vulnerable children in San Mateo County. Child care affects all of us and supporting it takes everyone.“ Rebecca Prozan, a Bay Area policy lead at Google, shared that “Google is a proud, early supporter of the San Mateo Child Care Relief Fund, a critical safety net for families and the entire community as we continue to grapple with the impacts from COVID-19.”
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PRESS CONTACTS:
Christine Padilla, Director
Build Up for San Mateo County’s Children