March 25, 2025

For Immediate Release

Redwood City — To address a dire shortage of credentialed early childhood educators, the County is taking an innovative approach to attract people to the field.

Up to $4.5 million in funds from the local Measure K half-cent sales tax will help pay for tuition, textbooks, internships and other supports for trainees as well as veteran educators seeking advanced credentials over the next three years. The goal is to fill a shortage of early-education teaching and assistant teaching positions at programs from Daly City to Pescadero.

“This is a win for families and this is a win for individuals who want to become early-childhood educators,” said David Canepa, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “When quality, affordable child care is hard to find, it’s hard on families and also hard on businesses that need to recruit and retain qualified workers.”

There’s a need for nearly 3,000 early childhood educators in San Mateo County, according to a 2022 San Mateo County Childcare Needs Assessment, leaving a shortage of more than 17,000 child care spaces. The challenge was further verified and personalized by a 2024 study by the Commission on the Status of Women, which conducted interviews and focus groups with families and providers.

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