In San Diego, the average price of care for two young children consumes 40% of a family's household budget. Employer-sponsored child care is becoming a vital part of the solution to maintain a strong workforce. This can only happen with collaboration and partnership.
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 135, has a membership of approximately 12,000 workers and nearly 7000 retirees throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. The membership consists of workers in various fields including grocery & retail, medical, pharmacy & dental, meat & sugar processing, casino, and cannabis. The mission of UFCW Local 135 is to improve the lives of working families and to bring justice to the workplace.
March and Ash is a customer-focused, licensed cannabis dispensary with five locations throughout the counties of San Diego and Imperial and more locations opening within the coming year. With more than 400 employees, March and Ash believes that everyone deserves a comfortable and confident cannabis experience and prioritizes customer education, safety, and satisfaction.
For over 40 years, YMCA Childcare Resource Service has been supporting families in San Diego to find the best child care solution to fit their needs. From searching for quality care to support in child care payment, we are committed to building a thriving community together.
A HUMAN CONNECTION
We believe that when it comes to leaving your child in a safe, dependable program, a swipe or a tap is not enough. That's why our experienced, caring team members are committed to supporting your families every step of the way in their child care journey.
Our team is available through phone, email, zoom or in-person. Whichever is most convenient for your families.
OUR SERVICES: PAYING FOR CARE
Child care can cost as much as college tuition and we understand the struggles of San Diego families have in finding affordable and available care. We have decades of experience and a large team to support March and Ash's employees through this process.
How does it work?
We use the child care voucher system and work directly with child care providers to ensure payment is on time and accurate. Here's a breakdown of how it works:
- A dedicated YMCA team member will work with your employees to get information like work schedules, ages of children and answer any questions they have.
- Our team member then facilitates identification of any child care provider the employee chooses (center, family child care home, or even a family, friend, or neighbor)
- Employees receive a certificate indicating the hours of child care they are approved for.
- We take it from there and will work with your HR team on approvals, billing, and working directly with providers to pay actual care used.
Can we pay a portion of child care?
YES! We can design the back end of our voucher system to take partial or full payments. We can work with families to let them know exactly how much of a fee to expect based on the provider they chose. We will also work closely with your admin team to set up a maximum contribution for child care.
Do all child care providers charge the same amount?
Child care rates depend on several factors like location, whether it is center-based or within a home, and if they offer infant care.
OUR SERVICES: CHILD CARE NAVIGATION
Looking for child care is one of the most important decisions parents in your company have to make. The quality of care impacts a child's ability to learn, grow and build healthy relationships. We've streamlined the search process with our enhanced referral system to help parents make the best decision for their families.
Child Care Programs in San Diego
There are currently 3400 licensed family child care programs and 980 licensed child care centers in San Diego. And guess what? We are connected to all of them as San Diego's only resource & referral agency. Parents can choose to either browse through our online referral widget or use our enhanced referral system where our team does the heavy lifting in the search process. Here is how enhanced referrals works:
- Parents meet with one of our referral advisors to fill out a simple questionnaire. This helps us identify what needs your employees have regarding child care, such as location preference, child care type, and if they need infant care.
- The referral advisor will pull a list of available programs based on the parents' criteria and will connect with each provider to see if it will be a good fit for the family.
- The referral advisor will then give the family a refined list of providers and walk them through resources to choose a quality program.
WORKING TOGETHER
UFCW Local 135 + March and Ash + YMCA
In 2021, UFCW Local 135, March and Ash, and the YMCA began working together to discover a better way to support employees with child care payment and planning. Starting in 2022, March and Ash will contribute $4500 a year towards child care costs per eligible employee. The Y will coordinate payments to the child care programs of an employee's choice. In addition, March and Ash employees will work with a YMCA team member to help with other child care needs such as searching and enrolling for care, parent workshops, or getting access to additional resources.
How does this work?
- In December 2021, employees will enter their schedules into the YMCA's Voucher system.
- March and Ash's HR team will alert the Y of participation once the employee has been with March and Ash for 90 days.
- The Y will facilitate the payments by:
- Setting up the child care provider into our system
- Track use of child care hours
- Pays child care provider monthly based on designated amount and care used
Frequently asked Questions
- When will this start? Child care payments will be made to providers beginning January 2022.
- How much do I get for child care? Eligible employees will have access to $4500 worth of child care per year.
- Do I get the money directly? The YMCA pays the child care provider directly using March and Ash funds on behalf of the parent for actual care used.
- What if I need additional financial support? There are various government programs to help families who need additional help paying for care. Our team has the experience to help employees through the application process of getting assistance through government funding.
- What happens if I no longer work for March and Ash? Terminated employees will receive benefits through the quarter they were terminated.
- What is the rollover policy? A 'use it or lose it' policy will be in place for the year. Unused credit will remain in the child care fund for March and Ash, YMCA, and UFCW 135 to collectively determine how it will be used for next year.
- I don't have a child care provider, how do I get one? Reach out to your YMCA referral advisor for referrals, or search our online referral database.
OTHER SERVICES: YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
We are the largest YMCA in the country. In partnering with us, your employees will have access to a whole support system where the well-being of children and families is at the heart of our services. Your employees can access:
- 13 different locations throughout San Diego County with a membership at the Y. LEARN MORE.
- Hundreds of safe, fun, and creative programs for people of all ages, such as swim lessons and camp. LEARN MORE.
- Counseling and well-being support with trained mental health professionals. LEARN MORE.
CONTACT
YMCA: Kim McDougal, Executive Director | kmcdougal@ymcasd.org.
March and Ash: Bret Peace, General Counsel | bret@marchandash.com
UFCW Local 135: Maribel McKinze, Recorder/Political and Organizing Director | mmckinze@ufcw135.com