High costs, limited space present preschool burdens for Bay Area families

The San Jose Mercury News reports:

Heather Samuelson is a preschool teacher who isn’t teaching anymore because it makes more economic sense to stay home than place her youngest child in daycare or preschool, assuming she could even find one.

For the Brentwood mother of five, it’s not the first time she has chosen the home option over sending her children to preschool, which these days cost more than some colleges. Across the state, millions of parents are wrestling with the same dilemma as they face soaring preschool tuition exacerbated by a shortage of enrollment slots.

Almost half of California families with 3- or 4-year-olds cannot find preschool spaces for their children, regardless of whether they can afford to or must rely on subsidies, according to a recent study of preschool access by UC Berkeley and American Institutes for Research. For child care involving infants and toddlers under 3, the picture is even bleaker, as just one in eight families can find a licensed center.

“Really good preschools are full — they are just packed and there are long waiting lists for top-notch preschools,” Samuelson said. The other problem? “It’s a big cost.”

The struggles of Blue America...