The San Diego Tribune: San Diego police child care center ready to open in January

A new child care center for San Diego police is ready to open early next year — one of a growing number of local efforts to recruit and retain public employees and to expand access to child care more broadly.

The center, located in Kearny Mesa, will offer extended hours to accommodate police officers’ schedules and will price its care at half the market rate.

It’s expected to open in January, and its operator, KinderCare, is working with a wait list of parents to determine their needs.

KinderCare will also pay its staff 20 percent above the market rate, according to the city. Low pay has long been a key factor in the shortage of child care — a problem compounded by how little the state pays providers of subsidized care.

At the new facility in Police Plaza, city officials and the Police Officers Association, which spearheaded the effort, held a ribbon-cutting last week, after inking a five-year lease last year.

“This childcare center has been years in the making and is a great example of innovative, police-led solutions that benefit our officers and our communities who depend on them,” Chief David Nisleit said.

The effort is funded for three years with $5.7 million in grants, including $3 million from the state.

The center’s opening will come amid a concentrated push by the city to hire more police officers. More recruitment funding was among the top budget priorities the City Council sent to the mayor last month.

Police officials have already undertaken new efforts of their own, including holding hiring expos aimed specifically at women. The city aims to have women make up 30 percent of its new recruiting classes by 2030. Last year’s was 23 percent.

The child care center is one of several perks that a range of public agencies across San Diego County are offering to attract and retain workers — particularly amid shortages of affordable care and housing.

The Sheriff’s Department has partnered with a local tech startup, TOOTRiS, to offer its staff access to the company’s child care search platform.

San Diego Unified School District plans to build its first affordable housing for employees after voters approved a $3.2 billion bond measure last year.

And San Diego voters last year also passed a ballot measure to allow city properties such as recreation centers to host child-care facilities. But the city faces new hurdles to making that a reality — including getting facilities up to licensing requirements and finding the funding needed to do it.

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