Opinion: How One California County Is Building a Childcare System From the Ground Up

Alameda County, California, voters approved Measure C in 2020, a half-cent sales tax generating $150 million annually to build an early childhood care system. The initiative has already invested $135 million, supporting 20,000 children, 6,400 educators, and childcare infrastructure. The effort aims to address systemic underinvestment in childcare, with challenges including a shortage of subsidized care and preparedness gaps for kindergarten.