Some years back, my husband and I fostered our first baby. She was an adorable 8 month old girl and we were so excited to take care of her. The only challenge was that both of us worked full time. That meant we had to quickly find a safe daycare for her that was near our home or office.

After quite a bit of legwork and research, we were able to secure a spot for her at a great daycare near our home. The cost was $1550 per month. Although we were able to get some reimbursement by working with Bananas, we paid for most of it out of our pocket.  

When talking to another foster parent recently, I learned about the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program. The program was established in 2018 by the State, right after we had our placement, and provides a time-limited “bridge” to longer-term child care solutions.

The Bridge program has 3 major components:

• Emergency Childcare Vouchers: Families may receive a time-limited voucher to assist with child care costs for children in the foster care system birth through age 12, and for youth with exceptional needs up to age 21. A voucher may be issued for an initial six-months, and then renewed for an additional six months, or until the child is successfully transitioned into long-term, subsidized child care. Reimbursement ceilings are published on this website: Reimbursement Ceilings for Subsidized Child Care – Child Development (California Dept of Social Services)
• Child Care Navigator: The child care navigator works with the eligible family and others authorized to assess child care opportunities and provide consumer education based on the child’s age and needs.
• Trauma Informed Care Training and Coaching: Through the Bridge Program, child care providers have access to trauma-informed care training and coaching.

Enrolling in the Program

To enroll in the program you need to ask your Social Worker to submit an application. Here is an example of the Alameda County Referral form.

To learn more about the Bridge Program, click here.

Author: T. Rejali with gratitude to Patty J for providing information about this resource