Marin Child Care Advocates Fear Crushing Federal Cuts

Child care providers in Marin County are on edge as they wait to see whether their federal funding will be gutted.

The Trump administration announced this month that it was pausing billions of dollars in funding to California and four other Democratic-led states for child care and other social services.

A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the action on Jan. 9, but child care providers in Marin remain concerned.

“A cut like this could be devastating,” said Aideen Gaidmore, executive director of the Marin Child Care Council. “We know our child care system is fragile already. This could be detrimental not only to the families, but the system itself.”

The funding threat comes as local child care advocates test the waters for a possible tax measure to raise additional money. They have been conducting a telephone survey to gauge the public support.

The federal cuts included $7.3 billion through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and $2.4 billion from the Child Care and Development Fund.

“The county does not receive these funds directly from the federal government,” wrote Lisa Warhuus, director of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services. “They are allocated and governed at the state level and administered locally in accordance with those rules.”

In California, TANF funding is administered through CalWORKS, the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids program. Marin County uses the money to provide cash, job training, child care and support services to low-income families.

The Marin Child Care Council subcontracts through the county to provide child care vouchers for families receiving CalWORKS benefits.

Aideen Gaidmore, executive director of the Marin Child Care Council, looks at some of the children's toys at the organization's new offices in San Rafael, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

Gaidmore said a funding freeze would affect 624 Marin families who get child care assistance through the agency and more than 100 child care programs in its voucher program.

Gaidmore estimated the Child Care Council could lose 25% to 50% of its child care funding if the Trump administration’s plan is allowed to go forward. The organization had a budget of $19 million in the fiscal year that ended in June, and $16 million of that went to pay for child care.

“The importance of the voucher program is that it really highlights parental choice,” Gaidmore said. “Parents get to choose where their children go. It also creates a ripple effect because it impacts all of these small businesses who receive the vouchers.”

One of those small businesses is operated by LaTanya Wiggins. The former dental assistant has been operating a day care center out of the ground floor of her Marin City home for the last 19 years.

“I read about it in the papers,” Wiggins said of the proposed cuts. “I promise you, I had nightmares.”

Wiggins said she and her three employees care for 21 kids from 15 families.

Gaidmore said some child care centers in Marin that receive a mix of state and federal funding through general child care and development contracts would also be affected by the proposed cuts. She estimated that 140 children are served through this funding source.

Heidi Tomsky, director of the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center, said $550,000 of the $1.7 million annual grant her center receives from the state comes from the federal government and is at risk.

“The cuts would decimate our infant-toddler program,” Tomsky said. “The infant-toddler is the most expensive program to run for any child care because it requires the highest amount of staffing due to the age of the children.”

The Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center cares for 95 kids and employs 30 people.

Emily Bugos, director of the child development program at North Marin Community Services, said the cuts would affect the funding of half of the 102 children enrolled in the organization’s child care program.

“What people aren’t necessarily realizing is child care is an economic necessity,” Bugos said. “If parents and guardians can’t get to work, they’re losing wages. They can’t contribute to the local economy without accessible child care.”

Bugos said a loss of child care would also harm children by disrupting their learning environment and relationships with caregivers.

Gaidmore said parents who qualify for vouchers also receive case management and referrals to other services.

The funding freeze was implemented after welfare fraud schemes that resulted in billions of dollars in taxpayer losses were uncovered in Minnesota. The federal Department of Health and Human Services, which cut off the funds, has expressed concern about ineligible, undocumented immigrants receiving federal child care benefits.

“Regarding eligibility, requirements vary by program and are established by federal and state law,” Warhuus said. “Some programs require verification of lawful presence or citizenship for certain benefits, while others do not.”

The threat of cuts comes at a time when demand for child care in Marin outstrips the supply. Gaidmore said 566 Marin children are on the waiting list for vouchers.

In a November opinion piece in the Independent Journal, Gaidmore wrote that if the county were to pass a tax measure providing additional funding, more workers could be recruited “by offering dignified wages — well above the $23.50 average cited in the 2024 Marin Child Care Council Workforce Survey.”

Joanne Webster, chief executive officer of the North Bay Leadership Council, said the Trump administration’s attacks on early childhood education, coupled with declining state funding, are driving interest in a ballot initiative.

“Several foundations are concerned enough about the fragile state of the child care system that they pooled resources to conduct polling, and it found strong support for a dedicated source of local funding,” Webster said.

Webster added that while support is not strong enough for a county-placed measure, which would require two-thirds support to pass, a citizens’ initiative would require a simple majority.

Vikki Garrod, a spokesperson for the Marin Community Foundation, said, “We contributed a grant towards the costs associated with the polling process which was led by a committee of early childhood providers/advocates.”