The Marin Child Care Council reported to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on April 22 that a $1 million ARPA allocation (distributed in two phases) helped build teacher retention supports in early childhood education through a pilot called LIFT.

Kelsey Lombardi and Adene Guidemore of the Marin Child Care Council described LIFT as a guaranteed-income-style program that paired monthly cash assistance with individualized case management and education supports for early childhood educators. "What made us unique is that we had more of a personalization in terms of, like, attentional well-being support for these professionals," Lombardi said.

Program outcomes: Lombardi reported that 17 of the 22 participants remained in the field at the end of the pilot, that 71 percent of teachers in the program received a raise or promotion, and that participants used stipends for housing stability, paying down debt, reliable transportation, higher education, and family reunification. "Since starting the project, I am more happy, I feel good, I have more confidence. I am excited to come to work on Monday and teach," Lombardi quoted a participating educator.

Why it matters: Presenters and several supervisors described the pilot as a targeted response to a longstanding early childhood workforce crisis, saying money plus case management improved retention and worker well-being. Staff and presenters warned ARPA funding is time-limited and said state and federal budget changes could threaten child-care infrastructure.

Board action: Supervisor Lukin moved to accept the report; the motion was seconded by Supervisor Malton Peters and recorded as approved by voice vote. The county executive said staff will continue work on child-care system planning and noted the county’s earlier strategic direction that allocated ARPA funds to early childhood projects.

The presentation included next steps and outreach: a provider appreciation dinner on May 30 and continued partnership between the county and the Marin Child Care Council to advocate for stable funding for 0–5 programs and to share lessons from the LIFT pilot with other counties and state partners.