From Local to Statewide

Build Up's Journey from Local to Statewide Impact

How a Shortage of Space Launched a Movement.

In 2017, San Mateo County identified a significant shortage of nearly 11,000 early childhood education spaces. It became clear that financial incentives alone were inadequate; the county had rejected $1 million in state support for subsidized childcare due to a lack of facilities to accommodate these programs. To address the shortage of childcare facilities, Build Up San Mateo County (BUSMC) was established. Read more about their story here.

Today, Build Up California utilizes a scaled model of BUSMC’s work to support child care supply building statewide. With support from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Low Income Investment Fund launched Build Up California in 2020 as an advocacy initiative to advance policy, education, and best practices to expand access to high quality child care facilities. We rely on multi-sector collaboration to provide technical assistance, financing and innovative solutions for the sector.

A young child playing with wooden blocks and toys in a backyard play area with a tree and wood chips on the ground, surrounded by a wooden fence.
Heising-Simons Foundation logo with overlapping blue, green, and yellow shapes and text.
Low-Income Investment Fund logo with green, blue, and white shapes and rounded elements.

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