Ten months after the Eaton Fire in Altadena that destroyed her home and workplace in three hours, Audry Hernandez still doesn't know when she'll be able to reopen her daycare.

“We lost everything. I was left without a job and without a home. Not only me but my two children, and my parents who live with my husband and These past few months, we've been living off my husband's job because no one wants to rent us a house in Altadena or Pasadena. When we tell them we'll use it to open a childcare center, they reject our rental application," Audry says. And she's not the only childcare provider suffering. Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) reported that of 200 childcare providers in Altadena, 60 were affected by the fires, either losing their homes or suffering damage. Many of them didn't have insurance against accidents.

Twenty years ago, Blanca Carrillo, Audry's mother, opened the Carrillo Family Child Care in Altadena, never imagining that one night, the flames would snuff out her dream come true.

"We left at three in the morning, and by six in the morning, nothing remained of our home and job. We had lost everything," says Audry.

They cared for between 12 and 14 children daily at their daycare center, where she was supported by her mother and two or three other workers.

"Our plans are to rebuild the house in the same place and reopen the daycare, but the process of obtaining permits from the county has been very complicated and expensive."

Despite having lost everything, Audrey says they continue to pay the mortgage on their house and the rent on the apartment they have rented.

"We owe "We still have $500,000 left on the house, and the insurance coverage won't be enough to rebuild our home; the contractors have given us an estimate of $250,000 to rebuild. So we're going to have to take out another loan on top of the mortgage we already have."

Dozens of child care providers affected not only by the fires but also by immigration raids testified before members of the state legislature's committee on child care costs at a meeting at City Hall in Burbank, California.

Statewide, SEIU Local 99 represents 60,000 child care providers or daycare owners; In Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, there are 25,000.

Sylvia Hernandez, who runs her daycare in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, said many childcare providers have struggled to get back on their feet after the Altadena fire.

“They lost their homes and jobs, but many parents affected by the fire also moved to other places,” she said.

But the vast majority have also been affected by immigration raids.

“What I'm doing is going to homes to pick up children to take them to daycare because their parents don't want to go out, they're afraid.”

Some parents have even given their notarized permission to stay in charge of their children if federal immigration agents detain them.

“It's very sad, but I appreciate the trust they have placed in us.”

And they have also informed themselves about their rights as immigrants.

Among the requests made to the legislature by the childcare providers who gave their testimony, they highlight maintaining subsidies for families who prefer to stay at home or funding or providing transportation so that children can continue attending daycare if their parents cannot take them.

They asked the state to guarantee broad and comprehensive training for childcare providers that addresses both the legal framework and trauma, and that includes “know your rights” workshops.

Other requests were to guarantee the privacy and security of the data and information that parents provide to daycare centers.

Sylvia Hernandez says that childcare providers are paid through a state subsidy, but in many cases, the parents are the ones who cover their services.

“The state It gives us about $7.67 per child per hour, which is very little for a state as wealthy as California. That's why we're asking for wage rates that incentivize providers to do this work that families need and that's hard to find. the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, said many childcare providers have struggled to get back on their feet after the Altadena fire.

“They lost their homes and jobs, but many parents affected by the fire also moved to other places,” she said.

But the vast majority have also been affected by immigration raids.

“What I'm doing is going to homes to pick up children to take them to daycare because their parents don't want to go out, they're afraid.”

Some parents have even given her notarized permission to stay in charge of their children if federal immigration agents detain them.

“It's very sad, but I appreciate the trust they have placed in us.”

And they have also informed themselves about their rights as immigrants.

Among the requests made to the legislature by the childcare providers who gave their testimony, they highlight maintaining subsidies for families who prefer to stay at home or funding or providing transportation so that children can continue attending daycare if their parents cannot take them.

They asked the state to guarantee broad and comprehensive training for childcare providers that addresses both the legal framework and trauma, and that includes “know your rights” workshops.

Other requests were to guarantee the privacy and security of the data and information that parents provide to daycare centers.

Sylvia Hernandez says that childcare providers are paid through a state subsidy, but in many cases, the parents are the ones who cover their services.

“The state It gives us about $7.67 per child per hour, which is very little for a state as wealthy as California. That's why we're asking for wage rates that incentivize providers to do this work that families need and that's hard to find. the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, said many childcare providers have struggled to get back on their feet after the Altadena fire.

“They lost their homes and jobs, but many parents affected by the fire also moved to other places,” she said.

But the vast majority have also been affected by immigration raids.

“What I'm doing is going to homes to pick up children to take them to daycare because their parents don't want to go out, they're afraid.”

Some parents have even given their notarized permission to stay in charge of their children if federal immigration agents detain them.

“It's very sad, but I appreciate the trust they have placed in us.”

And they have also informed themselves about their rights as immigrants.

Among the requests made to the legislature by the childcare providers who gave their testimony, they highlight maintaining subsidies for families who prefer to stay at home or funding or providing transportation so that children can continue attending daycare if their parents cannot take them.

They asked the state to guarantee broad and comprehensive training for childcare providers that addresses both the legal framework and trauma, and that includes “know your rights” workshops.

Other requests were to guarantee the privacy and security of the data and information that parents provide to daycare centers.

Sylvia Hernandez says that childcare providers are paid through a state subsidy, but in many cases, the parents are the ones who cover their services.

“The state It gives us about $7.67 per child per hour, which is very little for a state as wealthy as California. That's why we're asking for wage rates that incentivize providers to do this work that families need and that's hard to find.”