California State Teams Up With Upwards (formerly WeeCare) To Make Childcare Subsidies More Efficient

Los Angeles, CA, November 22, 2022 — Upwards (formerly WeeCare), the nation’s largest childcare network, announces their Upwards subsidy program, a new financial assistance program to expand access to quality childcare in California.

Through Upwards subsidy program, Upwards will award over $1 million in childcare subsidies to in-need families. Upwards’ unique technology will streamline waiting lists, effectively match families with quality caregivers and allow for instantaneous reimbursement to childcare providers.

Funded through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Upwards subsidy program is the next step in Upwards’ efforts to solve the childcare crisis.

Due to staffing shortages and limited enrollment, California parents currently struggle to secure affordable quality childcare, and many are frustrated by the inefficiencies of existing subsidy systems:

• Childcare assistance programs can be complicated for parents to access, understand and utilize.
• Families frequently spend so long on waitlists that their children age out of childcare provider options before becoming approved.
• In-home daycare providers — the backbone of the childcare industry — hesitate to accept families receiving financial aid because they operate on thin margins and risk going out of business with subsidy reimbursements taking 21 days.
• Currently, in Los Angeles County only 6% of income-eligible babies and toddlers receive subsidized childcare.

Upwards subsidy program is designed to break the vicious cycle.

Effective immediately, subsidy assistance will be available to in-need families living in zip codes identified as priority areas by Local Planning Councils (LPCs) in Los Angeles and Kern counties. Upwards expects the program to expand to support the larger California population within the following year.

Upwards’ technology-backed selection algorithm is able to quickly and accurately identify the highest-priority families, ensuring safe, quality care is offered to those who need it most.

To see if they qualify for Upwards subsidy program assistance, parents and guardians are encouraged to fill out an application at upwards.com/childcare-assistance or call (323) 410-5479 to apply. The High-Need High-Risk Family Assessment matrix, which considers a range of childhood factors, will be used to determine prioritization and waitlist ranking.

Once qualified for subsidies, families will work with Upwards’ Dedicated Care Managers to match with in-home daycare providers — and will be supported throughout the entire enrollment and care experience.

Additionally, Upwards’ Dedicated Care Coaches will work with in-home licensed daycares to monitor quality and safety, conduct a number of internal and external assessments, and provide resources and training. Childcare providers will be able to invoice Upwards through the app and receive payments within 24-72 hours. As a result, Upwards subsidy program will eliminate time-consuming paperwork and lengthy reimbursement cycles, allowing caregivers to maintain their income and focus on what matters most: children.

“Upwards is proud to announce the launch of our subsidy program, which will allow us to help more families directly receive financial assistance,” said Jessa Santangelo, VP of Business Development and Community Impact at Upwards. “As the first tech company in California to receive state funding to administer childcare subsidies, we are ideally positioned to make childcare more efficient. Of our provider network, 40 percent are currently working with families who have subsidized care, and with the Upwards subsidy program, we will help even more families receive much-needed services. We have long been committed to making high-quality childcare accessible to all, and we are dedicated to getting every child quality care, regardless of income or external situations.”

Upwards’ software is entirely customized to simplify the family-to-caregiver matching process, childcare experience, and in-home daycare management. Upwards is 86x more efficient with funding than other traditional childcare companies. In 2021 alone, Upwards supported over 65,000 childcare providers and 200,000 new families nationwide.

About Upwards:

Upwards is a technology-driven care solutions company with a mission to make care accessible to all families and empower the caregivers who provide it. Upwards brings together families, care providers, employers, and governments to create new care avenues in real-time and utilizes a data-driven approach to enhance the supply and capacity of the care system. Upwards matches families with caregivers equipped to meet their unique needs and connects families with the resources they need to afford care, whether through government subsidies or workplace benefits. To learn more, visit upwards.com.

For media inquiries:

press@upwards.com

(310) 438-5492