Upwards (formerly WeeCare) and Cathedral City, CA Launch All-Encompassing Childcare Support Programs for the Area

Cathedral City, CA — Southern California-based Upwards (formerly WeeCare), the nation’s largest childcare network, has partnered with Cathedral City, CA to improve access to local childcare. The initiative will help to provide quality childcare and support the city’s economy with three new community programs: BOOST (Business Operations and Optimization Support Tool) for childcare providers, CASE (Childcare Assistance for Small Enterprises) for small and micro-enterprise employers, and Back2Work for employment-seeking families.

As part of the BOOST program, Upwards will provide its software and onboarding support to help caregivers operate a sustainable childcare business. Participating caregivers will gain client flow and outsource time-consuming administrative tasks that will reduce their workload (saving roughly 20 hours per week), increase enrollments, and optimize revenue potential. Effective immediately, licensed childcare providers in Cathedral City can opt-in to receive this assistance.

“Marketing can be a big challenge for daycare providers,” said Casey Garrett, owner at Casey’s Daycare, Inc., a Upwards-verified provider in Riverside County. “Getting the word out to potential clients is essential for growth. Organization, time management, and structure are also crucial when running a daycare business. Upwards has alleviated so much stress when it comes to enrollments, tuition payments, and productivity. I believe that teaming up with Upwards has also helped facilitate a sense of trust for families when deciding to enroll in my daycare. Parents can see that I have passed a background check and can also depend on reliable community reviews from other parents to help their decision-making process.”

While BOOST is designed to support the supply and sustainability of childcare providers, CASE and Back2Work will alleviate financial challenges for families in need of childcare. Through CASE, all small and micro-businesses are qualified for immediate assistance in offering childcare benefits to their working families — funded in partnership with the city. The Back2Work program will provide low-to-moderate income families with backup care credits for licensed home daycares. These backup credits will help individuals secure employment by making it easier to attend job interviews or carve out time to look for opportunities.

In making the announcement, Cathedral City Mayor Ernesto Gutierrez said, “The pandemic exposed several cracks in the foundations of our economy, one of them being the significance and necessity of access to affordable childcare. We can provide financial support to small businesses to improve the economic landscape, but that financial support will only go so far if the majority of our workforce is unable to return and remain at their place of work without reliable childcare. Cathedral City’s decision to work with Upwards to not only repair the damage the pandemic has done to our community but set it up for long-term success and sustainability was an easy choice. I fully believe in their capability and their dedication to improving the lives of Cathedral City residents, including working families and small business employers.“

Cathedral City Mayor Pro Tempore Rita Lamb said, “Cathedral City is proud to partner with Upwards to ease access to quality childcare for members of our community. As a parent and former educator, I know that strong early childhood education and care yield significant benefits for children. This is one of the best investments we can make in the future of our city.”

“Currently, local care providers are not filled to capacity, and they are unable to seamlessly fill their vacancies with families in need of childcare,” said Jessa Costanzo, VP of Government Relations at Upwards. “Upwards bridges this gap. Not only are we focused on helping providers maximize their enrollment to earn more, we truly care about the parents and guardians within our network. By quickly matching families with quality childcare, we allow working parents to return to their careers. We’re constantly thinking about the common instabilities in the childcare landscape — everything from decreased enrollments and staffing shortages for providers to high employee turnover and missed days of work due to a lack of childcare for working families — and are committed to making sure these issues have no place in Cathedral City.”

For more information on BOOST visit https://upwards.com/boost/cathedral-city.

For more information on CASE and Back2Work visit https://upwards.com/benefits/cathedralcity.

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:
Anna Rasby-Safronova
anna.safronova@upwards.com
(310) 438-5492