By: José Magaña, Executive Director, Bay Area

I just had the phenomenal experience of coaching my child’s 6U soccer team. As the season came to an end, I found myself reflecting on my experience as a father, educator, and policy maker. Specifically, it took me back to the start of the school year when I hung out with a group of fellow dads at TopGolf. We all had different backgrounds in education, engineering, and health. Yet, our kids were all about to take that big step into transitional kindergarten (TK) or kindergarten. Between swings and laughs, the mood was celebratory—but not just because of our kids’ milestones. We were also toasting something else: the financial relief of finally exiting the world of full-time childcare. 

The conversations were filled with collective sighs of relief and numbers that made your head spin. “We’re saving over $2,500 a month,” one dad said, wide-eyed, while another dad reminded us that he had twins. Some dads, like me, were also in the process of solidifying after school care for the school year as well, which also came with a price. And while we were all thrilled to reclaim a bit of our household budget, the laughter couldn’t quite drown out a more sobering realization: it shouldn’t be this hard or this expensive to make sure your children are safe, cared for, and academically supported. 

That afternoon stuck with me. Not just because of the camaraderie or the perfectly hit golf balls, but because of the deeper truth it revealed: we celebrate childcare savings like we’ve won the lottery—because for many, quality care for our children feels like a luxury instead of what should be everyone’s reality. And for Latino families, especially in high-cost regions like the Bay Area, childcare isn’t just a cost issue, it’s an equity issue.  

In Silicon Valley, the average annual cost of childcare exceeds $30,000 for two children.  Childcare costs are outpacing college tuition costs in 38 out of 50 states. These figures aren’t just burdens—they’re barriers to opportunity. They force parents, especially mothers, out of the workforce. They contribute to academic and social gaps for children who lack access to enriching environments outside the traditional school day. Research has shown there is clear long-term positive impact on student outcomes due to high quality care. Afterschool programs and affordable early childhood education are essential for ensuring all students receive a quality education and long-term economic health. According to a 2023 study from the Afterschool Alliance, every $1 invested in afterschool programs yields a return of $3, thanks to improved student performance, higher graduation rates, and reduced crime. Specifically, in communities like ours, programs like California’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) help provide healthy snacks, support academics and multilingualism, and provide safe environments. 

As a child, I was raised in part by many family members, while my father was incarcerated and my mother worked to keep food on the table. My younger siblings spent afternoons in after-school programs that not only kept them safe but helped them stay academically engaged in ways my mother simply couldn’t support during her long workdays. These programs weren’t luxuries—they were lifelines. Now, as a father of two young children, we find ourselves once again navigating the labyrinth of childcare. Finding affordable, high-quality care is a daily challenge, even for families like mine who work in education and are privileged in the grand scheme of things. For many of the Latino families we serve, it feels nearly impossible. 

But we know what works. Long-term public investment in early education like universal transitional kindergarten, expanded afterschool programs like ASES, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers allow families to remain in the workforce while ensuring children thrive academically and socially. These are proven strategies—not experiments—and they require sustained commitment. 

We have a choice. We can continue to treat early education and afterschool programs as expendable budget lines, or we can acknowledge them as the infrastructure they are essential to family stability, economic mobility, and a quality education. I invite parents (especially fathers) to share their childcare stories with their communities. I invite educators to be advocates within their districts. And I ask our policymakers to protect and expand investments in early education and afterschool programs. Our children’s futures depend on the choices we make today. 

I share my story not because it’s unique, but because it’s shared. It’s the story of so many Latino families across the Bay Area and across the country. We know what it means to sacrifice, to hustle, and to dream big for our kids. But we shouldn’t have to do it alone. Let’s demand better. Let’s invest in the systems that lift our children and families up.  

Con ganas, con corazón, con comunidad—we can, and we will. 

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 José Magaña is the Executive Director, Bay Area for Latinos for Education. In this role, he is overseeing the expansion of programs into the Bay Area. José has championed several equity-focused policies in the Bay Area through his role as Board President on the San José Unified Board of Education. His career began as a kindergarten teacher through Teach for America, and has served in various leadership roles in education technology and non-profits, and as the former Chair Library and Education Commission for the City of San José. He has an undergraduate degree from University of California – Santa Barbara, completed the master’s in governance courses from the California School Boards Association, and a certificate of education finance from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.