this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2026
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There were once so many children at Frisha Moore’s Elk Grove preschool that families filled up the waitlist. Now, one of her playgrounds and two classrooms sit empty because one key group of kids has stopped coming.

Dozens of families in recent years have opted not to enroll their 4-year-olds at Moore Learning Preschool & Child Care Center, she said. Instead, they’re putting their children in transitional kindergarten, California’s new public pre-kindergarten grade.

Even though she provides a full day of preschool, compared with transitional kindergarten that lasts only about 3.5 hours, Moore can’t compete: Public school is free. She hasn’t broken even in months and thinks about closing the preschool, “every single day.” That would remove 91 licensed child care spots from the county, including 20 for children under age 2, for whom child care options are particularly scarce.

Transitional kindergarten’s expansion is one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature educational achievements and a key part of his legacy on how California cares for its youngest residents.

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[–] rushmonke@ttrpg.network 10 points 1 day ago

That's a load of bullshit.

They can't maintain their egregious profit margins.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 5 points 23 hours ago

They're fishing for more state subsidy money.

[–] suddenlyme@lemmy.zip 21 points 1 day ago

I cal bullshit.

Preschools and daycares always have a waiting list. Especially because "she provides a full day of preschool, compared with transitional kindergarten that lasts only about 3.5 hours" Call them and ask for a place for your 3 year old. I bet theres a waitlist. This is BS capitalist propaganda

[–] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Good. I am so tired of people taking advantage of the critical needs of humanity and getting upset when we take the profits away from them.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

This is definitely something that should be socialized.

[–] Binturong@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh good, they can sell their businesses to the government at a loss and those can be folded into the public system. Some services are too critical to be privatized, and it's about fucking time people remembered this. Not everything can be managed on a profit margin.

[–] Nebraska_Huskers@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Do you want to see Elon lose his shit. If Democrats run on mass free public transportation he will. He despises it. He got hundreds of millions from blue cities in exchange for his hyper loop system that he's done nothing with. Those cities should be demanding their money back. Dems need to run on this

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 26 points 1 day ago

Do preschools exist to care for children, or make money? You have to pick one or the other.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Oh is your business model garbage? Sucks for you

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 62 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Good. Fuck em. I was able to have my daughter do TK for free and it was phenomenal. Private preschool costs more than rent. Maybe they should try reducing their prices.

[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

Good. Fuck em.

Literally my first thought as I was reading the post. Then I see this as the first comment.

[–] bitchkat@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I remember being appalled that my son's daycare was $105/week (in the mid 90s)

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 166 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

Okay. And? Struggling to see the issue. I'm sure they're qualified to work for the state if they can't compete. They make it sound like this is a problem.

[–] DickFiasco@sh.itjust.works 44 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The real issue is that kids have to be at least four years old for the pre-K program, so kids younger than that have limited options if the local daycare closes. Babies and kids who aren't potty-trained are more expensive to care for than older kids, so those parents may not be able to afford care now.

I still think the expanded pre-K is a good idea, but it would be nice if the state offered daycare subsidies or something to support the younger kids who still need daycare.

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

All you did was explain why a for profit economic system is a bad idea.

[–] RecallMadness@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 day ago

The UK system is a means tested credits for families that private companies can claim.

Still only for a narrow age range, and limited hours, but means they don’t have to compete with “free”, and families that need more hours can get it while also getting the subsidy.

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Decent point. But yeah just expand community care etc. This is one of the easiest things to do with the biggest positive community and social benefit. It's should be a no-brainer. Sadly, too many people have something worse than no brains. Some sort of moldy diseased mush that makes them think, exploitative rent seeking behavior in childcare is a good idea. Rather than quality and sustainability.

[–] DickFiasco@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago

Yeah, expanding social services for child care is almost always the right move, especially if you want people to even consider having kids. No program is perfect, and putting daycares out of business is unfortunate, but you can solve each problem as it comes up. The frustrating thing is that political opponents will just shit all over something like this and argue that it should be cancelled entirely.

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[–] BennyTheExplorer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Well, womp womp I guess.

But also, am I the only one surprised, that Gavin Newsom of all people did this? The guy that had Steve Bannon on his podcast just to congratulate him on his strategy? The guy that he would definetly veto the idea of his own party to introduce a minor wealth tax?

Perhaps this is an incincere attempt at coasting of Mamdanis polulartiy? In any case, I will continue to despise the guy, because I refuse to believe that this decision was based on any real beliefs on his part.

[–] Sarothazrom@lemmy.world 70 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Why is AP trying to spin this negatively?

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Because it is a corporate media outlet. And like every corporate media outlet in existence ever, they will always side with capitalism.

P. S. Despite this somewhat charitable program by Newsom, he is a true Reagan democrat. And I will never, and I mean absolutely fucking never, vote for him as president.

[–] a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world 26 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Should you be able to pump your own gas? Experts in the gas industry say it is "too dangerous..."

[–] Nebraska_Huskers@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So this was a couple of years ago I was in western Nebraska traveling up to deadwood south Dakota. Stopped at a gas station, I see a car with Oregon plates and the guy acting clueless as to what to do.

I get out and he asks me what he needs to do. I was sort of dumbfounded that this guy didn't know how to pump gas and making a trip from oregon. I showed him.

A few months later I read it was required in Oregon for attendants to pump gas and people in general didn't and that most of the public didn't know how.

[–] Malfeasant@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

How did he make it to Nebraska without filling up at least once before that?

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

May have unironically gotten lucky with finding the stations with attendants who pumped gas and having really good fuel efficiency. I once stopped at a station I believe in elk bend where the dude did it for me and my Truck can get from Vegas to blackjack on a single tank if I'm feeling stupid. Mind you old Toyotas are most certainly in possession of a machine spirit so it may vary.

[–] Nebraska_Huskers@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't think Colorado or Nebraska have any full service stations anymore

I don't think any states outside the northwest do, maybe the Midwest or great planes if it's piss cold enough but that would be the exception not the rule.

[–] Nebraska_Huskers@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

And now you understand how I was so baffled. It's still a mystery to me. Maybe he had someone show him he just wasn't comfortable doing it himself yet? Idk

You can pump your own gas now in Oregon. They still have dedicated gas distributor specialists however.

[–] reddit_sux@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

That would be the news only if they could overcharged you for attendants to fill your fuel or get get robots to do it, or both.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.blahaj.zone 103 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Capitalist crying crocodile tears because they can't make money off of children anymore.

[–] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 47 points 2 days ago (1 children)

More petit bourgeois whining if you ask me. Adapt your model, or close your doors and figure something else out.

Free education and care for all children vs. crippling childcare costs for a few is more than a fair trade off imo.

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Free education and care for all children

… is not happening right now in California. Kids under 4 aren’t eligible, and are also more expensive to find daycare options for. That’s not going to get fixed by driving a bunch of daycares out of business.

The solution is obviously more state run care for younger children, but that’s not what exists right now. So it’s going to be a problem if a solution isn’t passed before these daycares start closing down.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

If the other options don’t exist then how are the private daycares struggling to fill the classrooms? People need their kids taken care of, I doubt anyone is prematurely taking their kids out of private daycare.

[–] Inucune@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Why don't the daycares shift focus to the younger kids? The older kids are going to tk and the daycares are not going to be able to compete for that demographic. Shift your services or collapse. There isn't going to be a daycare bailout.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago

"Waaahhh! Nobody wants to buy my canned air because they cracked down on air pollution!"

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

In my country kindergartens from 3 yo and up is free, and in some cities even daycares from 1 yo are heavily subsidized, yet private ones are still full and you need to book with year in advance paying non refundable deposits. Maybe she's overcharging?

[–] rushmonke@ttrpg.network 1 points 1 day ago

Maybe she’s overcharging?

Definitely. The problem is they're accustomed to the "new normal" of fucking everyone else over without any retaliation.

[–] breadsmasher@lemmy.world 35 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (13 children)

public school is free

free at point of use. tax (rightfully) pays for it.

private daycare is a racket

kids under two

downsize and focus on that underserved area? thats what the fReE mArKeT wants

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[–] zoe@piefed.social 18 points 2 days ago

Sounds like a good opportunity to move from daycare to being a preschool teacher. They already have the experience.

[–] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Boo fucking hoo.

I understand that it sucks to have your business ripped out from under you, in a way, by a public option, but people struggle to afford child care. This is a necessary and good for average Americans.

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[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Putting overpriced private daycares out of business is the entire point of providing free pre-school, no?

Like, "oh no, we can't rip people off anymore"

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