The $1.5 million investment in a new workforce

A partnership between an LAUSD adult school and early education center provides tuition-free training and hands-on fieldwork , addressing the child care worker shortage while expanding early education access.

In South Los Angeles, an innovative experiment is underway at the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, where an LAUSD adult school shares a campus with the Bradley Early Education Center.

This partnership,formalized in 2021, allows adult students to receive tuition-free job training and complete the fieldwork hours required for a child development assistant permit.

According to LAUSD board member Kelly Gonez, there is a big need in this space, and many adult education students have the interest and competencies to fill it.

Addressing a persistent shortage: 20% of lead and assistant teachers leave their jobs

The child care industry has faced significant workforce challenges.

A 2025 study from the UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment found that roughly 20% of lead and assistant teachers in Los Angeles County left their jobs, with turnover among assistant teachers in family child-care homes reaching 28%.

Elena Montoya, associate director of research and policy at the center, notes that tuition-free programs like this one lower barriers to entry and can serve as a starting point for other careers.

LAUSD's broader plan: expanding early childhood education

LAUSD's ambitious expansion into early childhood education aims to address a persistent shortage of child care workers and provide affordable care for local families.

The district's broader plan, approved unanimously in April, seeks to broaden its early education footprint while building family loyalty to combat declining enrollment.

Adult school students at the Waters center regularly visit the early education classrooms next door, where they lead storytime, serve meals, and engage children in music and movement activities.

They also learn to handle tears and rambunctious behavior under the guidance of experienced teachers.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

LAUSD operates seven child development programs across its adult schools, with varying models for completing fieldwork.

Since 2020, 137 students have completed the program at the Waters center.

Roughly a third have entered jobs in child care, while others continued their education or moved into other industries.

Of those working in child care, about a third returned to LAUSD, either at early education centers or in transitional kindergarten classrooms.