Esperanza and her daughter, Scarlett, have an inspiring story to tell.
A year ago, the family child care home they ran in Altadena was destroyed by the Eaton fire.
Today, at their new home in Pasadena, they are back up and running, once again providing a vital service to local families.
“A year ago at this time, we were terrified as flames raced through the neighborhood,” Esperanza Melo told me during a visit to her new home. “We worked hard to become licensed child care providers and never thought we could lose our business in a disaster like this fire. It is great to be open again and providing child care to our community.”
Kim Johnson, Secretary, California Health and Human Services
As I spoke with Esperanza and Scarlett, I was inspired by their drive and dedication to overcome adversity and reopen their business that provides child care for up to 14 children.
The fires a year ago were devastating and impacts are still felt today. I’m proud of California’s ongoing work to help impacted child care and development programs and others get back on their feet.
For example, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-2-25 and Executive Order N-3-25, which provided the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) the flexibility to temporarily waive certain licensing requirements. This allowed settings that provide critical services — such as child care, assisted living, and children’s residential care — to resume providing services as quickly as possible. The order also provided for the reimbursement of child care programs for up to 30 days from the date of the emergency if they were impacted by the fires.
Further, the CDSS, as directed by Executive Order N-19-25, individually contacted child care programs whose settings did not re-open in the wake of the fires to advise them of the potential availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance. As requested, CDSS referred individuals to the California Employment Development Department for support in completing the application for these benefits.
Governor Newsom and the California Legislature have taken many significant actions to invest in California’s child care and development system, nearly doubling funding in support of children and families – from $3.3 billion in 2019-20 to $6.4 billion in total funds in 2024-25. This includes increased access to subsidies for low-income families, investments in the workforce including health care and retirement benefits, supplemental payments, and the establishment of a new single rate structure based on the cost of care, education and training, $350.5 million in child care infrastructure across the State, and more.
Back at their new home, Esperanza and Scarlett have created an environment that encourages cooperative play and shows their commitment and dedication to early childhood education. In addition to their own savings, they received grants and goods from multiple community organizations. This support has helped them create a classroom space and a safe outdoor play area with turf play structures, and new furniture. Witnessing the joy of the children playing together on the patio demonstrates the value of these resources and the great impact of Esperanza and Scarlett.
Esperanza knows she is one of the fortunate ones able to return to the Pasadena/Altadena community. With deep gratitude, she and her daughter look ahead, carrying an appreciation for all they’ve overcome and a renewed confidence in their ability to face whatever challenges come next.
At the State level, our drive to support the workforce is stronger than ever, and we remain committed to helping with the ongoing recovery.
Please visit the CDSS Community Care Licensing Division’s webpage for more information.