Thousands wait for child care help in San Diego

• The San Diego County YMCA distributes those child care vouchers to thousands of local families that qualify.

Friction point: The program is "highly underfunded," and only about 22% of eligible families are able to access the subsidies that they're eligible for, according to Kim McDougal with the YMCA.

• The money fluctuates based on federal funding and state budget priorities, as dollars can be rerouted from child care to health care, food or housing, she said.

The latest: Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget did not fund his promised expansion of subsidized child care for the second straight year, the LA Times reported.

• That's a "blow for low- and middle-income working parents" across the state as high demand means families can be on waitlists for years, and many children age out before they secure a spot, per the LA Times.

What we're watching: Following the lead of other California cities, advocacy group Children's First Collective San Diego is working on a tax hike ballot initiative to develop a local dedicated revenue source for child care programs.