Remember when you last put on hold customer service? Or are you lined up in DMVs where the edges are invisible?
Having these experiences and mixing them together may start to explain what life Felisalite is like in January. She lost her home in Atadena, where she also ran a childcare business at Eton Fire. That was just the beginning.
Dozens of other local parenting providers are in a similar situation. The state provided financial support for a month, and the money Since then I’ve used up.
Wright says that what followed was an endless bureaucratic maze as she seeks the help she needs to recover. The road is laid on blockades and countless visits to the Pasadena disaster centre and post office. Still, two months later, Wright and her family have no permanent place to live. She said she had no access to SME loans, or FEMA money, over $770, beyond the initial emergency. Even her disaster-related unemployment has not yet begun.
“I’m applying for everything, but it’s not working right away,” Wright said. “I need something now. Now.”
“They don’t make it easy.”
Wright and other child care providers told Laist that recovery efforts are tiered to Catch-22. Wright said he was denied when applying for a small business loan because he wasn’t making enough money. However, she will need to reopen her childcare centre to start making money again.
Some were unable to rent new locations as she lacked evidence of income or savings. However, she will not be able to earn new income until she rents a new location and reopens her business there. She said she has not yet received payment for disaster unemployment.
“It’s just too much footwork and I’ve already had enough stress on me,” Wright said. “They haven’t made it easy. It’s not easy.”
Someone has launched GoFundMe for Light, but she wants to save that money for a long-term recovery. Therefore, for daily expenses, the bounty of savings was her tenant’s insurance and she said that after the fire it helped cover her, her children, her grandson’s hotel and basic needs. He also paid her some of what she lost. This was a lifeline, but she also said it was the reason she couldn’t access any important FEMA funds, but FEMA gave them short-term rentals and free nights at hotels.
What does California offer to child care providers?
Gov. Gavin Newsom extended payments to affected child care providers for 30 days after the fire I refused to extend these payments Even further away. Instead, he instructed the state agency to help providers who still can’t work find out their qualifications Disaster unemployment support.
The union representing childcare providers said Altadena’s providers had been paid an average of $3,854 per month from the state as of October. They want to continue paying for them.
“I’m confused,” said United Chairman Max Arias, a childcare worker, of the governor’s decision not to continue paying. “And I don’t know why because it’s not even expensive.”
The California Department of Social Services said 33 licensed family childcare homes remained unoperated after the fire. The union has put that number at 54 and estimates that these providers have served 280 families.
Childcare provider Alana Lewis like Wright said she was denied a small business loan and said that the state payments would help her get other aid.
“To keep paying me is the difference that makes for me when I apply for an apartment, and it shows me that I’m coming in,” Lewis said. “When I apply for a small business loan, it shows that I have income coming in. It helps me continue my business.”
A Newsom’s Office spokesman said the governor’s enforcement actions “speak for itself” to help unemployment support child care and adoption.”
Having trouble getting disaster aid is a national issue
Research shows federal aid after the disaster Disproportionate benefits to wealthy people and white communities. One reason for this is the time and resources needed to apply for assistance.
FEMA Tell the victims of disasters not to give up If you receive a letter saying they are ineligible, look closely and follow up. Alessandra Gerolman, a researcher on disaster relief at Loyola University’s New Orleans, said it wasn’t easy for those navigating the crisis.
“When someone is trying to achieve their goals, when every minute is needed to survive, is it reasonable to ask them to spend days navigating this process and getting help?” she said.
Advocates say one solution to this problem is to streamline federal aid applications through one main hub, rather than applying for so many different forms of support.
A bill that does exactly that, How to simplify disaster supportpassed the US Senate in 2023, but did not pass through the House of Representatives.
“The system is intended to be dramatic reform and is not working in a way that requires dramatic reform,” said Noah Patton, the group driving the change.
Felisa Wright is still struggling every day to recover. She said she had no money from tenant’s insurance for temporary housing, so now she hopes she can get more from FEMA.
“I’m not a kitter. I don’t give up easily,” she said. “I’m going to keep pushing towards the mark.”
