Los Angeles Wildfires Resources & Updates- Updated 2/22/25

There are no words to convey the shock and sadness that the devastating wildfires have caused to Los Angeles, families, businesses, and children. On behalf of Thriving Families CA (TFC), we want our community-based agencies to know that we are here to support you.

The magnitude of these catastrophic fires will require access and support to coordinated resources and communications. It is our commitment to be here to support you in any way that we can.

For our LA agencies and the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, we are here for you during this crisis and as you take on the rebuilding of your county and communities.

In partnership now and forever more.

February 21, 2025: Governor Newsom sends Congress $40 billion request for LA fire aid, including $240 million for child care needs

On Friday night, Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter to congressional leaders requesting $39.6 billion in federal funding to cover recovery and rebuilding efforts from the Los Angeles fires. The 14-page letter, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) of the Appropriations Committee, outlines specific requests for funding to support business recovery, tax recovery, community and property recovery, and workforce recovery. Read the letter here.

Child care: As a part of workforce recovery, Governor Newsom requested $240 million for the Child Care Development Block Grant to "support new construction and major repair and emergency supplemental funding to increase access to quality child care for impacted working families. The program addresses child care needs through repair of 42 child care facilities that were damaged, rebuilding 33 destroyed facilities, an temporary services for 1,458 children in affected areas. This program, which provides the foundation for child care funding, has successfully and efficiently distributed supplemental funding for child care in past emergencies."

Other funding requests of note:

  • $16.8B for supplemental FEMA funding to remove hazardous household materials and debris in order to rebuild homes, businesses, and schools.
  • $9.9B for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to asses damage and rebuild homes and businesses.
  • $5.29B for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Loan Assistance Program.
  • $4.32B for the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Administration to facilitate the delivery of economic assistance to impacted communities to complete long-term recovery projects, including economic recovery grants that can create worker equity funds to cover emergency needs like child care or rent for workers.
  • $1.5 million from the Social Services Block Grant to support the well-being of vulnerable children, adults, and families in the impacted areas.
  • $1 million for child welfare programs to support the 438 children in foster care directly impacted by the fire, resource families, and support programs that aim to reduce the need for foster care.

 

February 11, 2025: Governor Newsom issues executive order to support childcare providers impacted by LA fires

 

On February 11th, Governor Newsom issued an executive order today ordering the state to ensure that childcare providers impacted by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles are aware of their potential eligibility for Disaster Unemployment Assistance and have the support needed to apply. Claims for disaster unemployment benefits must be filed by March 10. Read the executive order here.

However, Governor Newsom did not extend state payments to providers serving low-income families who were affected by the fires until they can reopen their businesses. This was a demand by Child Care Providers United. Instead, the Governor passed the above executive order directing the California Department of Social Services to individually contact each child care provider who remains closed due to fire damage to discuss their unemployment benefits. Governor Newsom signs Executive Order for Child Care

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January 8, 2025: Governor Newsom signed EXECUTIVE ORDER N-3-25 that provides some input and flexibility for:

  • Los Angeles & Ventura Counties along with Alternative Payment Programs, Migrant Alternative Payment Programs, CalWORKs Stages 1, 2 and 3 Programs, Emergency Child Care Bridge Programs or Family Child Care Home Education Network Programs may be reimbursed up to 30-days from the date of the declared emergency. This also applied to license-exempt providers.
  • Allows Title 5 facilities to use their 15 percent MRA for needed repairs or rebuilding due to the fires.
  • PIN 25-02-CCP - Authorizes the Director of the Department to waive licensing requirements in order to directly respond to the needs of child care facilities and providers impacted by the January 2025, fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. This PIN also implements waivers for certain licensing statutes and regulations.

EXECUTIVE ORDER N-3-25

List of Resources

Below is a compilation of resources that some amazing organizations have compiled to support work being done on the ground now:

Provided by CCALA (Source: NBCLosAngeles.com) is a brief list of organizations offering support:

LA Community Agencies

State Resources

 Updates from the Governor's Office on Rebuilding and Recovery. Go to ca.gov/LAfires to learn more.

Governor Newsom provides ongoing support to help business owners and workers recover from LA firestorms

On January 29, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to support small business owners and workers impacted by Los Angeles-area firestorms. The executive order provides relief to help local businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensure fees for workers and businesses and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery. 

 

Governor Newsom announces LA Rises, a private-sector initiative led by Mark Walter, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Casey Wasserman, to support swift and unified rebuilding of Los Angeles

On January 28, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts led by the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and the State of California. To seed this new effort, Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, the Mark Walter Family Foundation, and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have provided an initial commitment of up to $100 million. With plans to raise additional funds through private donations, LA Rises will provide major resources aimed at helping Los Angeles communities most affected by these catastrophic fires recover and rebuild.

 

Governor Newsom cuts red tape, further suspends Coastal Commission rules to help LA firestorm survivors rebuild

 On January 27, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The order also helps boost the availability of short-term housing, by making it easier for survivors of the LA area firestorm to stay in hotels and other short-term rentals for more than 30 days.