Childcare Volunteers Can Be A Lifeline After Disasters. But It’s Not Enough.

Felisa Wright in front of her former home
Credit Child Care Providers United/SEIU Local 99Since January 8, Felisa Wright hasn’t been able to work. But she’s been busy.

Like many people who fled Altadena, California after fire struck their neighborhoods at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, she expected to go back. At 2:15 am, after a tense evening of waiting and watching in darkness, she saw fierce wind and smoke, and decided it was time to leave. She seized the folder she had prepared with her family’s social security cards and birth certificates. Then she, her daughters, and her grandchildren made for a hotel for the night.