L.A. loses 450 child-care spots as Hollywood and UCLA retreat

More than 450 licensed child-care slots on the Westside of Los Angeles are disappearing as two major institutions exit the early-childhood market. The Samuel Goldwyn Foundation Children’s Center will close in November, and UCLA plans to shut its two early childhood centers in June. These closures force hundreds of families to search for care in a county where licensed capacity covers just 4% of children under age 2.

The Goldwyn center, which served entertainment industry workers for over 30 years, cited the industry downturn and the shift of 4-year-olds to free transitional kindergarten programs. Operators, including for-profit chain Bright Horizons, stated that the financial burden became unsustainable. The center had 49 children enrolled in recent months, down from its pre-pandemic licensed capacity of more than 100.

UCLA announced its decision to close its centers in June, stating that serving the children of staff and students was no longer sustainable given its higher education goals. The university is also ending its lease with the University Preschool Nursery School on campus. UCLA officials indicated the decision is final, noting the centers accumulated a $7.5 million deficit.

Parents face steep costs as alternatives shrink. Jillian Griffith, a museum professional, pays $3,233 per month for her infant at the Goldwyn center. She estimated that most of her salary goes toward child care. Krystal Kendall, a UCLA manager, pays $3,300 per month at the university center. She noted that a nearby Bright Horizons location charges $4,000 per month for a 1-year-old.

The loss of older children has disrupted the financial models of remaining centers. In California, a class of 16 four-year-olds requires two teachers, while the same number of infants requires six. This dynamic has led to closures in areas where free transitional kindergarten is thriving, even as the program helps 213,313 children this school year.

Local officials and faculty have urged UCLA to reconsider. Mayor Karen Bass sent a letter on Oct. 21 to Chancellor Julio Frenk, warning the closures would eliminate an invaluable resource. Assemblymember Sade Elhawary sent a letter on Oct. 19, noting that 80 educators and 300 families would be affected. UCLA professors in sociology, pediatric medicine, and economics have also pleaded with the university to keep the centers open.

The Motion Picture and Television Fund, a partner in the Goldwyn center, said operating costs became too high. CEO Bob Beitcher stated that corporate subsidies exceeded $300,000 in 2026. The fund reported revenue of just over $74 million in 2024. Beitcher argued that limited financial assistance should be directed toward families struggling with housing and vehicles.

California’s child-care subsidies reach only a fraction of eligible families. Households of four earning more than $116,000 annually generally do not qualify, leaving middle-income families to pay full tuition. The average cost of full-time child care in Los Angeles County is about 17% of the median household income.

Nonprofits are converting vacant classrooms in transitional kindergarten schools into child-care hubs to expand infant and toddler slots. Bright Horizons has directed Goldwyn parents to a location a few miles away where tuition rises to $4,000 per month. UCLA parents were offered sessions with a child-care navigator, though some described the help as minimal.

The average cost of full-time child care in Los Angeles County is about 17% of the median household income. Los Angeles lost more than 12,000 spaces for 3- and 4-year-olds between 2014 and 2024. Nearly 500 licensed providers in the county disappeared between 2021 and 2023.