El Cerrito is a city of just four square miles, yet the debate over childcare facilities reveals much about how our leaders balance community needs, safety, and fiscal priorities.
Recently, the El Cerrito Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit to convert a single-family home at 556 Richmond Street (at Lincoln Avenue) into a childcare center for up to 18 children ages 2–5. On the surface, more childcare may seem like a welcome addition. But the reality tells a more troubling story.
Existing Facilities and Vacancies
El Cerrito already has licensed childcare facilities — at least two confirmed through the California Department of Social Services database — with additional providers in operation across the city. Yet multiple providers have acknowledged they have empty seats they cannot fill. If our city cannot support the childcare centers it already has, why are we approving more?
Safety Concerns Ignored
The proposed Richmond and Lincoln site is among the busiest and most dangerous intersections in El Cerrito. Longtime residents have reported frequent car accidents, speeding vehicles heading to El Cerrito High, and ongoing risks for pedestrians. Adding the daily drop-off and pick-up of 18 small children at this corner will only magnify those dangers.
What’s more, the new facility could take away parking spaces used by the existing childcare center at Lincoln and Everett. That center has developed an orderly, safe process for transfers — one that the new plan threatens to unravel. There’s more: the City unilaterally removed parking to “make the street safer,” but we know that their reasoning rarely passes the smell test.
📊 Fact Box: Childcare in El Cerrito
- 2 licensed facilities confirmed (additional centers operate, but not all licensure verified)
- Vacancies exist in current childcare centers — providers cannot fill all available seats
- New proposal: 556 Richmond St. childcare center for up to 18 children ages 2–5
- High-risk location: Busy, accident-prone intersection near El Cerrito High
- History of being ignored: Hundreds of residents spoke against the Richmond Street bike plan — Council moved forward anyway
A Pattern of Misplaced Priorities
City leaders claim El Cerrito “needs more childcare.” But with providers already facing vacancies, that argument rings hollow. Once again, it appears that tax revenue is being prioritized over common sense and safety.
For years, residents have observed a consistent pattern: new taxes, declining services, and decisions made without transparency or accountability. Our voices are not being heard. The City Council didn’t listen when hundreds of residents directly impacted by the Richmond Street bike plan came forward to speak, and they are not listening now.
Time for Change
When leaders ignore the facts, dismiss safety concerns, and push forward with plans that prioritize revenue over residents, it’s clear that we cannot continue with business as usual. It’s time to consider new Council leadership and a new City Manager.
That means showing up, speaking out, and refusing to accept decisions that put children and neighborhoods at risk. It means organizing, appealing, voting for new leadership, and holding our leaders accountable.
What Residents Can Do
If you share these concerns, there are ways to make your voice heard:
- Sign the petition opposing this unsafe and unnecessary childcare expansion, if you can.
- Write to the City Council at:
- Mayor Carolyn Wysinger – cwysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto – gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember Lisa Motoyama – lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman – rsaltzman@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember William Ktsanes – wktsanes@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Ask the City Clerk (cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us) to include your e-mail in the next Council meeting packet, so your perspective is part of the public record.
- Vote for new leadership that prioritizes safety, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.
Influenced by Community Voices
This blog is informed by the perspective of a longtime El Cerrito resident and concerned citizen who has seen firsthand both the vacancies at existing childcare centers and the dangers of the Richmond/Lincoln intersection. Their experiences underscore what is at stake: the safety of our children and the integrity of our community. While this resident raised serious concerns, they did not suggest ousting the current leadership — that conclusion rests with the broader community.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 