Excerpts
“Make a Circle.” An investigation into the plight of child care providers in California and ongoing efforts to help them, the film premieres on PBS’ website and app Monday, Sept. 1, and begins streaming on the PBS YouTube Channel on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
“The pandemic was a lens to understand how fragile that whole system is,” Bradwell said. “This whole thing is held together with chewing gum and exploitation. As we say in the film, ‘Parents can‘t afford to pay. Teachers can’t afford to stay.’”
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But “Make a Circle” isn’t a film about the pandemic. While it does amplify the moment when child care providers were hailed as essential workers and funding temporarily flowed into the system, the documentary focuses on three different programs: the large Berkeley preschool that the filmmakers’ daughter attended, a home provider in West Oakland mostly serving low-income families, and San Jose home daycare proprietor Patricia Moran, who spearheaded a new union, Child Care Providers United.