The San Diego Union-Tribune is putting a spotlight on the real cost of child care in California.

A new commercial tax aims to do something novel in California: provide child care financial aid for middle-class families and set a minimum wage of $28 an hour for early education teachers.

California reimburses providers based on what families can pay, rather than what it costs to provide care. To bridge the gap, providers serving the state’s neediest children must get by on low pay