California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

CALIFORNIA BUDGET UPDATES

Last Friday, Governor Newsom released the 2024-25 May Revision.

• Link to May Revision Summary
• May Revise Details
• 5/10/2024 ASM Budget - Preliminary Summary of Governor’s Proposed 2024-25 May Revision
• 5/10/2024 - SEN B&FR - Overview of the May Revision

Highlights (Lowlights)

• Child Care Slot Expansion Pause at Current Level—Approximately,119,000 slots of the promised 200,000 have been realized; a pause at the current 119,000 slots until fiscal conditions allow for resuming the expansion will result in a revenue gain of $489 million in 2024-25 and $951 million in 2025-26. NOTE: Governor noted commitment to continue after two-year hold but concern it will be captured as a permanent redcution and the promised 200,000 will never be realized. The number of slots not yet released is 81,000.
• Reduces CalWORKs Home Visting Program by $47.1 million ongoing
• Reduction in the Proposition 98 funding
• Eliminates $550 million in facility funding for California Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and Full-Day Kindergarten
• Eliminates $47.9 million in 2025 and $97.9 million onging starting in 2026-27 to support the California State Preschool Program for State Preschool to serve at least 10 percent of students with disabilities.
• Sweeps all of the $900 million in the Safety Net Reserve.
• Eliminates CalWORKs Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Services

Upcoming Committee Hearings for this week below. All upcoming calendared budget hearings noted here:

• Wednesday, May 15 - ASM Budget Sub 1 @ 9:30- Overview of Governor's May Revision Health Proposals - State Capitol, Room 126
• Thursday, May 16 - SEN B&FR Sub 1 on Education @ 1:30 or upon adjournment of Appropriations, 1021 O Street, Room 2100
• Thursday, May 16 - SEN B&FR Sub 3 on Health & Human Servicres @ 1:30 or upon adjournment of Appropriations, 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• Thursday, May 16 - ASM Budget Sub 2 Upon Adjournment of Session - Overview of Governor's May Revision Proposals, State Capitol Room 126
• Thursday, May 16 - ASM Budget Sub 3 Upon adjournment of Session - Overview of Governor's May Revision Proposals, State Capitol Room 447
• Friday, May 17 - ASM Budget Sub 3 Upon adjournment of Session - Overview of Governor's May Revision Proposals, Room TBD

All of the above information can be found on TFC's Budget Page. Be sure to reach out to TFC staff with any questions.

Get Involved - Partner Budget Advocacy Opportunities

WEDNESDAY IS ADVOCACY DAY!!!

Come rally for our children, families, and workers at Capitol Lawn/West Side of the State Capitol on Wednesday, May 15th! RSVP by registering here.

Got questions or just want to chat before the event? Feel free to reach out at andrewcheyne@grace-inc.org or stephanieliem@grace-inc.org. 

Please register and share with your colleagues – see you there!

BILL OF THE WEEK

AB 1961 (Wicks): End Hunger in California Act

Author: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks represents the East Bay in the California State Assembly, with a district spanning the communities of Oakland to Richmond, and includes the City of Berkeley.

Asm. Wicks was recently appointed Chair of the Appropriations Committee, after serving as Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee for two years prior. Her work focuses heavily on advancing solutions to solve California's housing and homelessness crisis, expanding our state’s social safety net, protecting kids in the digital world, and championing the rights of women and working families. 

Click here to view the bill.

To submit a support letter, click here.

HOW TO SUPPORT A BILL

As bills move through California’s legislative process, they are presented to and heard by several committees who may recommend amendments and vote on whether or not the bill should continue through the legislative process.

As legislators decide how to vote, they consider public opinion as expressed through position letters. To support a bill and submit a position letter, you must first register here for an account. You only need to do this once. After you register, you will log in, and then you click on submit a letter. From there, you simply click on either AB (Assembly Bill) or SB (Senate Bill) and then the bill number. If you need any support, please email TFC.

IMPORTANT DATES, DEADLINES & BILLS

May 17 - Last day for fiscal committees to hear and report to the floor bills introduced in their house (J.R. 61(b)(8)).

May 17 - Last day for fiscal committees to meet prior to May 28 (J.R. 61(b)(9)).

May 21 - Floor Session only. No committees, other than conference or Rules committees, may meet for any purpose (J.R. 61 (b)(10)).

Upcoming Legislative Hearings:

• Senate Appropriations - May 13th @ 10 am - 1021 O Street, Room 2200

Bills to Watch:

• AB 1808 (Nguyen) Childcare and development services: eligibility. Extends 24-month eligibility to CalWORKs child care. TFC SPONSORED.
• AB 2476 (Bonta) Childcare services: alternative payment programs. TFC SPONSORED.
• AB 2774 (Grayson) Childcare for Working Families Act

Resources:

• See the full 2023-24 Legislative Calendar here.
• Visit TFC's legislation page to find a comprehensive list of bills of interest.
• Visit TFC's Budget Page for full budget bill details, as well as budget hearing video archive links.
• Visit TFC's dedicated page to find a full list of Senate and Assembly Committee chairs and contact information.
• Click here to view all the bills that the Assembly and Senate introduced this legislative year.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE INFO, RULES & POSITION LETTER DEADLINES

All changes to committee assignments have been reflected on TFC's Committee Information, Rules & Position Letter Deadlines page. This page has been tailored to only include those committees relevant to the field. However, you can find the full, comprehensive and updated list of all committees on this site.

Please reach out to TFC staff if you have any questions.

Did you know?

Child Care Q&As

Question: What does Broadly Consistent mean and how is it beneficial to families?

Answer: Each month, child care providers turn in invoices and/or attendance sheets showing that families are using the approved child care.

In some situations, an attendance sheet or documentation will be turned in that shows the approved hours or child care were not being used by the family. If there appears to be a pattern of non-use of certified care by a family, then the Broadly Consistent law supports reaching out to the family seeking information that the family is okay. Sometimes the family has transportation issues. When an agency reaches out to talk with the family, it is simply a means to make sure the family is okay. It is not a policy used to reduce hours on families. These are two entirely different issues and should not intersect.

Question: Why is CDA making the Cost of Care Plus Rate Payment and not my county Human Services Department?

Answer: CDA has been contracted with California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to issue the monthly Cost of Care Plus Rate Payment to child care providers in counties where the Stage One and/or Bridge Programs are not able to issue the payments due to automation limitations.

Question: Who is CDA?



Answer: Child Development Associates (CDA) is a community based, non-profit agency based in San Diego that has been supporting children, families and child care providers since 1974. You can learn more at cdasd.org.

Question: How does CDA know which County and Stage One or Bridge Program Providers to Pay?

Answer: Monthly, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will provide CDA with information on providers who received Stage One or Bridge Program payments from their county. CDA will use this information to pay the providers a Cost of Care Plus Rate Payment for each child that was paid by Stage One or Bridge Program. 

Question: When will a provider receive their payment from CDA?

Answer: CDA is required to send payments to Stage 1 and Bridge Program providers within 25 calendar days of receiving the monthly payment data file from CDSS, and a valid IRS Form W9 from each provider receiving funds. Only one valid W9 form is needed by CDA for the life of the program. Providers contacted by CDA requesting a W9 form are encouraged to submit the form as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving their payment.

Question: How much should providers expect to receive?



Answer: The amount per child varies based on the county where the family child care provider is located and the assigned “region.” For more details visit: https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-and-development/child-care-provider-resources/provider-payments

Federal Update

CLASP Federal Update

Recent Child Care & Early Education Investments Underscore the Need for Future Funding

It has been a busy spring for child care and early education, but there is much more work to be done. In the past few months, the fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding bill was finalized, President Biden released his FY2025 proposed budget, and a new Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) final rule was published for the first time since 2016. The FY2024 funding bill includes $8.75 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant ($725 million dollar increase from FY2023) and $12.27 billion for Head Start ($275 million increase from FY2023). Together, this amounts to a $1 billion increase for child care and early education funding.

The President’s proposed FY2025 budget also included bold investments in child care and early education, and the proposed $600 billion over 10 years for child care and pre-K reinforces the growing recognition that a well-funded child care system is necessary for families, children, and the economy to thrive. These real and proposed investments come at a crucial moment as states begin implementing the new CCDF final rule, which aims to expand access to affordable child care. 

The resources below underscore the ways our team is continuing to fight for a more affordable, transformative, and well-funded child care system in our 25th year of child care and early education policy work at CLASP. 

CCDF Final Rule Explainer

Tiffany Ferrette, Rachel Wilensky, and Alisha Saxena share key requirements and encouragements put forth in the new CCDF final rule, and provide examples from states that have already implemented key requirements in partnership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Women’s Law Center, and Diane Girouard at Child Care Aware of America. 

Understanding Child Care and Early Education Investments in President Biden's FY2025 Budget 

Shira Small and Stephanie Schmit review the proposed child care and early education investments in President Biden’s FY2025 budget. 

CCDBG FY2024 State-by-State Appropriations Distribution Estimates and Increases

Stephanie Schmit provides estimates of states’ CCDBG funding allocations for FY2024. Read to see how the FY2024 investments will be distributed.

Biden’s State of the Union Featured Many Programs Supporting Economic Security, Equity 

Nicolas Martinez highlights key points in President Biden’s State of the Union address, including his messaging about child care and early education. 

Final Child Care Rule Is Important Step to Accessibility, Affordability

Indivar Dutta-Gupta shares reflections on the CCDF final rule and how the updated regulations are a key step in increasing access to affordable child care.

CLASP and NWLC Comments on Child Care and Development Fund Plan Preprint 

Tiffany Ferrette and Alisha Saxena, in collaboration with NWLC, respond to a public comment about the update to the CCDF Plan Preprint for 2025-2027. 

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1. H.R.6090 [118th] Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023
2. H.Res.894 [118th] Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.
3. H.R.815 [118th] Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
4. H.R.82 [118th] Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
5. S.596 [117th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021
6. H.R.7024 [118th] Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
7. H.R.3935 [118th] Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act
8. H.R.4366 [118th] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024
9. H.R.5074 [118th] Kidney PATIENT Act of 2023
10. H.R.7979 [118th]End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

Social Media Spotlight

Field Highlights

Raising children is way more expensive than most parents imagined—and more than half of all parents say they went into debt to pay for their kids, study shows

A parent’s bundle of joy is said to be priceless, but an economy marked by inflation might challenge that notion as people shell out thousands to raise their children.

Even as the high cost of living ebbs a bit, the cost of everything between fancy strollers and formula has hiked for the current generation of parents. It all means three out of four people with a child report having and raising their kid was “far more expensive than expected,” according to a LendingTree survey of more than 2,000 adult consumers from the U.S. ...

Click here to view the full article.

Why Is Child Care So Expensive?

Click here to view the illustrative article.

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

Upcoming Webinars

RELEASED April 10, 2024: Child Development Virtual Permit Training

The Child Development Training Consortium (CDTC) is now offering virtual trainings on how to process and submit a Child Development Permit Stipend application.

We will be reviewing the Permit Matrix and the benefits of applying for a permit through CDTC. 

Registration spaces will be limited and are first come, first served. Additional information along with the registration link will be available on our CDTC website two weeks prior to each Permit training. For any questions, please reach out to us at CDTC-Permit@yosemite.edu.

Upcoming Dates:

May 16th, 2024 10:00 A.M-12:00 P.M.

June 13, 2024 10:00 A.M-12:00 P.M.

Early Childhood Policy Council Meeting Notice and Agenda

Monday, May 20, 2024

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Physical Meeting Information:  

1000 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

WestEd, 5th floor, Capitol Room

Virtual Meeting Information:  Register in advance for this meeting. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Any person who wishes to request this notice or other meeting materials in an alternative format, which would enable that person to participate in the meeting, must make that request at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date by email to Desirae.Carrera@dss.ca.gov.

The order in which agenda items are considered may be subject to change. Public comment will be taken at the conclusion of each agenda item.

More information is available on the Early Childhood Policy Council web page.

Information & Updates

RELEASED May 9, 2024: CCB 24-07: SUBSIDIZED PROVIDER REPORT UPDATED REQUIREMENTS

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 24-07: SUBSIDIZED PROVIDER REPORT UPDATED REQUIREMENTS.

The purpose of this CCB is to provide clarification to Child Care and Development Contractors who administer CalWORKs Stage 2 (C2AP) and CalWORKs Stage 3 (C3AP) contracts regarding the additional eligibility requirements for children and families enrolling in these programs. 

Read the entire CCB here..

April 2024: CHILD CARE TRANSITION QUARTERLY REPORT

With the arrival of the new year, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS)

continued to deliver important programs to support California’s most vulnerable

residents.

The Department unveiled a significant new foster care rate reform proposal that

represents a critical step toward making sure foster youth receive the support and

care they need to thrive.

Other highlights from the first quarter included aiding county and local partners in

support of arriving migrants, disrupting poverty, strengthening families, and

addressing inequitable outcomes.

Click here to see the Quarterly Achievements at a glance.

Click here to see the Quarterly Report.

Inclusive Early Education Resources

The California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division, is sharing the following message on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE).

In November 2022, CDE, Early Education Division, in collaboration with the cross-sector early learning and care state-level Impact Inclusion Workgroup (IIW), announced the development of the Inclusive Early Education web page.

The CDE is excited to share that the IIW has compiled additional resources and has restructured the Inclusive Early Education web page to a user-friendly matrix format. Resources are now organized by resource content type, including Governance and Leadership, Finance, Personnel, Workforce, and Quality Standards, Accountability and Quality, and Family Engagement. In addition, each resource indicates an audience type (families, providers and teachers, and administrators) that may most benefit from the resources.

We hope this web page, compiled of resources, is supportive of individuals and programs to increase access, participation, and support for children with disabilities in early learning and care programs, including Universal PreKindergarten.

Happening This Week, May 13th- May 17th:

Monday, May 13th:

TFC Small/Rural Subcommittee Meeting @ 2:00pm

Tuesday, May 14th:

-CalHR Childcare Providers Labor Relations Monthly Forum, 10:00am-12:00pm

-TFC Weekly Member Connections Meeting @ 1:00pm. Email to register.

Wednesday, May 15th:

End Child Poverty in CA Advocacy Day @ 10:00am. Register Here.

Thursday, May 16th:

CCDD Monthly Contractor Meeting, 10:00am-12:00pm. Register Here.

Thriving Families California (formerly CAPPA) is committed to supporting our field with a coordinated calendar. Click here to see current calendar of events. If you have an event to add, email us and it will be added.

The Weekly Good

An uplifting way to start the week, for those of us who need a break from the chaos that is our lives.

During this time where we are all stressed, it would be great to celebrate the positive. Each week we will celebrate everyday heroes, inspiring movements and great things happening in our field. 

Family Resource Center Receives Funding from San Joaquin Community Foundation to Support Local Child Care Providers.

Family Resource Center, through the Foundation’s Community Health Fund, will host its first Child Care Provider Wellness Event to equip Providers with the tools and support needed to prioritize their mental and physical health.

January 31, 2024 (Stockton, CA) Family Resource Center (FRC) received a grant award in the amount of $20,000 from the San Joaquin Community Foundation’s Community Health Fund to host its first Wellness Event, Saturday, May 4th, 2024. The event is expected to draw in over 500 local San Joaquin County Child Care Providers and will be held at the Robert Cabral Agricultural Center.

Research conducted by Yale School of Medicine (Oct. 2022), indicates that Child Care professionals have increased rates of depression and stress. As self-employed business owners, Family Child Care Home Providers are not offered job-based health coverage. Many Providers report delaying or not getting the care they need, often due to costs. By attending the Child Care Provider Wellness Event attendees will increase their awareness of strategies they can use to help cope with day-to-day stressors and gain knowledge of community resources and information that will help them with their overall health and wellness.

The Wellness & Appreciation event will include inspiring keynote speaker, Brandon Leake, and an expert presenter, Dr. Linda McGhee, a practicing Clinical Psychologist who speaks and writes nationally on mental health, race, and education. The event will also include a panel of local health and wellness professionals, and allow time for Child Care Providers to connect with one another-building systems of support. An appreciation breakfast and lunch will be part of the day’s event.

“Our Child Care Providers deserve a day dedicated to their needs. They’re on the frontlines each day-nurturing and caring for children and families. It’s critical that we support the wellness needs of our Providers,” says COO, Leslie Reece, an AMFT. The event takes place the same week as National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, a special day in the year to recognize and celebrate the tireless efforts of Providers who care for children.

“We thank the Foundation for its continued support of our mission,” says Rebecca Ray, Director of Community Relations & Development. “It takes all of us- if our Child Care Providers are not supported, then who will care for the kids? We’re honored we can host this event just for them.”

To learn more about the Provider Wellness & Appreciation Day Event visit: https://frcsj.org/provider-wellness-appreciation-day/

Become a Monday 

Morning Update Partner! 

Our Monday Morning Update supports our Early Learning & Child Care field with timely information about what is going on in California and nationally; as well as dates to be aware and upcoming events. 

Our weekly Monday morning distribution is to nearly 10,000 federal and state local agencies, resource and referrals, contractors, legislators and their staffs', centers, parents, providers, state departments and advocates. 

To help support the continuation of this resource and or advertise in the Monday Morning Update, click HERE.

To advertise in the update, click here.

You can also make a donation to TFC and The CAPPA Children's Foundation HERE.

The Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization (501(c)3), Taxpayer Identification Number is 03-0521444. Your generous donation is tax deductible.