California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

Race to the Finish: End of CA Session

In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 1st, the 2023-24 legislative session came to a close. The Senate concluded their bills prior to the midnight deadline. However the Assembly took up a couple urgency measures. The final hours were definitely out of the norm as Governor Newsom called for a special session to be convened, wherein the Assembly convened the special session but the Senate did not.

The Governor has until September 30th to act on all bills. The actions that can be considered by the Governor are to sign, veto or or allow a bill to go into effect without his signature.

Thriving Families California applauds the Legislature and their staff for all the hard work done last week. Thank you to the Assemblymembers and Senators who worked to pass legislation in this two-year session that uplifts working families!

Important Dates, Deadlines,

Hearings, and Bills

Bills Pending Action by September 30:

• AB 1808 (Nguyen) Childcare and development services: eligibility. Extends 24-month eligibility to CalWORKs child care. TFC SPONSORED.
• SB 1112 (Menjivar) Childcare: alternative payment programs.
• AB 2343 (Schiavo) CalWORKs: childcare programs

How to communicate support to the Governor on one of the above bills:

• Click here to contact the Governor
• Under topic click drop down arrow and scroll to Topic: Legislation Issues/Concern
• Click box to Leave a comment
• Click Next
• Click on Pro then leave your message (NOTE: Next week we will provide you sample messages)
• Click next
• Fill out your contact information then click submit

Dates & Deadlines:

• September 30 - Last day for Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature before Sept. 1
• October 2 - Bills enacted on or before this date take effect January 1, 2025
• November 5 - General Election
• December 2 - Convening of the 2025–26 Regular Session at 12 p.m. noon

Legislative 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.

Incoming New Leadership: Legislative Women's Caucus

Congratulations to Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (AD 04-Davis) and Senator Monique Limon (SD 19-Santa Barbara) for being elected Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Legislative Women's Caucus! Thriving Families California is so excited to continue working with you.

November 5th General Election Resources

Deadlines:

• October 7th - Deadline to mail all mail-in ballots. Early voting begins.
• October 21st - Deadline to register to vote. Register HERE
• November 5th - Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last day to vote by mail

Secretary of State Website Resources:

• November Statewide Elections (November 5th)
• County-Administered Elections
• Los Angeles - August 30th, 2024: LACERA Election
• Sacramento - September, 2024: Sacramento County Employees' Retirement (SCERS) Election
• Ballot Propositions

List of Candidates:

• Results of the March Primary (NYT Times)
• California Democratic Party - List of Candidates Who Filed

Other Resources:

• Which lawmakers are running for office this November
• CalMatters Voting Guide

Registration Now Open!

Register Today For the Virtual Portion of the Conference!

Register Online HERE.

For the IN-PERSON option, an email was sent to your agency's ED/CEO, AP Contact and R&R Contact last week on July 1st from TFC and Network staff with more information on how to register. Once again, there will be a cap on in-person attendance. We want to give all of our member agencies a chance to send staff in-person, so each agency will get a set number of in-person registrations. If you are needing the registration link again, please let us know.

Exhibitor and Sponsor Information- Now Available!

There are a variety of ways to sponsor The Hybrid Conference or show your support. Whether you are interested in one of our many sponsorship opportunities, purchasing ad space in the Conference program or hosting an exhibit booth to showcase new products or launch promotions, there will be ample opportunity for your company to be recognized as a contributor to the early learning and child care field and for you to build visibility and connect with senior management and key decision makers.

See the Exhibitor and Sponsor Packet Here.

2024 Conference

Save the Date and join your peers for an amazing 2024 Joint Conference! The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and Thriving Families CA are excited to announce that we will once again offer a joint conference in 2024 that has both an in-person and virtual option this Fall!

We are working with the Conference Committee to offer thoughtful, user-friendly options with keynote presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and connection time with vendors. For the in-person conference, we will once again be at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento. For those who prefer the conveniences that come with virtual attendance, we’ll have an option that is similar to the last four years. Regardless of the option that works best for your agency, we look forward to connecting, supporting and partnering with you!

Did you know?

Child Care Q&A's

Question: Who qualifies for non-CalWORKs child care?

Answer: In order to be eligible for federal and state subisidized child care, families shall meet one of the following areas:

• A current aid recipient
• Income eligible
• Homeless
• A child who is a recipient of protective services or has been identied as being abused, neglected, or exploited, or
• A member of the household is certified to receive Head Start, Early Head Start, or any other means-tested government programs.

Question: Can families that purchase child care with a subsidized child care voucher choose any provider that best meets their needs?

Answer: Yes! The only thing that the family must understand is that when a family child care or center based provider is chosen, if their rates are more than the amount allowed on the voucher, then the family is responsible for paying the difference between the maximum amount on the voucher and the provider's rate. This is considered the family's co-payment. If there is a co-payment, then the agreement to pay is one between the provider and the parent.

Question: How many child care referrals should a parent expect from their local resource & referral community partner?

Answer: Answer: When making referrals, the R&R will provide at least four referrals, if there are licensed providers available based on the information submitted with the parent’s request. R&Rs also provide information to the family on their option to choose a license-exempt provider and other information so the parent can make the best choice for the care of their children.

Which subsidized child care programs have 12-months of eligibility versus 24-months?

Federal Update

Head Start Federal Rule Change

Biden Administration Announces Over $558 Million Investment in Maternal Health

Last Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced more than $558 million in funding to improve maternal health, building on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reducing the nation’s high maternal mortality rate through the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.

"The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of HHS, is awarding more than $440 million in funding to expand voluntary, evidence-based maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting services for eligible families across the country. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new investment of $118.5 million, over five years, to 46 states, six territories, and freely associated states to continue building the public health infrastructure to better identify and prevent pregnancy-related deaths."

We're shortening this section! Click here or below to read the FULL weekly federal update from the National Women's Law Center.

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1.H.R.2 [118th] Secure the Border Act of 2023

2.S.4361 [118th] Border Act of 2024

3.H.R.82 [118th] Social Security Fairness Act of 2023

4.H.R.5376 [117th] Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

5.S.596 [117th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021

6.H.R.4 [117th] John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021

7.H.R.5074 [118th] Kidney PATIENT Act of 2023

8.H.R.7979 [118th] End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

9.H.R.8046 [118th] Rosatom Sanctions Enforcement Act

10.S.1323 [118th] SAFE Banking Act of 2023

Social Media Spotlight

Field Highlights

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

Information & Updates

RELEASED AUGUST 23, 2024: CCB 24-17 (August 23, 2024) Fiscal Year 2024-25 Quality Support Budget Act Amendments

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website:  CCB 24-17: Fiscal Year 2024-25 Child Care and Development Quality Support Budget Act Amendments.

The purpose of this CCB is to inform child care and development support contractors of Budget Act Amendments for Fiscal Year 2024-25.

California's Child Care and Development 2024-25 Budget Overview

California’s 2024-25 state budget includes $6.1 billion ($3.8 billion General Fund) for child care and development programs. 

The 2021 Budget Act initiated a multiyear plan to expand access to subsidized child care and development slots and the 2024-25 budget allocates $1.64 Billion to fund 119,000 slots that were added since 2021. In addition, it authorizes an additional $228.6 million, representing approximately 11,000 new general child care (CCTR) slots, beginning October 1, 2024. 

Budget Resources

• Executive Summary of the Budget Act of 2024 
• The 2024-25 Appropriation Table is a detailed breakdown of funding for all CDSS programs
• Page 24 of our 2024 May Revision Binder shares the enrollment figures for the child care programs, how much funding they receive and their eligibility criteria. 
• Page 66 of our 2024 May Revision Binder shows how the State has obligated American Rescue Plan Act funding.

For more information about the 24-25 budget, please visit our Local Assistance Estimates for the 2024-25 Governor’s Budget webpage.

RELEASED AUGUST 13, 2024: CCB 24-16 (August 13, 2024) Informal Directive Of Assembly Bill 393 Implementation

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 24-16: Informal Directive of Assembly Bill 393 Implementation

The purpose of this Child Care Bulletin (CCB) is to provide an informal directive to implement Assembly Bill (AB) 393, which requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to create procedures for contractors to identify and report data on Dual Language Learners (DLL) enrolled in center-based General Child Care and Development Programs (CCTR) and Migrant General Child Care and Development Programs (CMIG) administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). 

Happening This Week, September 3 - 6, 2024:

Tuesday, September 3rd:

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

Wednesday, September 4th: Early Edge CA Webinar- California Needs Caregivers: The Importance of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care. 10:00am-11:00am. Join Here.

Thursday, September 5th:

TFC Public Policy Retreat in Sacramento

Friday, September 6th: Rate & Quality Advisory Panel. 9:00am-11:00am Register Here.

Thriving Families California 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.