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"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
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Issue #47 November 25, 2019
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During this season of thanks, we extend to you our sincere gratitude for your membership, support and the trust you have bestowed upon us.
We want you to know that CAPPA and the Children's Foundation are here to support you. We are here to provide you, and the families and children you serve, a voice in advocacy, a training and technical assistance resource, real time information, and a link to network and grow. We encourage you to get even more involved and to take advantage of what we can deliver.
But most importantly of all, we look forward to partnering with you and all organizations in unifying our strength in numbers and protecting the most valuable of services for working families and the child care and early learning infrastructures needed by our children.
So during this season of thanks, WE THANK YOU.
The CAPPA and Children's Foundation Board of Directors & Staff.
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November 2019 Featured Member Agency
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In 1980,
Infant Child Enrichment Services (I.C.E.S.)opened to begin operating a child care center with grant funding from the California Department of Education. Two years after that, ICES was awarded a state contract to operate a Child Care Resource and Referral Program (CCR&RP) in Tuolumne County and one year later, opened a CCR&RP in Mariposa County.
In 1986, ICES began operating the subsidized Alternative Payment Program in both M
ariposa and Tuolumne Counties. In a span of 6 years, the agency grew from one subsidized child care center program to an incorporated, independent non-profit agency operating in 2 counties.
Both Mariposa and Tuolumne County implement CalWORKS Stage 1 in addition to Stage 2, 3 and CAPP. While new staff have joined the Mariposa and Tuolumne offices within the last 3 years, our Mariposa office has one employee who has been dedicated to AP work for 20 years which is a real testimony to the meaningful work we do to provide families with state-funded child care subsidies.
In 2007, Tuolumne ICES was awarded a CDBG grant to allow us to purchase a building in East Sonora that serves as ICES' main office. Upon
the move, due to space constraints, the child care center operations were discontinued
Today, Infant Child Enrichment Services has grown to employ 16 staff who are committed to provide quality community services and fills an important role in both Mariposa and Tuolumne County. We also are very pleased to have remodeled both office's to create parent
appointment areas that is both appealing and welcoming to children and families.
**Thank you to Chris Mackenzie, Executive Director, for the submission!**
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If your agency is interested in being featured in an upcoming Monday Morning Update,
please let us know!
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Visit by Senator Archuleta
On October 31, Senator Archuleta and staff Hector Chacon toured the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation's center at Pico Rivera!
This experience gave the Senator the opportunity to learn about the children and families served by MAOF in his district.
Senator Bob J. Archuleta, a former Presidential Appointee and Pico Rivera city mayor, has dedicated his life to serving his community and his country proudly.
He was elected in November 2018 to the California State Senate to represent the 32nd Senate District, which includes portions of Los Angeles County and Orange County.
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Do you have success news to share with us?! We love to hear what our members are up to and where they're going! Submit your accomplishment(s) big OR small by emailing us!
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CAPPA Member Only Benefits
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CAPPA Member Benefits now available on the Members Only website:
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Just added to the Member's only website:
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CAPPA's
2019-20 Board of Directors
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Rick Richardson
Child Development Associates
Karen Marlatt
Valley Oak Children's Services
Beth Chiaro
Child Care Resource Center
LaVera Smith
Supportive Services Fresno
Martin Castro
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
Jeffrey Moreira
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
Public Policy Co-Chair
Phillip Warner
Children's Council San Francisco
Tina Barna
Choices for Children
Abby Shull
YMCA Childcare Resource Service
Leslie Reece
Family Resource & Referral of San Joaquin County
Jeanne Fridolfs
Napa County Office of Education
Mike Michelon
Siskiyou Child Care Council
Marco Jimenez
Central Valley Children's Services Network
Michelle Graham
Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County
Joie Owen
Glenn County Office of Education
Denyne Micheletti Colburn
CAPPA CEO
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ELCD/CDE, DSS & CCLD Updates
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November 6, 2019
FY 2019-20 RFA for CSPP Expansion Funds
November 5, 2019
FY 2019-20 RFA for CCTR Expansion Funds
October 14, 2019
15-day comment period is now closed.
September 17, 2019
September 9, 2019
Fiscal Year 2019-20 Two-Day Fiscal Training for Center-Based Contractors.
Additional information regarding location details and how to sign up for these trainings will be forthcoming
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Is Your Organization Hiring?
Post your job announcement here for thousands to see!
There is no charge for CAPPA members.
Non-members will be charged a fee of $75.
Please
email us
your posting!
Colusa County Office of Education
Solano Family and Children's Services
International Institute Los Angeles
Children's Council San Francisco
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The CAPPA Board has made it a priority to support our field with a coordinated calendar to note upcoming statewide conferences, federal conferences of relevance, CDE and DSS stakeholder meetings and legislative and budget deadlines and hearings.
NOTE: If you would like to share your newsletter or items of interest with our field via the Monday morning e-Newsletter, then please
email us
a link. Please make sure that you have a link included to an online version or viewing.
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Become a Monday
Morning
Update Partner!
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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 (50 times per year) Monday morning distribution is to more than 4,000 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.
You can also make a donation to CAPPA and CAPPA Children's Foundation
The Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization (501(c)3), Taxpayer Identification Number is
03-0521444. Your generous donation is tax deductible.
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Field Input Requested by December 2, 2019
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Children's Access to Food in Jeopardy Under Proposed Trump Rule Change
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration moved for a third time to cut spending on food assistance
through proposed regulatory changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, known as CalFresh in California). The Administration concedes that their latest proposal would cut the power of SNAP for households with children, trimming their benefits by as much as $75 every month.
The newly proposed rule
, which was published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on October 3rd, would reduce SNAP benefits for participants who have high utility costs, such as heating and cooling expenses. Benefit levels for SNAP are based on income and other factors including, housing and utility costs, which can often be deducted from a household's income to better reflect their true cost of living. The Trump Administration is proposing to implement a uniform national allowance for calculating utility expenses that is lower than the actual utility costs paid by many Californians. The proposed rule would fuel rates of hunger and food insecurity across the United States. In California, where over
1.9 million children
under the age of eighteen live in households that participate in SNAP, the rule change would have a significant negative impact on children.
The Trump Administration estimates the rule change would reduce SNAP benefits for 20 percent of households with children. But national partners have estimated the harm to be far worse. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has estimated that of the more than 7 million people who will see their benefits cut because of the proposed rule,
68 percent are likely to come from households with children. As with previous proposed rules, the Administration's estimates do not take into account the full range of harm caused by the proposed policy. Their
impact analysis is based on old 2014 data. Better and more recent data is needed to accurately estimate the rule's impact, including the combined impact of the proposed rule with other pending rulemaking.
The newly proposed rule comes in the wake of two other proposals from the Trump Administration to rig the rules for SNAP. USDA announced the rule change just one week after the public comment period closed for the Administration's
proposal to cut 3.1 million people off of benefits through elimination of "broad-based categorical eligibility" (the comment period for the proposed rule closed in September, but was recently
reopened and extended to November 1st). Earlier this year, the Administration also
proposed cutting 755,000 people off from SNAP by imposing harsh time limits that would cut certain participants off from benefits if they can't find and maintain employment at 20 hours per week (the comment period for this proposed rule closed in April and a final rule is expected anytime soon). Together, these three rules are estimated to negatively impact over a million Californians, more than a quarter of the SNAP recipients in our state.
Say "NO" to the proposed rule that would fuel hunger across California
Submit a comment opposition to the rule by December 2nd:
We ask that you modify the language to reflect your own thoughts and experiences so that each submitted comment counts as unique.
Submit your comments here by December 2nd, 2019. California-specific sample comments. doc Child-specific sample comments.doc
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Administration for Children and Families
Request for Information
Administration seeks public input on improving access to child care.
HHS' Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) is seeking input from the public and interested stakeholders on strategies to improve access to high-quality, affordable child care in the U.S.
A
"Request for Information" seeks public input identifying emerging and innovative practices to improve access to high-quality child care, as well as identification of any regulatory and other policies that unnecessarily drive up the cost of care or limit the safe, nurturing child care choices available to parents.
Child care is an investment that supports both present and future generations of the workforce. "Improving access to safe, high-quality child care that enables parental employment and supports child and youth development is a top priority for ACF and this administration, and we have seen a record increase in the child care block grant to states," said Lynn A. Johnson, assistant secretary for ACF. "But there is more to do. We are seeking promising innovations and new ideas from around the country to inform policy that better supports the success of working families."
Child care is one of the biggest expenses a family faces and can be a barrier to work. The cost of center-based child care for two children exceeds home mortgage costs in 35 states and D.C. and annual median rent payments in every state. At the same time, child care settings are a place of learning for children from the time they are infants and toddlers through their school-age years. Further, care is needed beyond the traditional work day to assist workers with fluctuating schedules and to meet afterschool and summer needs. The request for information comes as ACF is undertaking a series of roundtable discussions across the country to hear directly from the public - including parents, providers, employers and state officials -- on child care.
"Access to quality learning opportunities at home and in care is foundational to children's development and, ultimately, their success in school and in life," said Shannon Christian, director of ACF's Office of Child Care. "This administration has already led important advancements. We are focused on listening to the public's ideas for improving access that supports the unique needs of parents and children."
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The final actions on bills have been made. To see those vetoed, signed (Chaptered),
or are two-year bills
click here.
For all, while legislators are back in their districts, please make it a priority to educate them about your programs, families and children served, ideas for better delivery of services, etc.
While on recess, informational hearings may be scheduled throughout the state that may be of interest.
- Thursday, December 5, 2019 - ASM Select Committee on Youth Mental Health - Informational Hearing on The Impact of Gun Violence on Youth Mental Health - Elihu M. Harris State Building, Oakland @ 4pm
- Monday, December 9, 2019 - ASM Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and HUman Services - Informational Hearing on The Promise of Proposition 63 and the Future of Mental Health Funding in California - State Capitol Room 437 @ 1pm
- Tuesday, December 10, 2019 - Joint Informational Hearing on Census 2020 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties: Coming Soon to Your Community - Long Beach City Hall @ 11:15am
Click here to see calendar of field events/interests and legislative hearings and deadlines. If you would like something added to the field calendar,
click here and submit details.
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CAPPA Audit Training, in partnership with CDE
December 4, 2019
KVIE, Sacramento
9:30am-2:00pm
CAPPA, in partnership with the CDE Audits and Investigations Division, will be delivering a training for our field focused on auditing. There will be a training from CDE on auditing changes and requirements, as well as a training from an accounting firm on how agencies should be preparing and complying with the different requirements.
Agenda:
9:30am-12:00pm:
Presentation from CDE Audits and Investigations Division
The California Department of Education's Audits and Investigations Division will provide an overview of federal and state requirements that apply to agencies administering the child development programs including cost allowability, audits, and certified public accountant selection.
12:00pm-2:00pm:
How to Prepare for an Agency Audit
Gregory Gebhardt, Nonprofit Financial Consultant, Board Member, and Chief Operations Officer of Fohrman & Fohrman, Inc.
How agencies should be preparing and complying with the different requirements. This portion of the training will cover audits and internal controls as applied to the contractors.
**Lunch will be included.**
Thank you to our event sponsor!
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Before you know it, 2020 will be here. Work is beginning to put materials together for this event. If you would like to become a partner, send your email and logo here.
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Profiled Legislator of the Week!
Assemblymember Megan Dahle
Republican Megan Dahle won the special election for the California Assembly District 1 seat on November 5th
Megan and her husband are dry land wheat farmers. The wheat that they grow is processed for seed, which is sold to local farmers and wholesalers alike. As a part of their business, she runs the trucking division to transport grain across the state. Their farm has full-time employees, which has given Megan significant insight into the difficulty of running a business in our state. Megan's experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur has helped her to understand the challenges and obstacles to owning and operating a business in the Golden State. As a small business owner, Megan is responsible for compliance, human resources, and finances, even as the burden of over-regulation has increased the cost of doing business in California.
Until 2012, Megan was a co-owner of Big Valley Nursery in Bieber.
Megan served as President of the Big Valley Joint Unified School Board for one term, where she grew her passion for rural education. She advocated for, and continues to support, access to Advanced Placement and enrichment classes so that every student can achieve their full academic potential.
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CDE Information & Updates
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Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Information
The CDE ELCD recognizes the challenges caused by public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and the resulting conditions. Some PSPS events may have rendered centers, preschools, and providers unable to offer services. We want to offer some information that may be helpful to support local programs during PSPS events and as they work to return to serving California's early learning and care needs.
Licensed Facilities Operating During a Power Outage
The Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division (DSS-CCLD) has advised that early learning and care facilities may provide care during a power outage as long as they continue to meet all health and safety licensing requirements for children in care. We encourage providers to consider their own health, safety and the wellbeing of their families when deciding whether or not to offer care during a power outage. Additional technical assistance is available through the CDSS-CCLD Child Care Offices on the web at
https://bit.ly/2OsOBYM
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Reimbursement for Lost Days of Attendance
We would like to remind you about the CDE ELCD allowance for crediting attendance during program closures due to emergency conditions. Contractors should refer to the ELCD Management Bulletin (MB) 10-09 web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb1009.asp. This MB provides specific guidance and funding direction due to circumstances beyond the control of the agency. In addition, MB 10-09 provides instruction for the statutory authority in California Education Code (EC) Section 8271 which provides that contractors unable to operate due to circumstances beyond the control of the agency, which would include fires, flooding, power outages, and other emergency-related situations, shall not be penalized.
For questions regarding reduced days of operation or attendance for child care and development programs, please contact your ELCD consultant. A list of consultant assignments is found on the ELCD Consultant Regional Assignments web page at
Incidents at Licensed Facilities
If you operate a licensed facility, please report any incidents on the premises to the California Department of Social Services pursuant to the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 22, sections
101212(d) and 102416.2(c). These CCR sections are available on the web at https://bit.ly/2XxB1Yd and https://bit.ly/37qIvAH , respectively. All licensed facilities should follow their disaster plans on file pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 1596.95(f) and is available on the web at https://bit.ly/35f7fKq.
Families Experiencing Homelessness due to a Disaster
For information regarding Homeless Children and Youth, please refer to MB 18-04 which is located on the ELCD MB web page at
Additionally, please contact your ELCD field services consultant, as soon as possible if your agency is impacted by a PSPS.
Resources for Preparing for and Coping with Disaster
California Resource and Referral (R&R) programs provide training and technical assistance, as well as resources for early learning and care providers. Please contact your local R&R for information on available resources. A list of R&Rs is found on the CDE web page at
https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/rragencylist.asp
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FY 2019-20 Attendance and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Child Development Contractors
The FY 2019-20 Attendance and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Child Development Contractors has been posted to the Child Development fiscal information web page. The Attendance and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Child Development Contractors is a handbook that had been commonly referred to as the Greenbook. Beginning FY 2019-20, this handbook will no longer be referenced as the Greenbook and will now be referenced as the Child Development and Nutrition Fiscal Services (CDNFS) Fiscal Handbook.
The CDNFS Fiscal Handbook is a manual that aids child development contractors in their attendance and fiscal reporting and explains reimbursement procedures and the role of the CDNFS unit within the Fiscal and Administrative Services Division.
A listing of important changes is included at the beginning of the
CDNFS Fiscal Handbook
each year. Please pay special attention to these changes and contact your assigned fiscal analyst with questions. The fiscal analyst directory can be found at
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Announcement Update for the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Bidders Conferences for
California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and General Child Care and Development (CCTR)
Please join us! The ELCD will conduct 11 Request for Applications (RFA) Bidders Conferences or webinar training sessions for applicants interested in applying for
California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and General Child Care and Development (CCTR) funding. Presenters from the ELCD will discuss the following: the
overview of the CSPP and CCTR RFA instructions, fiscal and contractual portions of RFA, timeline, process and funding available. This training will also review the
new
program narrative, scoring rubric, required documents
, and answer application questions.
Please visit the ELCD Bidders Conferences and Webinars web page at
https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/rfa1920biddersconf.asp
for the dates, times and locations of each of the Bidders Conference training sessions. These trainings will be heldon-site in several counties across California, or through a webinar session. Most sessions will begin at 10 a.m., and end at 3 p.m. Lunch is on your own and a forty-five (45) minute lunch break will be provided.
Space is limited to two attendees per agency in each location. Information about the webinars will be sent out at a later date.
Information regarding the RFAs may be found on the CDE website at:
- CSPP RFA: please visit the ELCD Management Bulletin 19-08 web page at
- CCTR RFA: please visit the ELCD Management Bulletin 19-09 web page at
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2020 Election Information
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Information on Upcoming Initiatives
March 3, 2020 Statewide Ballot Measures
November 3, 2020 Statewide Ballot Measures
- 1856. (18-0009) - REFERENDUM TO OVERTURN A 2018 LAW THAT REPLACED MONEY BAIL SYSTEM WITH A SYSTEM BASED ON PUBLIC SAFETY RISK.
November 2020 Eligible Statewide Ballot Measures
- 1840. (17-0044, Amdt.#1) - Restricts Parole for Non-Violent Offenders. Authorizes Felony Sentences for Certain Offenses Currently Treated Only as Misdemeanors. Initiative Statute.)
- 1851. (17-0055, Amdt.#1) - Requires Certain Commercial and Industrial Real Property to be Taxed Based on Fair-Market Value. Dedicates Portion of Any Increased Revenue to Education and Local Services. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Upcoming Senate, Assembly, and Presidential Elections:
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2019-20 State Budget Update
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 2019-20 State Budget Information
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 CalWORKs Child Care Outlook
Over the past five years, spending on CalWORKs child care has increased significantly. The increase has been due to a combination of higher provider reimbursement rates and a greater number of children served. Under our Fiscal Outlook, CalWORKs child care spending continues to grow. Assuming current policies remain in place, we estimate costs in 2020-21 will be 12 percent higher than in 2019-20, with costs growing at an average annual rate of 4 percent through 2023-24. Costs could be notably higher than we project due to a number of factors, including future budget decisions impacting provider reimbursement rates and the implementation of legislation enacted last year authorizing collective bargaining among some child care providers.
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2019-20 Federal Budget Update
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Kids' Share 2019: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2018 and Future Projections
Public spending on children aims to support their healthy development and help them fulfill their human potential. As such, federal spending on children is an investment in the nation's future. To inform policymakers, children's advocates, and the general public about how public funds are spent on children, this 13th edition of the annual Kids' Share report provides an updated analysis of federal expenditures on children from 1960 to 2018. It also projects federal expenditures on children through 2029 to give a sense of how budget priorities may unfold absent changes to current law.
A few highlights of the chartbook:
- In 2018, the federal government spent about $6,200 per child younger than 19, less than in 2017 after adjusting for inflation. This decline is driven by a reduction in federal spending on education and nutrition programs and a temporary reduction in child-related tax credits.
- As a share of the economy, federal investments in children fell to 1.9 percent of GDP in 2018, the lowest level in a decade.
- Medicaid is the largest source of federal support for children, followed by the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. More than three-fifths of federal expenditures on children are from health or tax provisions.
- The share of federal expenditures for children targeted to low-income families has grown over time, reaching 61 percent in 2018.
- Looking forward, children's programs are projected to receive only 3 cents of every dollar of the projected $1.5 trillion increase in federal spending over the next decade.
- Assuming no changes to current law, the children's share of the budget is projected to drop from 9.2 percent to 7.5 percent over the next decade, as spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest payments on the debt consume a growing share of the budget.
- By 2020, the federal government is projected to spend more on interest payments on the debt than on children.
- Over the next decade, all categories of spending on children except health are projected to decline relative to GDP. Most categories also see declines or remain at similar levels in real dollars.
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Governor Newsom Announces Early Childhood Policy Council and a Team to Develop Master Plan for Early Learning and Care
Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the selection of diverse experts, practitioners and parents to guide California's efforts on early learning and care. The Governor today appointed 20 members of the state's new Early Childhood Policy Council and advisory committees, including national experts, practitioners, and parents. He also announced the creation of an Early Childhood Action Research Team to develop a Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, which includes state and national leaders in social impact, financing, policy, and equity issues.
"Every child in our state should have the resources and support they need to live happy and healthy lives," said Governor Newsom. "We are bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds to create a Master Plan for Early Learning and Care that will be rooted in lifting up California's children and families today, tomorrow and into the future."
The Early Childhood Action Research Team will develop a comprehensive roadmap for California to accelerate the Governor's goal of providing universal preschool and action steps to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care that embraces the strengths and meets the needs of parents and young children.
The Action Research Team will consist of social impact experts from respected organizations including Child Trends, RAND, WestEd, Social Policy Research Associates, Parent Voices, Low-Income Investment Fund, American Institutes for Research, Stanford University's School of Education, and Neimand Collaborative. The Action Research Team will produce a report by October 1, 2020. The Health and Human Services Agency will oversee the Team's work in collaboration with the State Board of Education, the Department of Education and the Governor's Office.
The Governor announced that the Early Childhood Policy Council will be chaired by California's Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.
The Governor also named 20 members to the Council today, including thought leaders from across the state in social services, child care and child trauma. The Council will elevate the needs of young children and their families as well as advise the Governor, Legislature and the Superintendent of Public Instruction on statewide early learning, care and overall development.
The Council will provide recommendations on all aspects of the state's early childhood system, including support for the demographic, geographic and economic diversity of the state's children and families and ways the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education's final report can be updated and improved. It will hold at least four public meetings per year and prepare a formal annual report.
The Governor invested an additional $2 billion in this year's budget to ensure that all children in California have the critical foundation they need for healthy development and learning in the earliest years. This down payment immediately expands California children's access t
o quality education and health care, funds a two-generation strategy that invests in parents so they can invest in their children, and eases some of the financial pressures on parents to help them provide opportunities for their children and achieve economic security for their families.
Early Childhood Policy Council Members
- Nadine Burke Harris
- Mayra E. Alvarez, 38
- Kim Pattillo Brownson
- Yvette Sanchez Fuentes
- Maria "Lupe" Jaime
- Kimberley Johnson
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Alicia Lieberman
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Dean Tagawa
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Cheryl Polk
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Carola Oliva-Olson
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Stephanie Myers
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Sarah Neville-Morgan
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Scott Moore
Early Childhood Policy Council, Parent Subcommittee Members
- Lissete Frausto
- Mary Ignatius
- Yenni Rivera
Early Childhood Policy Council, Workforce Subcommittee Members
- Miren Algorri
- Virginia Eigen
- Tonia McMillian
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The Next Phase of Our Movement
Our movement to end child poverty in California is entering a critical new phase - and we want you to be a part of it from the start.
End Child Poverty California is partnering with civil rights leader, founder, and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Dolores Huerta, to build a grassroots army of Californians ready to end child poverty in our state for good.
This is a big moment for our movement - and a huge moment for the future of California kids. Help us mark this milestone by sharing the news with your friends today!
We couldn't be more proud to partner with a woman who has dedicated her life to showing people the power they have. Dolores Huerta founded the United Farm Workers movement along with César Chávez. She coined the slogan, "¡Sí se puede!" And in 2002, she established the
Dolores Huerta Foundation for grassroots community organizing to empower people to fight for the changes they want to see in their communities.
Link to full article.
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Paid Leave Helps California Families Stay Healthy
California was the first state to broadly promote family and community well-being by providing paid time off for working people to care for an ill family member or for a child who is new to the family. Implemented in 2004, California's paid family leave program built on the state's longstanding disability insurance program, which allows parents to take paid time off before and after childbirth. Since California led the way on paid family leave, seven other states and Washington, D.C. have passed their own paid family leave policies. Research shows that paid leave, among other benefits, can help to foster healthy communities by promoting positive health outcomes for families. This brief highlights the health benefits of paid leave for children and birthing parents.
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Child Care Aware® of America's 13th Annual Price of Care Survey Reveals A Broken Child Care Ecosystem
Child Care Aware® of America (
CCAoA
) released its 13
th
annual
The US and The High Price of Child Care: An Examination of a Broken System
which found that child care is unaffordable in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. For 30 years,
CCAoA
has been the leading voice for quality, affordable child care in the United States. Of note,
CCAoA's
findings showed that across all states, the cost of center-based infant care exceeds
29
percent of median household income for single working parents
;
these impacts were exacerbated for parents and families of colo
r.
CCAoA
also found that child care remains one of the highest household expenses, especially in the Northeast and West, often exceeding $20,000 per year in those regions, competing closely with rising housing prices. The federal poverty level for a family of three in the continental United States was $20,780 last year.
Massachusetts
and California are the least affordable states this year for center-based infant care, while Oregon, Indiana, Colorado and Maine remain the least affordable states for center-based toddler care.
New in this year's report is county-level costs for Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wisconsin through
an
interactive map
.
Report highlights include:
- Nationally, the cost of center-based infant care ranges from 7.6% to 17.6% of median household income for married couples;
- The use of updated millennial income data to compare with child care prices in each state. Overall, millennials pay anywhere from 18 to 42 percent of annual income for center-based infant care;
- Adjusting the title from previous years from "Cost of Care" to "Price of care" to reflect appropriate methodology and so as to not minimize the actual cost to the child care ecosystem;
- Descriptions of each member of the child care ecosystem-children, families, providers, communities, government and businesses and the role they play in creating and implementing solutions to price and access issues;
- The Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies that exist in states to support families and communities can lead the way for multiple stakeholders;
- Legislative and policy recommendations which focus on the key questions of how we can best support the child care workforce in sustaining quality care and how to help families pay for it. Recommendations include:
- Improved data collection and analysis
- Enhanced parent and provider awareness
- Strengthened financial mechanisms
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Child care plays an important role in the U.S. economy, helping to generate 15 million jobs and more than $500 billion in income annually. Yet, on average, millions of working families pay more for child care than they do for mortgage or rent, transportation, or even food every month. That's why it's critical to fund child care and early learning programs so all
families can afford care. Tell your congressmembers to support the Child Care for Working Families Act and thank those who already have signed on!
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The cost of child care
both to families and to the labor force - was a hot topic among Democrats in Wednesday's debate, taking center stage after the presidential candidates were asked how they would address the incredible price tag associated with providing care for young children.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang used the question to tout his so-called Freedom Dividend plan, which would provide Americans with $1,000 each month that, he said, they could put toward child care.
In 30 states and Washington, D.C., the average cost of care for an infant exceeds annual in-state tuition and fees.
Enrollment in publicly provided programs has outpaced private programs. The percentage of children enrolled in public programs in 2017 stood at 46%, compared to 18% enrolled in private programs - the majority of whom are enrolled in full-day programs.
That's largely been a result of cities like Washington, D.C.; New York, Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio and others establishing and expanding free preschool options, especially for their lowest income families. Those efforts have occurred alongside slight increases to funding for the two
largest federal programs
, Head Start, which provides comprehensive services for low-income families with young children, and the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, which distributes funds to states to administer child care services.
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"We need the food that we lost." Low-income families still reeling from blackouts
Pacific Gas & Electric turned off power to Ana Patricia Rios' neighborhood in Sonoma County for eight days in October, three at the beginning of the month and five near the end. The mother of three young boys watched twice as nearly all of the food in her refrigerator spoiled. She threw out at least $500 worth of meat, fruit, vegetables, salsas and other food that would have supplied her family with months of meals.
"It's a big impact because we need the food that we lost," Rios said in Spanish, two days after the lights finally came back on.
Similar losses occurred throughout Rios' wooded, hilly neighborhood, which is mostly home to Hispanic families. Many are vineyard and hospitality workers, and sometimes several families share a house.
Making matters worse, last weekend, Rios received a PG&E alert that her family might be plunged into the dark once again this week. She decided to cook the one package of meat in her freezer, which is now mostly empty to avoid another colossal loss.
"Even if the electricity doesn't arrive," she said, "the bills do."
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 Report: California in Good Fiscal Shape With Expected $7 Billion Surplus
A decade after an economic recession brought California to its knees, a report released Wednesday shows the Golden State is in good fiscal shape and will have a $7 billion surplus next year.
According to a
fiscal outlook report released by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, California will bring in the surplus for the Legislature to use for next year's budget and has a $22 billion rainy day fund.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, pointed to the report as proving the enormity of the state's economy.
"California is now the fifth-largest economy in the world. Our state is proving what big-hearted, progressive governance can look like - all without breaking the bank," Newsom said in a statement Wednesday. "President Trump talks a lot about America's economic growth under his presidency, but when you look behind the numbers, you see that it's California's growth that has provided the economic rocket fuel for the nation."
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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a statement following a ruling in California v. Azar
striking down the Trump Administration's "Healthcare Refusal
Rule", a rule which would allow any individual or entity- from doctors to front desk receptionists -to deny healthcare based on any religious or moral objections, even in emergency situations. For example, the rule made clear that if an ambulance driver learned a patient was seeking care that they were opposed to, the driver could decline to transport the patient, without any accommodation or notice.
"Today's court ruling blocked the President's heartless, unlawful attempt to restrict the healthcare rights of women, LGBTQ individuals, and countless others," said Attorney General Becerra. "While we celebrate today's ruling, we are prepared to fight any further malicious attempts by the Trump Administration to interfere in healthcare and enable discrimination against Californians. This rule disproportionately threatens our state's critical federal funding. We will continue to safeguard all Californians' right to seek medical care, regardless of who they are or whom they love."
Today's victory protects billions of dollars in federal funding for California's public healthcare and other federally funded programs that provide crucial health, education, and labor services, including:
- $63 billion for healthcare services such as Medi-Cal;
- $1.5 billion for public health initiatives including emergency preparedness and vaccination programs;
- $6 billion for in-home supportive services;
- $2.5 billion for child welfare and refugee assistance;
- $3.8 billion for educational programs, including child care and state preschool programs, migrant education, adult education, education for homeless children, special education, and vocational education; and
- $900 million for providing short-term income to unemployed individuals, funding local workforce development, and providing services to job seekers and employers.
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$1.3 million grant helps Cal Poly Pomona offer evening children care, expand services
Starting this spring semester,
Cal Poly Pomona's Children's Center will become one of three California State University campuses to offer evening childcare for its students who are parents.
The pilot program, which launches January 2020, is funded by a four-year, $1.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will pay for additional staff, infant care services, and expanded toddler care spaces by fall 2021.
"Adding evening childcare will give our student parents the flexibility to take evening classes and help them stay on track for graduation," Celeste Salinas, director of the Children's Center, said in a statement.
The Children's Center is currently open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beginning in the spring semester the extended hours will be Monday through Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Cal Poly joins Cal State Fullerton and Cal State San Bernardino in offering evening childcare options. The pilot program at Cal Poly will continue the fall and spring semesters of the next academic year. Staff will use the pilot program to gauge the needs of students, Salinas said Thursday, Nov. 14, in her office.
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