"Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"
Issue #1                                                    January 6, 2020
Message from Denyne Micheletti Colburn, CEO
California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA)

Today begins the kickoff to the 2020 legislative year.  As I reflect back on not only 2019, but the last decade, my resolve is strengthened to work harder for working families and California's babies, toddlers and children who must be made a higher priority to access child care and needed supports.

In 2010, there were 38,777 child care voucher slots for working families to access.  Nearing the end of the recession, that number had dropped to 28,944.  In 2016, voucher slots were funded for 28,737.  In 2018, access increased to 47,526.  And in 2019, we now have 57,330 child care vouchers for families to use to access child care while they work.

Although we know that any gain is important, moving forward these gains must be more.  In 2016 it was noted that over 1.2 million income eligible children in need of child care had no access.  In 2019, the number increased to over 2 million babies and children without access.  And during that same 2016-2019 timeframe where need for access surged, only 29,193 additional child care vouchers were funded.

How can we as a just society expect California's lowest income working families to move beyond a poverty existence to one that is self-sufficient if we do not support their most basic of needs?  How can we expect the babies of these families to be nurtured, to grow and to achieve educational outcomes if we do not recognize and address their needs at the moment they are born?  

The needs we must address for these families and children are layered, complex and cannot be addressed in silos.  If we provide access to child care for working families without addressing stability issues of hunger, transportation, housing or jobs, families will fail.  If we address their health care and mental health issues without providing them access to child care or a roof over their head, they will fail.  And if these families fail, then we must each bear the burden that each of us has failied them and our next generation.

So for 2020, let us not move forward to secure funding for siloed issues; but for holistic family-focused and baby/child-focused success.  California is the greatest state in the nation.  All our children and families deserve the opportunity to dream and realize a better future.  
CAPPA's monthly "Featured Agency" segment will continue for 2020, highlighting the amazing work being done by Alternative Payment Programs (APPs) child development contractors throughout the state of California. From border-to-border, APPs support working families and children with services to support self-sufficiency, stability of children in child care, and a host of services coordinated to help break the cycle of poverty.  Many APPs also have been called on to serve as a community life-support of information and resources during natural disasters.  We are pleased to continue this tradition and bring focus to the untapped potential that is the 40 plus year APP community-based system. 

If you would like to be featured, 
please email us!
January 2020 Featured Agency of the Month 
Crystal Stairs, Inc.  

Quick Links
CAPPA Member Only Benefits
CAPPA Member Benefits now available on the Members Only website: 

Best Practices
CAPPA would like to support you with more samples of Best Practices being used in the field.  Currently, we host a number of SAMPLE Best Practices in our online library
Visit the Member's Only website to view today!


Just added to the Member's only website:

Visit the  CAPPA Member's Only website  for more information on this webinar series and other benefits available to CAPPA Members.  
 
CAPPA's 
2019-20 Board of Directors
President
Rick Richardson
Child Development Associates

Vice President

Karen Marlatt
Valley Oak Children's Services

Treasurer

Beth Chiaro
Child Care Resource Center 

Secretary
LaVera Smith
Supportive Services Fresno

Past President
Martin Castro
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation

Public Policy Co-Chair
Jeffrey Moreira
Crystal Stairs, Inc.

Public Policy Co-Chair
Phillip Warner
Children's Council San Francisco 

Members-at-Large
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

Jasmine Tijerino

Michelle Graham
Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County

Joie Owen
Glenn County Office of Education

Denyne Micheletti Colburn
CAPPA CEO
ELCD/CDE, DSS & CCLD Updates
January 2, 2020
California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Free or Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Criteria to Enroll Four-Year-Olds
December 10, 2019
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
Management Bulletin 19-07: Continued Funding Application Fiscal Year 2020-21
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
 
Job Openings

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!


Child Care Subsidy Coordinator
The Resource Connection
Colusa County Office of Education

Director of Alternative Payment Programs
Hively (Formerly Child Care Links) Alameda County

Solano Family and Children's Services

International Institute Los Angeles

Manager Early Childhood Special Education
Napa County Office of Education
Children's Council San Francisco  
Field Happenings
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.
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 (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.
Of Interest
Weekly Facts
Q:  What is the cost for a fully phased-in high-quality and comprehensive ECE system for California?

A:  According to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, they found that the annual cost of a fully phased-in high-quality and comprehensive ECE system for California ranges from $29.7 to $75.4 billion, or $30,000 to $37,000 per child. Because we anticipate increased demand once the program is implemented, we also consider the one-time cost of an investment to increase the size of the workforce (i.e., to provide education for a large number of new teachers); we estimate this one-time cost to range from $3.0 to $9.5 billion.

Child care costs too much for many California families. The result is that high-quality child care is out of reach for many California families. The typical California family with young children is unable to meet the recommended affordability standard (that no more than 7 percent of income be spent on child care); for example, to obtain center-based care for an infant, the typical family must spend 25 percent of their annual income. Before they enter kindergarten, young children need consistent care from teachers who are well prepared and well supported. Working parents need access to dependable, high-quality, affordable child care.
What's Happening
California 

Today legislators begin to work on the final year of this 2019-2020 legislative session.  

Beginning next week in the CAPPA Monday Morning Update, will be a tracking of legislation relevant to our field.  We too will also host all of the legislation for this session here along with factsheets and sample letters.  If there is a piece of legislation that you would like to have noted for our field, please email.

Dates and committee hearings to be aware:
  • Tuesday, January 7, 2020 - ASM Higher Education (Medina, Chair) - State Capitol, Room 447 @ 3:30pm
  • Wednesday, January 8, 2020 - Joint Hearing on Education (ASM O'Donnell and SEN Leyva, Chairs) - Presentation by the California Association of Student Councils -  State Capitol, Room 4203 @ 1:30pm
  • Friday January 10, deadline for Governor to release Proposed 2020-21 January Budget (Next Monday in the CAPPA Monday Morning Update, highlights will be shared along with other relevant reports and information.)
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.
What Laws Will Change California in 2020?

The past year ushered in a new  era for California, one where Governor Gavin Newsom seemed eager to boost progressive cred and distinguish himself from the predecessor he served under as lieutenant governor.

Newsom signed nearly 900 laws by the end of the legislative session, one that brought bills covering housing (both targeting production and tenant protections), wildfires, and workplace security. Here are the laws of note: 
  • AB 5: Independent Contractors
  • AB 1482: Tenant Protections
  • SB 167: Plan required for power shutoffs
  • SB 104Public health care for undocumented immigrants
  • AB 32: For-profit prisons
  • SB 83: More paid family leave 
  • SB 188: Hair discrimination
Link to full article.
2019-20 Federal Budget Update
On Thursday December 19,  Congress passed all 12 appropriations bills and the President signed into law a $1.4 trillion spending package on Friday. As shared earlier some important wins for child care and early learning are included, though the bill continues to provide funding for the border wall construction and fails to block harmful rules proposed or instituted by this Administration, such as the HUD mixed-status families rule and the Title X gag rule. 

What was included:
The Labor-HHS-Education bill includes over +$1 billion for child care & early learning, including:
  • A total of $5.826 billion for CCDBG, an increase of +$550 million over last year. Our friends at CLASP have estimated that this increase could serve up to 33,600 additional children - not nearly as many as the House's $2.4 billion proposal, but still an incredibly important step forward!   
  • A total of $10.613 billion for Head Start, an increase of +$550 million over last year, including +$100 million for Early Head Start, +$193 million for a cost-of-living-adjustment, +$250 million for quality improvement activities, and some other small plus-ups.
  • A total of $275 million for PDG, an increase of +$25 million over last year.
Overall, this is good news and an important step forward, though - as we all know! - we need significant additional funding to reach our shared vision of high-quality, affordable child care for all. 
Senate Finance Committee Releases Updated Drug Pricing Bill and Extender Agreement

Recently, Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Ron Wyden released an  updated version of their drug pricing legislation, including extenders involving Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health programs. The updated legislation includes several changes to Medicare Part D, such as reducing beneficiary cost-sharing in the initial phase of the benefit, shifting drug manufacturer discounts, and creating a monthly out-of-pocket maximum.

Like many issues coming before Congress these days, parts of the comprehensive drug pricing measure are controversial, including inflationary caps. However, the agreement on "extenders" is in line with bipartisan priorities.

Link to full article.
Upcoming Events

Child Care & End Child Poverty CA Advocacy Day
January 22, 2020
9:30am-4:00pm
California Endowment Building & State Capitol 

This is a day that advocates will join together, in a shared voice, to advocate for more child care and policies to eradicate poverty.  The focus of this day is not just on child care and early learning, but on ending child poverty and talking about the supports that the families we all touch need.  

In the morning we will hear from experts about what Governor Newsom has proposed in his January budget.  We then will have time to ask questions and discuss our collective strategy for meeting with legislators in the afternoon.  The legislative meeting times will be set up and you simply need to share with us who you would like to meet with, i.e., your elected representatives.  It is encouraged that if you have district specific information relevant to a specific legislator, bring it.  After this session at the Endowment, we will walk over to the Capitol for lunch and legislative visits.  

**Please note, there is an option for those who want to hit the ground running and go straight to the Capitol to start legislative visits in the morning and attend a press conference. Please let us know which option you are interested in when you register. **

Planned Schedule of Events
Staff will be scheduling the legislative visits.  You will receive a schedule, room assignments, and legislative advocacy packet when you check in.  

**For those participating in Legislative Visits only:**
Beginning at 8:30am: Check-in at the Sandbox (1121 L Street, Suite 205) for materials and visit schedules
9:30am-4:00pm: Legislative Visits
10:00am: Press Conference at the West Steps  of the Capitol under the tent
11:30am-1:00pm: Lunch will be available (West Steps of the Capitol under the tent)

**For those attending the entire Budget Training:** 
9:30am:  Check in at the California Endowment- 1414 K Street, Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95814
9:45am-10:00am: Welcome and opening remarks
10:00am-11:30am: 
Overview of the Governor's Proposed 2020/21 Budget; What has the Governor proposed and where are our opportunities? 
  • Kristin Schumacher, California Budget and Policy Center
  • Sara Cortez, Legislative Analyst's Office 
  • Sarah Burtner, Department of Finance 
  • Christian Griffith, Assembly Budget Committee
  • Stephen Propheter, California Department of Education, Early Learning and Care Division
11:30am-12:00pm: 
Legislative "Prep-talk" and lunch
This presentation will include an orientation about the legislative process and how to conduct visits with your representatives.
  • What is advocacy and why is it important
  • Finding your legislators
  • How to talk to legislators
  • How to share your story in an impactful way
12:15pm: Walk over to the Capitol for legislative visits
1:00pm-4:00pm: Legislative Visits

 Interested in Supporting this Event?    Learn more about sponsorship 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.

Profiled Legislator of the Week!
Assemblymember Shirley WEBER

Person Of The Year - Assemblymember Dr. Shirley N. Weber

While visiting a state prison recently, a seasoned lawmaker reached out to shake the hand of an inmate and tell him who she was. The introduction, however, wasn't necessary.

"We all know you," Assemblymember Dr. Shirley N. Weber recalled the man saying. "We watch you on television and we know what you've done. We keep asking each other,   'What's this sistah gonna do next?'" he continued.

Since taking office at the State Capitol in 2012, "this sistah" has made a name for herself taking on issues ranging from mental health to voting rights.  Dr. Weber (D-San Diego) has also successfully passed legislation related to ethnic studies in public schools, racial profiling, police worn body-cameras and improvements to a flawed database that tracked alleged gang members.

Her determination to see police reform happen "by any means necessary," has led to her selection by The Sacramento OBSERVER as its 2019 Person of the Year. 

"(Assembly Bill) 392 was a movement," Dr. Weber shared with The OBSERVER.  "It was more than just me, it was the people of California deciding that it was time for change," 
she continued.

The educator-turned-lawmaker is determined to show Californians otherwise and to mobilize them for the task.  "Education is supposed to be the new civil rights, That's what people have talked about for the last 10 years, that we've done a lot in the area of civil rights, but if you do not adequately reform the education system, folks will still be behind, because they'll be lacking the skills and the knowledge to basically take care of themselves and others and they'll still find themselves unable to really negotiate the larger society and empower themselves. It'll be interesting to see whether or not those who believe in social justice also believe that social justice has to do with education and equity."

Dr. Weber says she and other members of the California Legislative Black Caucus, which she currently chairs, will also focus on health issues in 2020.

Link to full op-ed.
CDE Information & Updates
12-Month Eligibility and CalWORKs Regulations 
The proposed 12-Month Eligibility and CalWORKs regulations have been withdrawn from the rulemaking process as of December 20, 2019.
Until permanent regulations are in effect, continue to follow Management Bulletin (MB) 17-14 which includes the Implementation Guidance for 12-month eligibility.
The CDE needs additional time to consider the fiscal impact of the proposed regulations. The CDE will be working with the Department of Finance (DOF) to identify and mitigate potential cost pressures related to these regulations. Until regulations are in effect, continue to follow Management Bulletin (MB) 17-14 which includes the Implementation Guidance for 12-month eligibility. The 12-Month Eligibility Notice Not to Proceed has been posted to the CDE 12-Month Eligibility and CalWORKs rulemaking web page and can be found at:  
https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/rr/calworks12monthelig.asp
Information to Agencies Regarding the Passing of Assembly Bill 5

Attention: ELCD Contracting Agencies   
 
The ELCD has received concerns regarding the recent passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 5, which codifies the legal test to be used to determine which professions in California can be designated as employees versus independent contractors for purposes of the Labor Code, the Unemployment Insurance Code, and the IWC wage orders, and how this new law will impact agencies working with subsidized childcare programs. 
 
It is the CDE's position that licensed family child care providers and license-exempt providers working in subsidized childcare programs are not employees of the state or any agency that provides reimbursement to the provider, whether reimbursement is through a family child care education network or an alternative payment program, and AB 5 did not change that. 
 
The recent passage of AB 378, which established collective bargaining rights for family child care providers, amended the Education Code (EC) to include language that addresses this concern. The EC Section 8432.5 specifically provides:

EC 8432.5  Family childcare providers are not public employees, and this article does not create an employer-employee relationship between family childcare providers and the state, any agency or department of the state, any political subdivision of the state, or a contractor or subcontractor administering a state-funded early care and education program, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, eligibility for health or retirement benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, liability under the Labor Code or state wage orders, or vicarious liability in tort. This article does not alter the status of a family childcare provider as a business owner, an employee of a family, or a contractor.
 
If you have questions regarding the information in this email, please contact your assigned regional Consultant on the ELCD Consultants Regional Assignments web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp or by phone at 916-322-6233.
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.
 
The updated CDNFS Fiscal Handbook is available on the Child Development Web Page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/documents/1920fiscalhandbook.docx.
 
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

2020 Election Information
 
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.
Link to initiative page.

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. 
Circulating Initiatives with 25% of Signatures Reached
  • 1862. (19-0001) EXPANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS' AUTHORITY TO ENACT RENT CONTROL ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE. 
  • 1864. (19-0003) CHANGES REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFERRING PROPERTY TAX BASE TO REPLACEMENT PROPERTY. EXPANDS BUSINESS PROPERTY REASSESSMENT. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.  
  • 1870. (19-0008A1) INCREASES FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES BY CHANGING TAX ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. 
Link to initiative page.

Upcoming Senate, Assembly, and Presidential Elections:

2019-20 State Budget Update
2019-20 State Budget Information

Click here to see the 2019-20 Budget materials, details and reference documents.
How High?  Adjusting California's Cannabis Taxes

 
Report Required by Proposition   64. Proposition 64 (201 6) directed our office to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2020, with recommendations for adjustments to the state's cannabis tax rate to achieve three goals: ( 1) undercutting illicit market prices, ( 2) ensuring sufficient revenues are generated to fund the types of programs designated by the measure, and ( 3) discouraging youth use. This report responds to this statutory requirement and discusses other potential changes to the state's cannabis taxes. While this report focuses on cannabis taxes, nontax policy changes also could affect these goals.

Link to full report.


Link to article.
Partner Updates
California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and Kidango Are Redefining Child and Family Wellness in the Bay Area

"The single greatest unaddressed health threat facing our nation today." That's how Dr. Robert Block, former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, describes childhood trauma. And the research confirms his point: groundbreaking work by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente clearly show the link between childhood trauma and negative health outcomes. Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, is the term used in the study to describe exposure to abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness, or household violence. While the immediate effects of these experiences are troubling enough, the long term impact on a child can be devastating, even deadly. Worse, the problem is more common than you might think. According to the study, some 67 percent of the population had at least one ACE. ACEs affect people at all income and social levels, and can have serious, costly impacts across the lifespan.

The good news is health professionals like Bay Area pediatrician Dr. Nadine Burke Harris are reshaping the approach to trauma-informed mental health and disease prevention and treatment. For over a decade, Dr. Burke Harris has been a champion for Bay Area children, working at developing effective clinical treatment protocols and raising awareness of the potential lifelong health effects of childhood trauma. Named California's first Surgeon General by Governor Gavin Newsom, Dr. Burke Harris is the founder and former CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness, an organization leading the effort to advance pediatric medicine, raise public awareness, and transform the way society responds to children exposed to ACEs and toxic stress.

Link to full article.
California education issues to watch in 2020 - and predictions of what will happen

Taxes
Gov. Gavin Newsom is feeling the big squeeze. Grassroots community groups, unions like the California Teachers Association, and city and school officials are pressing him to back their initiative,  Schools and Communities First , which likely will qualify for the November ballot. The "split-roll" initiative would amend Proposition 13's property tax restrictions to increase taxes on commercial and business properties but not on homeowners. About 40 percent of the $12 billion it would generate would go to K-12 and community colleges.

Newsom has acknowledged that K-12 and early ed need more money. He's for overall tax reform, too. But he's been silent about this initiative, which is polling with under 50 percent support among California voters.

School construction bond
There is a tax increase that Newsom is behind, a $15 billion school construction bond to benefit K-12, community colleges, California State University and University of California on the March 3 ballot.  Newsom negotiated the terms , which will target more state aid to rural and low-wealth districts, and it will appear as Prop. 13  by quirk of circumstance . Though  also flagging in the latest poll,  prospects will brighten with the support of Newsom and key business groups.

State budget
With worries about  a recession this year dimming, Newsom should have several billion more in Proposition 98 funding for K-12 and community colleges. Last year, he committed nearly all ongoing increases to the Local Control Funding Formula. He then used one-time General Fund spending to provide billions in short-term pension cost relief and invest in early education. Education advocates applauded.

Charter wars
In 2019, Newsom negotiated a rewrite of the charter school law that will give school districts more power to reject charter schools without eviscerating the sector, as charter school backers feared. The compromise quieted the charter war in Sacramento, but like the celebrated but short-lived  Christmas Truce of 1914, it will ferociously resume on the local front, in battles over the election of school boards and county board of education trustees. As usual,  all eyes will be on Los Angeles Unified.

Link to full article.

Gavin Newsom's 1st-year K-12 scorecard: good grades on priorities and some incompletes

Gavin Newsom wasn't pressed during his 2018 campaign for governor to be specific about his education goals or how he'd raise taxes for the additional revenue that he agreed schools need. Well-assured of election, he didn't have to. He faced a weak opponent in Republican John Cox after vanquishing opponents in the primary. Plus, K-12 education wasn't a central issue in the election.

But in his first year in office, Newsom partially made good on  education positions he highlighted on his website and in a  questionnaire for EdSource. These include making early education a priority, funding incentives to hire more teachers and creating the framework for a database to track students from pre-K to higher ed. In 2019, he also made decisions that sometimes surprised, and largely pleased, education groups and advocates and that distinguished him from his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown.

Link to full article.
California should stop short-changing kids. Here's how to help

From criminal justice reform to environmental stewardship to humane immigration policies, California's leaders make the state a model of effective governance for the federal government and other states.  But no matter how you look at it, the state ranks near the bottom of states when it comes to our kids. 

Education, starting at birth and through young adulthood, is where California is falling the furthest behind other states. With California setting the standard for the nation in so many other areas, it's shocking that we are failing to do so for education.  A critical start to setting a national model is to adequately address decades of underfunding education. California leaders need to ensure that the November 2020 ballot includes a single revenue measure that is solely focused on education including quality child care, preschool, K-12, and higher education.

Previous revenue-generating measures, Propositions 30 in 2012 and 55 in 2016, focused on the needs of schools to win voter approval. But the resulting revenue was spread among many state programs across the general fund. 

Link to full article.

California's Proposition 13 education bond is a much needed solution for aging campuses

More California high school graduates are  academically ready  for college than ever before and expanding access to higher education would benefit them and the state's economy.  To meet student demand and the need for an educated workforce, expansion of facilities and fire and other life safety improvements in buildings at California's public colleges and universities are urgently needed. 

The state must protect its 151-year investment in its public higher education system to fulfill its commitment to educate these students.  Approving Proposition 13, a $15 billion bond measure on the March 3 ballot, would help address the most critically needed seismic repairs and improvements of buildings and other infrastructure at California's pre-K-12 schools and public universities.  Proposition 13 would be the  first bond  measure since 2006 to provide significant money for UC's and CSU's infrastructure.

With almost unanimous bipartisan support, the Legislature supported this investment in education when it approved  Assembly Bill 48  authored by Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell, Long Beach Democrat, and Sen. Steve Glazer, Orinda Democrat. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill placing Proposition 13 on the March 3 ballot.

Proposition 13 would allocate $9 billion to pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public schools and $100 million to charter and technical schools. A total of $6 billion would go to California's public higher education system, divided equally among the 114 community colleges, the 10-campus University of California system and the 23-campus California State University system.

Link to full article.
National News
Why do U.S. schoolchildren underperform  
academically compared with students in other countries?

Daisy Garcia's small Van Nuys apartment doesn't offer much space for her 9-month old daughter to crawl. So this 27-year-old college student brings her little one to a children's play area at Los Angeles Valley College.

Here, under the watchful eyes of child educators and caretakers, is where the baby girl lifts herself up to stand next to a shelf, wobbles and plops back down on her bottom, legs landing in a "W" position.  'W' is bad for their backs," Pam Fischer, a student worker, told Garcia. "So when you see 'W,' reposition her."

The play area is one of the services offered at Valley College's Family Resource Center, among a handful of such community college programs nationwide designed to assist student parents with what educators say are critically important but largely invisible needs.

Link to full article.
How schools are working to count every child in the 2020 census

Nearly 1 million children younger than 5 in the United States were not counted during the 2010 Census, officials say.  The error -- attributed to inaccurate reporting by parents and mistakes made by census enumerators -- had implications for allocating government funds toward the education, health and well-being of those children and their families.

"Missing one child means missing out on federal funding for that child for the next 10 years," state Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said during a recent census summit in Chicago.
Mobility, child custody issues, distrust of government, immigration status, language or literacy barriers, and complex and shared living arrangements are among the reasons why children, youth and college students could fall through the cracks.

Schools and colleges are integral to helping families understand the importance of the 2020 Census and improving participation, especially among hard-to-count groups such as young children, immigrant families, people of color, homeless people and college students, U.S. Census Bureau officials say.  That's why government officials are turning to educators to deliver a clear message -- make every child count in 2020.  "Schools are anchor institutions of our communities, and very trusted," Illinois Deputy Gov. Jesse Ruiz said. "People revere their teachers, as they should. They are going to listen."

Link to full article.
ROBUST ECONOMY IS LIFTING PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS

Americans' incomes rose again last year, and poverty rates are now the lowest on record for households headed by single mothers, particularly among blacks and Hispanics, the U.S. Census Bureau reports.

From 2017 to 2018, the median income of  U.S. households with a female earner and no spouse present increased by 5.8 percent, states a  Census Bureau report released on September 10. In female-householder black and Hispanic families, the poverty rate decreased by 2.7 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Child poverty was reduced by 2.5 percent.

Overall, more people are employed, and they are working more hours on the job, the Census Bureau reports.

Link to full article.
Interesting Reads
los angeles times
For students with kids, college can be a 
lonely  struggle. One program aims to help

Daisy Garcia's small Van Nuys apartment doesn't offer much space for her 9-month old daughter to crawl. So this 27-year-old college student brings her little one to a children's play area at Los Angeles Valley College.

Here, under the watchful eyes of child educators and caretakers, is where the baby girl lifts herself up to stand next to a shelf, wobbles and plops back down on her bottom, legs landing in a "W" position.  'W' is bad for their backs," Pam Fischer, a student worker, told Garcia. "So when you see 'W,' reposition her."

The play area is one of the services offered at Valley College's Family Resource Center, among a handful of such community college programs nationwide designed to assist student parents with what educators say are critically important but largely invisible needs.

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A look back: Top education stories of the year

Momentum in California could matter for the country.
 
California has more children - over 9 million - than any other state. New York, with 4.1 million children, and Texas, with roughly 7.4 million, both trail the Golden State. The state's sheer size, plus its many regional differences, make providing universal child care, preschool or extended paid family leave a feat that would parallel the scope of a national effort. And as the 2020 Democratic candidates work to one-up each other on how many benefits they'll provide to working parents and young children, what happens in California could be predictive of the likely success or failure of large-scale national policy changes.

"It's such a big deal," said Kris Perry, senior adviser to the governor on implementation of early childhood development initiatives. Perry has worked as executive director both at First 5 California, a statewide commission, and the First Five Years Fund, a national bipartisan group, both of which advocate for young children. "The new money that the governor is investing in young children is historic and it's wide ranging, so it's not just how much, but it's how many different parts of children's lives it touches."

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Innovative Healdsburg program addresses shortage of child care workers
 
Janette Valencia lives in Alexander Valley and has three sons, aged 14, 12 and 5.  When the older boys were younger, she had difficulty finding child care. "It was hard to find someone," Valencia recalled. "We're not close to a city."

That tracks with the findings of a study commissioned earlier this year by First5 Sonoma County, which revealed that the Healdsburg and Geyserville areas have the highest need for child care.
That's part of the reason Valencia has enrolled in a new, six-month program that will train and certify adults over 18 to become licensed child care providers - free of charge. The program is the result of a partnership between the city of Healdsburg, Sonoma County Adult Education, Santa Rosa Junior College, Sonoma 4Cs and Corazón Healdsburg, which received a $20,000 grant earmarked for the project from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs.

The classes, which will be available in English and Spanish, start Jan. 16 at the Healdsburg Community Center. They will meet every Thursday from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., when older kids are in school, and go until early June.

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