California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

CALIFORNIA BUDGET UPDATES

To help support you staying on top of the 2024-25 budget process and materials connected to the budget, TFC is hosting everything in one place on its Budget Page.

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

• Tuesday, April 30 - ASM Budget Sub 3 @ 9:00 - PreK-12 Education & Learning Recovery - State Capitol, Room 447
• Wednesday, May 1 - ASM Budget Sub 2 @ 1:30 - Governor's proposed use of safety nmet reserve; CDSS Health & Human Services Automation Projects - State Capitol, Room 444

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

Get Involved - Partner Budget Advocacy Opportunities

Parent Voices CA will be hosting our 28th annual Stand for Children Day in the Capitol one week from today! For those of you who are in Sacramento and want to attend the rally, it will be on Wednesday May 8th, 2024, West Capitol Steps (10th street side) from 10:30-11:30. Our parent leaders have been working tirelessly and planning the event for the last six weeks and came up with the theme: Breaking Barriers Building Our Dreams. Here are links about the event:

·  Our asks: Child Care for All, Reimagine CalWORKs, Safety Net for All

·  Our wins: this banner shows the way we have worked to transform our child care system to be more just, fair and inclusive by removing barriers and building our dreams

·  Our Vision: If we continue to remove the barriers and achieve our wins children can have access to child care, child providers will have thriving wages, parents can choose to go to work and/or school, and the laws will be anti-racist and the child care and safety net system will be rooted in our values of dignity, justice, power, and love.

All are welcome to join.

IMAGINE Rally Registration Portal Closing tomorrow: RSVP soon!

We are exactly 2 weeks out from our long-anticipated IMAGINE 2024 Rally! Come rally for our children, families, and workers at Capitol Lawn/West Side of the State Capitol on Wednesday, May 15th! RSVP by registering here.

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

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

The California Legislative Women's Caucus prioritized the legislation below. Thriving Families CA is pleased to share that our sponsored AB 2476 (Bonta) to pay upfront for child care is on this list.

BILL OF THE WEEK

SB 1396 (Alvarado-Gil): CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program

Author: Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil

Senator Alvarado-Gil is the Chair of the Senate Human Services Committee and serves on several committees including; Agriculture, Business & Professionals, Government Organization, Insurance, Military & Veterans, and is the Senate liaison to the California Department of Education’s Advisory Commission on Special Education. In addition, she is the vice-chair of the Rural Caucus and active in the Problem Solvers Caucus; both common-sense coalitions for bipartisan and bicameral policymaking...

Senator Alvarado-Gil has a professional background in charter school growth and administration, community organizing and advocacy, and coalition building. She has dedicated her life to public service leadership while balancing the demands of a growing family and an executive career. 

Click here to view the bill.

To submit a support letter, click here.

HOW TO SUPPORT A BILL

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

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

IMPORTANT DATES, DEADLINES & BILLS

May 10 - Last day for policy committees to meet prior to May 28 (J.R. 61(b)(7)).

Upcoming Legislative Hearings:

• Senate Appropriations - May 6th @ 10 am - 1021 O Street, Room 2200

Bills to Watch:

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

Resources:

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

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE INFO, RULES & POSITION LETTER DEADLINES

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

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

Did you know?

Child Care Q&As

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

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

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

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

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

Question: Who is CDA?



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

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

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

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

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

Question: How much should providers expect to receive?



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

Federal Update

Federal Government Update

Check back next week for the latest updates.

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1. H.R.815 [118th] Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
2. H.R.8035 [118th] Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024
3. H.R.8038 [118th] 21st Century Peace through Strength Act
4. H.R.8034 [118th] Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024
5. H.R.7888 [118th] Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act
6. H.R.7521 [118th] Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act
7. H.R.82 [118th] Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
8. H.R.7024 [118th] Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
9. H.R.231 [118th] Terminate TikTok on Campus Act of 2023
10. S.596 [117th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021

Social Media Spotlight

Field Highlights

The Child Care and Development Fund 2024 Rule: Detailed Summary and State Examples

This resource summarizes the changes required or encouraged in the final CCDF rules and outlines encouragements to consider. We focus on requirements and encouragements and do not cover every aspect of the final rule, such as technical changes and clarifications on background checks and other provisions. However, we have provided examples from states that have already implemented key requirements as well as other information to support state efforts...



Click here to view the full article.

Childcare staff often make less money than retail workers, causing staff shortages and long daycare waitlists

At Bright Little Scholars’ two Philadelphia locations, director and pre-K teacher Mercedes Fleet employed 21 different people throughout 2023. She only has five staff positions.

“It’s a never-ending cycle” of turnover, Fleet said.

Fleet pays $15 per hour to her two aides and $20 to a pre-K teacher with a bachelor’s degree, and whatever is left to herself, which is usually around $20 per hour or a little less.

Fleet started a third location last year but was forced to close it temporarily because of her staffing struggles. “I would need to hire two more [people] to staff it, then two floaters to go between the three (locations),” Fleet said. If she can’t reopen soon, she may need to find a way out of the lease.

Click here to view the full article.

Legislative Analyst's Office

On April 15, 2024 the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) released the following report:

The 2024-25 Budget: Child Care. This report analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals related to child care programs administered by DSS. (None of the child care and development proposals were addressed in early action.) It provides background on child care programs and an overview of total expenditures and budgeted slots included in the Governor’s budget. It then analyzes key Governor’s budget proposals related to:

• Ramp‑up assumptions and costs associated with the multiyear child care slot expansion plan.
• Proposition 64 funding levels.
• Federal fund expenditures, and implementation of the current collectively bargained child care Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and parity agreement.
• Identifies potential budget solutions the Legislature could consider beyond what is include in the Governor’s budget.

Click here to read the report.

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

Upcoming Webinars

Beginning Together Webinar: What About the Other Children? The Benefits of Using Inclusive Practices for All Children.  

The California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division, in partnership with WestEd, is offering another inclusion webinar opportunity! Join us virtually on Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for the Beginning Together webinar, What About the Other Children? The Benefits of Using Inclusive Practices for All Children.

Have you ever wondered, 'I’d love to include more children with disabilities in my setting, but what about the other children?'. Join us for a transformative training session, What About the Other Children? The Benefits of Using Inclusive Practices for All Children. Discover valuable insights, backed by research, and gain practical strategies to ensure the holistic fulfillment of ALL children's needs within inclusive environments. Explore the myriad of benefits that inclusive experiences bring not only to children with disabilities but also to those who are typically developing. Let's pave the way for a more inclusive and enriching learning environment for every child.

Technical assistance sessions will be offered regionally in late May and June.

To register, visit What about the other children? Registration page.

RELEASED April 10, 2024: Child Development Virtual Permit Training

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

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

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

Upcoming Dates:

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

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

Information & Updates

Inclusive Early Education Resources

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

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

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

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

Happening This Week, May 6th- May 10th:

Tuesday, May 7th:

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

Wednesday, May 8th:

-Rate and Quality Advisory Panel, 1:00pm-3:30pm. Register Here. -Parent Voices Stand for Children Day @ 10:00am.

Thursday, May 9th:

Benefits of Using Inclusive Practices for All Children, 6:00pm-8:00pm. Register Here.

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

The Weekly Good

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

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

Become a Monday 

Morning Update Partner! 

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

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

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

To advertise in the update, click here.

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

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