Is CCPU Responsible for Everything Child Care Related?
Until recently, I did not even think this was a question. However, apparently it is.
So let me back track. Up until enactment of the 2021-22 budget, for the last 20 or so years, the child care and early learning system has been forgotten. During the depression of 2009-10, although many worthy programs were cut, for child care, the programs were decimated including the elimination of funding for all of CalWORKs Stage 3 child care. Yes, I know that there was expansion of preschool during those years. But that was only done because it benefitted the K-12 public schools and took monies away from private family child care providers and centers to give to the schools.
In the last 20 years, I can count on one hand how many times the reimbursement rates of child care providers were increased aside from a calculation of using a percentage of a deflated and dated rate amount. I can reflect back to conversations of administrations, legislators and advocates about building up the capacity of the early care and learning workforce only for there to be no real outcomes. I can recall conversations about revisiting policies that lifted up the needs of families and children and supporting community partners with the tools to do that, only to be replaced with punitive policies focused on identifying fraud and error rates.
During the pandemic, finally recognition was being given to family child care providers and centers as being "essential" and core to the functioning of California's economy. However, even then child care was only given lip service as essential. When the time came for immunizations, history repeated itself and family child care providers and centers were lowered in priority for shots.
As part of the 2021-22 budget, historical investments in child care rates, slots, elimination of family fees and supporting all eligible families with greater access to family child care providers and centers via guaranteed reimbursement based on a families maximum certified need was attained. All of this was cemented in a couple budget bills that incorporated the collective bargaining agreements between the
Child Care Providers United (CCPU) with the administration via CalHR.
Immediately after the budget was signed, many child care bills moving through the legislative process stalled due to interpretation from the administration that the collective bargaining of the CCPU is the appropriate place to address child care issues. Um....what? And NO!
The CCPU came together to represent family child care providers. They represent less than 20 percent of the family child care provider workforce. They do not represent the needs and issues of families or licensed child care centers although there may be some overlap. Here is an example.
AB 865 authored by
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva to continue in perpetuity expanded access of families to all types of child care providers by committing to reimburse providers based on the maximum certified need of the family. AB 865 was in the works before the pandemic or the CCPU agreement that enacted this policy until June 30, 2023. However, the administration called into question AB 865 noting this issue as part of collective bargaining.
Again, no. Although many of us are ecstatic about the CCPU and its ability to raise issues, it is not their responsibility to take on all of the issues related to child care, nor is it appropriate for the administrations to flag all child care issues be included as part of collective bargaining. In regards to AB 865, the main focus of this bill is to continue allowing subsidized families the greatest access to family child care providers and centers that best meet their unique family needs. This important issue cannot expire on June 30, 2023. California's subsidized families deserve to have policies that put their needs as a priority and puts politics aside.
