Pending Legislation Spring 2014

The Governor's proposed budget for 2014-15 was released in January. The overall fiscal health of the State has improved dramatically, producing 6.3 billion dollars in unanticipated revenue. However, the Governor is taking a conservative approach to a spending plan, choosing to focus on paying down state debt and creating a "rainy day fund" rather than applying funding to social programs that have experienced dramatic cuts over the last several years. Here is how child care fared in his proposals:

Non-CalWORKS subsidized child care programs are slated for a reduction of $18.6 million after calculating in a .42% growth factor and removal of one-time reappropriated funds from 2013-14.

CalWORKS child care would receive an overall reduction of $12.1 million (-$21.2 from Stage 1, +$6.3 to Stage 2, +$2.8 to Stage 3).

Programs that address issues of quality in child care (including Child Care Resource & Referral) would be reduced by $1.59 million after the removal of one-time federal funding from 2013-14. It is yet to be determined how those cuts will be made.

Community Care Licensing would receive an increase of $7.5 million. This additional funding would be used for quality enhancement and program improvement within the department, including improved timeliness of investigations. Changes would be funded in part by a proposed 10-percent increase in licensing fees.

Fee Increases for licensed facilities – To raise additional funds for quality enhancement there is a proposed 10-percent increase in licensing fees as well as an increase in civil penalties of 5x the current amount. (Eg…A civil penalty that is now $50 a day would be increased to $250 a day.)

For more information on how child care fared visit the CCCRRN 2014/2015 Budget Proposal Highlights or to see how child care funding has been reduced 2008-2014 .

 Two bills of note are working their way through the legislature:

 AB 1454 (Calderon) would require licensed child care facilities to be subject to an annual unannounced visit by Community Care Licensing. Currently the department is only required to conduct annual unannounced visits every 5 years.

SB 837 (Steinberg), titled the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2014, would require each school district or charter school that offers kindergarten to offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible four year-olds, essentially creating Universal TK (Transitional Kindergarten).

The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network has created a list of considerations to the Legislators regarding the current proposals in SB 837.

And we have attached another consideration letter from a coalition of non-profit child care service agencies in the Bay Area.

The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network has Highlights of currently proposed Child Care Legislation including AB 1454 and SB 837 and many other pending legislation which may effect child care services. 

Contact the Governor and your representatives and tell them that now is the time to restore, reinvest and rebuild child care in California!