California Budget Update May 2014

The California State Government is nearing its last month of budget negotiations and recent developments as of May 22, have made child care a priority. There are currently 3 different proposals being considered in the legislature from the Legislative Women’s Caucus, the Assembly, and the Senate. All three proposals call for increased funding to the current Early Care and Education system. The original proposal by Senator Steinberg of Transitional Kindergarten for all 4 years has been modified to focus the program on low income families.

Proposal Highlights:

· Increase in the number of slots to restore child care slots lost in previous budget cuts

· Increase in the Standard Reimbursement Rates (SSR) for providers

· Increase in funding for Quality programs such as provider training and parent education

· Increase in state preschool eligibility

There are a number of differences between the details of each proposal but all proposals seem to recognize the importance of investing in the existing Early Childhood System.  These new proposals suggest that the legislature listened to the concerns about funding a new preschool system (TK) in the public schools. A comparison chart of the three proposals has been prepared by The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCRRN).
Click on chart to enlarge for easy viewing.