Inside California’s new master plan to reshape early education and child care
Early Edge CA Executive Director, Patricia Lozano, was quoted in an article by EdSource about California’s new master plan for Early Learning and Care.
Gov. Gavin Newsom made early childhood education a central focus of his administration prior to the pandemic and has maintained his support throughout the health crisis. The 107-page Master Plan for Early Learning and Care: California for All Kids, which its authors say would require anywhere from $2-$12 billion to implement, is intended to serve as an overarching framework over the next decade to overhaul the state’s childhood education and child care systems, which have long lagged behind those of other states.
Early childhood advocates applaud the development of this much-needed plan of action addressing the needs of children from birth to age five, which is now recognized as a critical stage in brain development.
“We are living through very difficult times right now, but this plan provides hope and guidelines on how to build a system for the whole child. It unifies programs for infants and toddlers and increases access and eligibility across programs, services and benefits,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, a nonprofit organization that advocates for high quality early learning. “It also makes tremendous progress for quality early learning by providing all four-year-olds with universal preschool, while giving income-eligible three-year-olds and those with disabilities access to two years of preschool. Furthermore, the master plan supports California’s families by expanding access to paid family leave.”