February 17, 2026 | CalMatters
In this article, CalMatters reporter Jeanne Kuang interviews Early Edge’s Executive Director Patricia Lozano about Governor Gavin Newsom’s legacy of expanding early childhood funding and making Transitional Kindergarten (TK) free for all 4-year-olds in California.
Patricia Lozano, director of Early Edge California, an advocate for transitional kindergarten, acknowledged the state must do more to ensure abundant options for all parents and keep private centers like Moore’s open to serve younger children.
One idea is to require school districts to partner with private centers to offer child care outside of transitional kindergarten hours, which some school districts already do. She and other advocates are also pushing Newsom to honor his commitment to fund more vouchers.