AB 22 (Asm. McCarty) – Transitional kindergarten: enrollment: funding: planning workgroups.
Co-sponsored by Early Edge California, Kidango, California School Employees Association (CSEA), and San Diego Unified School District
AB 1363 (Asm. Rivas) – Identifying & Supporting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in California’s Early Learning System
Co-sponsored by Early Edge California, Advancement Project California, California Association of Bilingual Educators (CABE), Californians Together
AB 1363 aims to systematize the identification of DLLs in California State Preschool Program (CSPP) by:
- (1) developing a standard process for CSPP providers to identify the DLLs they enroll and serve, and
- (2) requiring providers, through contract requirements, to report key information to the state about DLLs to inform future policy and program decisions.
SB 50 (Sen. Limón) – California’s Early Learning and Care System
Co-sponsored by Early Edge California, Kidango, EveryChild California
SB 50 aims to make California’s Early Learning and care system more efficient by removing burdensome barriers for child care providers across the mix-delivery system, ultimately allowing more children to be served in high-quality centers and family child care homes, giving our youngest learners a strong start.
Our 2021 Supported Bills:
AB 92 (Asm. Reyes) – Preschool and childcare and development services: family fees.
AB 92 would, among other things, instead require the family fees to not exceed 1% of the family’s monthly income. The bill would require the lead agency to convene a workgroup of, among others, parents, child care providers, and lead agency staff to develop an equitable fee schedule, as specified. The bill would require the State Department of Education to create a report that includes, among other things, the proposed fee schedule, as specified. The bill would require the report to be provided and the recommendations adopted prior to a specified date. The bill would additionally exempt families with an adjusted monthly family income below 75% of the state median family income from family fees. The bill would waive family fees for all families until October 31, 2023. The bill would prohibit the reduction in family fees from being absorbed by direct service contractors or family child care providers and would also prohibit the number of child care vouchers and contracted spaces from being reduced on account of the reduction in family fees.
AB 393 (Asm. Reyes) – Early Childhood Development Act of 2020.
AB 393 will support the ongoing transition of child care and development programs from the California Department of Education (CDE) to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), as funded by the 2020-21 Budget, and ensure the voices of families and providers are heard as the transfer moves forward. This bill will also help prepare California’s child care system for future crises by requiring CDSS to report on the emergency supports provided to families and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide recommendations for ongoing and future emergency supports.
AB 1361 (Asm. Rubio) – Child care and developmental services: preschool: expulsion and suspension: mental health services: reimbursement rates.
The Child Care and Developmental Services Act prohibits a contracting agency, as part of the state preschool program, from expelling or unenrolling a child because of a child’s behavior, except as provided. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to consider, in determining whether to issue a citation or impose a civil penalty to a state preschool program, whether the program is in the process of complying with the above law relating to expulsion or unenrollment. This bill would revise and recast the above provisions relating to the expulsion or unenrollment of a child from the state preschool program, and would include a general child care and development program and family child care home education network program as part of those provisions, as provided. The bill would also establish requirements for the use of suspensions in the programs described above. The bill would require these programs to maintain records on expulsion and suspension, as provided. The bill would require the State Department of Education to collect and annually publish a report with this information, as provided. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 70 (Sen. Rubio) – Elementary education: Kindergarten.
SB 70, beginning with the 2022–23 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before that child may be admitted to the first grade at a public elementary school, except for a child who has been lawfully admitted to a public school kindergarten or a private school kindergarten in California, but has not yet completed one school year, and is judged to be ready for first-grade work, as specified, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws
SB 246 (Sen. Leyva) – Early childhood education: reimbursement rates..
SB 246 would require the State Department of Social Services to implement a reimbursement system plan that establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates that would vary with additional factors, including a quality adjustment factor to address the cost of staffing ratios. By November 10, 2022, and annually thereafter, the bill would require the reimbursement system plan, including methodology and standards, to be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The bill would require that plan to include a formula for annually adjusting reimbursement rates. By July 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the bill would require the department to establish a reimbursement rate target for each contracting agency that meets specific quality standards based on specified elements, including quality adjustment factors for the age range of children proposed to be served by the contracting agency. The bill would also require all providers meeting quality standards, as specified, to be paid the quality adjustment factor, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
Budget Bills:
Late on Monday, July 12, 2021 after reaching an agreement with the State Senate and Assembly, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the 2021-22 California state budget into law. The 2021-22 year’s budget makes historic investments in Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) as well as other areas of the state’s Early Learning and Care system.
AB 130
AB 130 is a trailer bill implementing the 2021-22 California state budget provisions for the K-12 education system. This historic budget bill includes the expansion of Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) by 2025, as well as providing free meals for all children regardless of income and expanding access to after school programs.
AB 131
AB 131 is a trailer bill implementing the 2021-22 California state budget provisions for Early Learning and Care. The bill makes huge strides for child care including in the areas of reimbursement rates, child care slots, family fees, and formalizing a new agreement with Child Care Providers United (CCPU).