FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, Calif. – Governor Newsom has released his 2020 budget proposal and it shows his commitment to making California a place where all children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. His budget proposal also provides supports for the adults who care for and educate young children and recognizes their important role in childhood development. As an organization that advances early childhood policies and builds the capacity of families and educators to care for children, we know the value of speaking up for our children and advocating for their best interests. The first five years of life are critical in terms of brain development and are a major predictor of future success. California’s budget is a statement of its values, and it is historic that we have a governor who identifies the need for resources that put children and families first.
This budget proposal is the largest in California history and includes funding for 10,000 new State Preschool slots, bringing the Administration and the legislature closer to their goal of providing preschool for all low-income four-year-olds in California. The proposal also provides resources for school districts to improve their facilities to better accommodate children with exceptional needs and also creates opportunities for educators to get training in how to better nurture children who have experienced trauma or other adverse childhood experiences (ACES).
Key ECE highlights from the Governor’s budget proposal:
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- Establishes the Department of Early Childhood Development to promote a high-quality, affordable, and unified early childhood system that improves program integration and coordination with other major programs serving young children
- $10M in one-time General Fund dollars for the development of an adverse childhood experiences cross-sector training program and a statewide adverse childhood experiences public awareness campaign
- $31.9M in 2020-21 and $127M ongoing non-Proposition 98 General Fund dollars for 10,000 new State Preschool Program slots at non-local educational agencies.
- $10.3M from the Cannabis Fund for 621 new General Child Care slots
- Enables a portion of the roughly $300M in non-Proposition 98 General Fund dollars (currently designated to help school districts construct/retrofit facilities to expand access to full-day kindergarten programs) to be used by school districts for the construction of preschool facilities that increase access to early education.
- $75M Proposition 98 General Fund dollars for the inclusive early education expansion program
- $53.8M non-Proposition 98 General Fund dollars to reflect changes in CalWORKS child care cases, specifically a reduction in projected caseload in Stage 2 offset by an increase in projected caseload in Stage 3
As we move forward into a new decade, we are committed to a reality where all children have the opportunity to learn and grow in quality early environments, and educators receive equitable compensation and adequate professional support for creating and nurturing these environments. We are mindful that at least 1.8 million low-income children in California lack access to child care, and too many of our hardworking early learning professionals still need more support. We commend the Governor and his team for taking a comprehensive approach to address this and to support families, so children have a strong start in life.
We look forward to working with Governor Newsom and members of the legislature in the months ahead to strengthen the state’s early care and education system, bettering the lives of all Californians.