Key budget issues will improve the lives of kids and families in CA
The Governor and Legislature are currently working to finalize the 2019-20 state budget and we urge them to make sure children are our state’s top priority. There are several key funding issues – which will have a real impact on California’s children and their families – that the Conference Committee is considering this week that we need your help on:
Child Care and Preschool Rates (Issue 3)
California currently has a mixed delivery system that provides child care, preschool, and early learning services for the state’s youngest learners. However, the two different and unaligned systems for reimbursing providers of these early learning services limits access, fails to maximize program quality, and is forcing many child care providers out of business in California.
Census 2020 Outreach (Issue 6)
With the Census 2020 coming up soon, it is critical to ensure all Californians are counted. We need adequate funding for thorough community-based organizational outreach by trusted messengers to engage hard-to-count communities, including in low-income neighborhoods, complex family situations, or homes where English is not the first language, and especially for families with young children.
Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Issue 8)
County child welfare agencies rely on foster families to provide safe and loving homes for children who have been abused and neglected. Unfortunately, many willing families cannot provide homes for foster children because they lack access to child care. This program helps to immediately place children with loving relatives or the right resource family, and provides them with a bridge to long-term, high-quality early education programs to promote their educational success.
Professional Development for Teachers and Administrators – Support for English Learners (Issue 15)
The California English Language Roadmap is designed to strengthen comprehensive educational policies, programs, and practices for English learners, Pre-K through grade 12, with an emphasis on the state’s efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and student outcomes. The state needs to invest in building the capacity of educators to fully implement the EL Roadmap.
Increased funding for Afterschool Programs (Issue 16)
Afterschool and summer learning programs have been proven to help prevent the achievement gap from growing between students who are low-income and non-low-income. And while there is a high need for these programs, the necessary funding to meet this need remains inadequate. An increased investment is critical to the survival of afterschool programs.
It’s time to put pressure on our legislators and make sure they do right by all CA kids! It only takes a couple of minutes, please:
1. Call Conference Committee members and ask them to support key budget issues 3, 6, 8, 15 and 16. Click here for legislator contact information.
2. Tweet about key budget issues:
CA must prioritize kids and families in the #CABudget! We need your help to urge key legislators to invest in child care, including for foster youth, English Learners, Census2020 and afterschool programs! Learn how: https://go.childrennow.org/cncc19 #ProKidCA
Tweet This
Many willing families can’t provide homes for foster kids due to a lack of childcare. @HollyJMitchell @PhilTing @GeneralRoth @NancySkinnerCA help foster parents access the #childcare they need: keep the Emergency Child Care Bridge for Foster Children in the #CABudget #ProKidCA
Tweet This
We need to improve CA’s systems for funding #earlylearning services! We urge @HollyJMitchell @PhilTing @SenatorMoorlach @CASenatorJim @GeneralRoth to adopt the Assembly’s #CABudget proposal to implement Reimbursement Rate Reform #ProKidCA
Tweet This
CA has 1.4 million #EnglishLearners. We urge @HollyJMitchell @PhilTing @AsmShirleyWeber @SenToniAtkins @Rendon63rd support educators on meeting the needs of English Learners and implementation of the #ELRoadmap in the #CABudget! #ProKidCA
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Afterschool & #summerlearning programs are proven to help prevent the #achievementgap from growing btwn students who are low-income & non low-income. @HollyJMitchell @PhilTing @AsmKevinMcCarty @GeneralRoth help increase access to critical afterschool programs! #CABudget #ProKidCA
Tweet This
We must ensure all Californians—including young kids—are counted in the #2020Census. Funding to make #2020Census successful is critical. @PhilTing @NancySkinnerCA @AsmKevinMcCarty @HollyJMitchell @GeneralRoth @AsmShirleyWeber @SenToniAtkins @Rendon63rd. #CountAllKids #ProKidCA
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3. Share this page with individuals you know who care about kids, so they can do their part to help spread the word
