October, 2017 - In This Issue:
From the Desk of Our Executive Director
      A few months ago I, in my role as chair of the Alameda County Early Care and Education Planning Council, received a call requesting my participation on a steering committee charged with developing a program model and funding plan that would  address the child care and early education crisis in Alameda County. The work of this group would be presented to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for consideration as a ballot measure.
      This group was tasked with coming up with a solutions to increase access to early care and education programs, to increase the quality and child outcomes of programs, and to improve the work supports and wages of early educators who serve our youngest learners. In August, I began  meeting with this group of movers, shakers, and policy makers in the Early Care and Education community in Alameda County and am excited to report back that our hard work is coming to fruition!
      We have presented to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors ALL IN Committee a plan for a countywide local revenue measure to be placed on the June, 2018 ballot to be voted on by Alameda County residents. According to the fact sheet on the initiative, this half cent sales tax hike has the potential to: provide child care and early education options for homeless families and children, and those who need it most;  increased access to affordable, quality child care and early education  for families of thousands of children on waiting lists throughout the County; raise early educator pay to $15 per hour for participating providers; attract and retain quality child care and early education providers; and provider more trainings and programs that support child care providers and increase the quality of child care and early education. 
       We are still in the midst of planning every detail of the initiative and would love to hear from you at our local listening sessions (see list below). Whether you are a parent, grandparent, child care provider, teacher, or community member who cares about our young children and their future, your voice matters. I encourage you to share information about the crisis, initiative, and community listening sessions with your community, and join me in being a part of the most exciting movement for early care and education in Alameda County. Together, we can prioritize the care and education of our youngest, most vulnerable, children. 


In Partnership,

Renee S. Herzfeld
Get Involved: The Alameda County-Wide Child Care Initiative
Get the Facts
Please share with your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues in Alameda about the need for quality, affordable child care. Alameda County Early Care and Education Planning Council compiled a website and Fact Sheets to answer questions about the need and child care crisis in Alameda County and the proposed countywide local revenue measure. 
 
Fact Sheet (English)

Participate in Listening Sessions
Alameda County Board of Directors, Alameda County Resource and Referral agencies, and SEIU will all be hosting listening sessions for you, our Alameda County families, child care providers, and community members, to ensure that your voices are heard while the child care crisis is addressed. Help us find a solution and join us on one of the following dates:

Oakland: Wednesday, October 25th, 6:30PM - 8:30PM - SEIU Local (1021 Oakland Office
447 29th Street, Oakland CA 94609)
Hayward: October 26th, 6-8pm - Supervisor Valle's office - ACOE (303 West Winton Ave. Hayward, CA 94544)
Livermore:  October 30th, 6-8pm - Supervisor Haggerty's office - Robert Livermore Community Center (4444 East Ave, Livermore, CA 94550)
Fremont: November 1st, 6-8pm - Supervisor Valle's and Supervisor Haggerty's offices - Fremont Family Resource Center (39155 Liberty St, Fremont, CA 94538)
Hayward: Thursday, November 2nd,  6:30PM - 8:30PM -  4Cs of Alameda County - Sunflower Room (22351 City Center Drive, Suite 150, Hayward CA 94541)
Fremont:  Tuesday, November 7th,  6:30PM - 8:30PM -  Family Resource Center -  Millennium Room ( 39155 Liberty Street, #A120, Fremont CA 94648)
Ashland/Unincorporated:  November 9th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM - Ashland Community Center (1530 167th Ave, San Leandro, CA 94578)
Berkeley: November 15th, 6-8pm - Supervisor Carson's office - exact location TBD
Oakland:  November 16th, 6-8pm - Supervisors Chan's offices - Rainbow Recreation Center (5800 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94621)
San Leandro: November 28th, 6-8pm - Supervisor Chan's office - San Leandro Library (300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro, CA 94577)
Oakland:  Wednesday, November 29th,  6:30PM - 8:30PM -  BANANAS Oakland Office ( 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland CA 94618)
Pleasanton:  December 12th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM - Supervisor Miley's office - exact location TBD
*visit http://www.acgov.org/ece/crisis/sessions.htm for the most up-to-date information about the above sessions in BLUE and here and  aqu­í for listening sessions in PURPLE
Legislative Update
A Round-up of Child Care Bills
October 15th was the deadline for Governor Brown to take action on all bills for this legislative year. Overall, 2017 was a successful year for early care and education in the California State Legislature. A few bills were signed into law, including a few that will make a huge impact on families and child care providers in 4Cs community:

AB 273: Parents can now qualify for subsidized child care if their "activity" to qualify is taking English as a Second Language (ESL) or High School Equivalency (HSE) courses.

SB 63: New parents working for medium sized companies (20 employees or more) can now qualify for maternity or paternity leave for twelve weeks following the birth or adoption of a child without risking the loss of their job, health care benefits, or be discriminated against because of their choice to take this leave.   

AB 480: Beginning April 1, 2018, families on the CalWORKs programs with a child under the age of 36 months will qualify for a $30/month stipend to be used toward diapers for their child. 

You can find out more information about legislation that impacts child care and families in CAPPA's Monday Morning Update and a Press Release by the Legislative Women's Caucus 
Mark Your Calendars for #GivingTuesday 
Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings at 4Cs
Training Opportunities Available

 
10/28/17, 9:30am-5pm