California Child Care Resource & Referral Network is pleased to introduce our redesigned website that is (WAY) more attractive and easier to navigate. I'd especially like to point you to our  child care fact sheets which you may find helpful in your work, as well as to other advocates you know.

Wondering what is in Governor Newsom's budget proposal for California's kids, families, and Early Learning teachers? We've prepared a one-page summary of the Governor's proposed early childhood investments. Read more.

BY KRISTIN SCHUMACHER

Child care keeps parents working and families afloat, yet the high cost of care across California often forces parents to make difficult choices about who cares for their child while they go to work. This can be detrimental for families with low incomes, who often struggle to simply afford the basics. California's subsidized child care and development system is designed to serve families with low and moderate incomes, but there are far more children eligible for subsidized child care than what is funded by the state and federal governments. This means that families with few resources are often unable to secure affordable care for their children.

 

In 2017, just 1 in 9 children eligible for subsidized child care and development programs in California were enrolled in a program that could accommodate families for more than a couple hours per day and throughout the entire year. According to a Budget Center analysis of federal survey data, an estimated 2 million children from birth through age 12 were eligible for care, but only 228,100 were able to participate in a subsidized full-day, full-year program. This mismatch between eligibility for care and available spaces largely reflects inadequate state and federal funding. Moreover, decades of wage stagnation has dampened families' incomes, making it difficult to afford the high cost of child care. In fact, in 2017, roughly 1 out of 3 California workers with children earned low wages.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Our next collective impact event is the End Child Poverty Plan #EarlyEdChat on Twitter on February 14 at 11am. It's an opportunity for all of us to talk about the specifics of the plan and what they mean to different issue areas, while getting more exposure and more people involved. Email me to let me know if your organizations is in. We'll also include you in the lead up to 2/14

 

To continue to build on our advocacy efforts, Jackie will be sending the End Child Poverty budget letter that we'll be asking your organization to sign onto, if possible.

 

Lastly, if you haven't officially signed on as a partner in the End Child Poverty campaign, email us to let us know you'd like to.