California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

CALIFORNIA BUDGET

The Legislative Analyst's Office released its 2023-24 California Spending Plan, a series of publications that summarize the anual state budget. The final version of the Overview of the California Spending Plan is presented, along with short online posts that focus on major areas and features of the 2023-24 budget package, like the spending plan for Child Care and State Preschool.

These resources and other communications related to the state budget can be found on TFC's Budget Page.

Here are a couple of recent communications:



• California Tax Day 2023: revenue update
• Calif. state bar sells its San Francisco building for $54 mln amid budget shortfall

REMINDER!!! Meet With Your Respective Legislators in their District

TFC staff is available to help facilitate meeting with your respective legislators in their districts! Members of the Legislature are back in their home districts full-time, focusing on their communities during interim. The Legislature reconvenes on January 3, 2024.

Follow this link to find your respective Senator and Assemblymember and contact their offices for information on how to set up a meeting.

Please reach out to TFC staff if you have any trouble or need help setting up a meeting. 

Important Dates, Legislative Deadlines, Budget, & Bills

Upcoming dates and legislative deadlines to be aware:

• Jan 1 - Statutes take effect
• Jan 3 - Legislature reconvenes
• Jan 12 - Last day for policy committees to hear and report to fiscal committees fiscal bills introduced in their house in the odd-numbered year

Resources:

• See the full 2023-24 Legislative Calendar here.
• Visit TFC's legislation page to find a comprehensive list of bills of interest.
• Visit TFC's Budget Page for full budget bill details, as well as budget hearing video archive links.
• Visit TFC's dedicated page to find a full list of Senate and Assembly Committee chairs and contact information.
• Click here to view all the bills that the Assembly and Senate introduced this legislative year.

Did you know?

Child Care Q&As

Question: Are the transitional payments for family child care providers and centers based on the same data reimbursed based on enrollment or actually reimbursed for the month of April 2023?

Answer: Payments to family child care providers will be based on April 2023 provider payments (did you receive a reimbursement in the month of April). Payments to center-based providers will be based on services provided in the month of April 2023.  For more details look to CCB 23-32.

Question: What payments will eligible providers expect recieive by November 30, 2023?

Answer: Regarding the other, "transitional one-time payment" per SB 140, WIC 10277.1 and WIC 10277.2, child care providers will be reimbursed no later than November 30, 2023, a transitional one-time payment intented to supplement subsidized child care reimbursement. Payments to family child care providers will be based on April 2023 provider payment data. Payments to center-based providers will be based on services provided in the month of April 2023. 

The payment amounts shall be based on child care provider type as follows:

• $500 for license-exempt child care providers
• $2,500 for licensed small family child care home providers
• $3,000 for large family child care home providers and centers

Partner Updates

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Support the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming

The Office of Early Childhood Development is pleased to share this news from the Office of Head Start (OHS). Head Start is proposing significant changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) to ensure fair compensation is a key component of high-quality early care and education. The proposed changes are designed to stabilize the Head Start workforce and improve the quality of the comprehensive services that Head Start families count on. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the HSPPS will be open for public comment in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023.

The proposed HSPPS updates would benefit the Head Start workforce, children and families, and programs. They would significantly increase compensation for many Head Start staff, integrate mental health services into Head Start programming more broadly, and otherwise enhance services to help Head Start programs effectively and equitably meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve.

Resources:

• Preview of the NPRM on the Federal Register website, including the Preamble and the proposed changes
• New Rule Proposed to Improve Head Start Program Quality and Support the Workforce on the ECLKC website
• Overview Fact Sheet
• Detailed Summaries of Proposed Changes

Advocacy Resources

Child Poverty is a Policy Choice. Tell Congress to expand the

Child Tax Credit now!

We’ve got an urgent opportunity to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC), but Congress needs to hear from you. House and Senate negotiators are working to finalize a tax package to attach to an upcoming stopgap spending bill, and this is an important opportunity for lawmakers to make the right policy choice for our nation’s children and families — by prioritizing enhancements for the CTC for the 19 million left out of the full credit. With business lobbyists pushing hard for tax breaks, join us to send a strong message to Congress that their top priority must be reducing child poverty to ensure all children can achieve their fullest potential. 

Click here to send a letter to Congress.

Automatic Benefit for Children: Child Tax Credit “Take Action” Social Media Toolkit

The ABC Coalition sees the expansion of a fully inclusive Child Tax Credit (CTC) as a step toward a child allowance that advances racial and economic equity. The widespread benefit of the expanded CTC passed in the American Rescue Plan is undeniable, and the coalition is supportive of the push to restore the CTC and make it permanent through legislation like the recently reintroduced American Family Act (AFA). 

The expanded Child Tax Credit lifted millions of children out of poverty in 2021. The Credit expired and the child poverty rate doubled in 2022. Congress has an obligation to ensure America’s children and youth can thrive so we demand they expand the Credit in tax legislation right now!

Click here to view the toolkit.

Federal Update

Federal Government Update

On November 17th, President Biden signed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown, ensuring that federal child care and early learning funding will continue as usual into the new year. However, the bill does not include some important items, such as emergency funding for child care, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and an expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). 

The CR has an uncommon feature, a two-step process where groups of appropriations bills expire on different dates early in 2024. Four bills will expire on January 19, 2024, while the rest—including the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) bill, which includes federal child care and early learning programs—will expire on February 2, 2024. Congress will need to adopt a final budget for the year before the resolution expires. More: Government shutdown: Biden signs bill pushing budget fight into 2024 | AP News

Also, this week, the US House brought their Labor-HHS appropriations bill to the floor, which includes $64 billion in cuts. The bill slashes $750 million from Head Start/Early Head Start and eliminates the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which are just two of the devastating cuts to programs that are critical to supporting women, families, and children. More: FACT SHEET: House Republican Funding Bill Denies Education and Training Opportunities for Students and Job Seekers at All Stages of Life | House Committee on Appropriations

NWLC and other organizations urged House Members to vote No on the bill, and luckily the House lacked the votes for final approval. They adjourned for the Thanksgiving recess without completing work on the bill and without a clear path forward. More: Republicans Once Again Fail to Pass Their Own Bills | House Committee on Appropriations

Our country needs Congress to push past the chaos and focus on the basics: keeping the government running and passing funding bills that place the needs of women, families, and children first. 

Supplemental Federal Child Care Funding Update:

As previously shared,

• State Breakdown: The Biden-Harris Administration’s Funding Request Would Help Prevent Families Across the Country from Losing Child Care | OMB | The White House
• Kaine and Bonamici Lead Colleagues in Pushing to Renew Expired Funding for Child Care
• Senator Murray Chairs Hearing on President’s Funding Requests, Underscores Need to Act on Request to Tackle Growing Child Care Crisis

• We hope you will join us in urging Congress to swiftly pass $16 billion in emergency funding for child care, which will help avert a looming child care crisis.

Federal NPRM - Biden-Harris Administration Proposes New Rule to Strengthen the Head Start Workforce, Increase Wages & Support Quality Programming

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF):

On November 15th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced a new proposed rule to strengthen Head Start’s ability to recruit and retain qualified staff, raise teacher wages, and provide consistent quality programming for the children and families they serve. The new proposed rule follows President Biden’s April 2023 Executive Order, which directed HHS to develop strategies to encourage comparability of compensation and benefits between staff employed by Head Start grant recipients and elementary school teachers and make child care and Head Start more accessible for those families most in need. If finalized, the new proposed rule would raise Head Start teacher annual wages by more than $10,000 on average. And it will put Head Start teachers on a path to parity with public school teachers by ensuring that their salaries are at least equivalent to preschool teachers in public school settings without impacting children currently enrolled in Head Start.

Over the past two years, the Biden-Harris Administration has secured more than $1.2 billion in funding increases for Head Start. However, a persistent Head Start workforce shortage has forced many Head Start classrooms to close, contributing to a nationwide under-enrollment. Head Start programs report losing teachers to other employers, including food service, retail, and other education programs, largely because they cannot provide competitive compensation. If finalized, the proposed rule would support and stabilize the Head Start workforce in the face of a national early childhood workforce crisis and help provide the highest quality early education to Head Start children who are further from opportunity. And while the quality and stability of Head Start programs will rise because of the new rule, enrollments will remain roughly constant. 

Biden-Harris Administration Proposes New Rule to Strengthen the Head Start Workforce, Increase Wages & Support Quality Programming

Blog - States Try to Fill the Gap as Billions in Federal Child Care Funding Expires. But Is It Enough?

From the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC):

“Billions in federal child care relief just expired. Costs are already skyrocketing.” 

Despite calls from advocates, early educators, and parents, Congress has yet to act to provide the emergency funding that’s needed to stabilize the child care sector after $24 billion in federal child care funds through the American Rescue Plan Act expired on September 30, 2023.  

The good news is that, in the face of this Congressional inaction, several states are acting to stave off the worst of the impacts for women, children, early educators, and businesses. Read more about Wisconsin, Kentucky, and New York.

New RAPID Survey Data - Going Over the Child Care Cliff

From the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) & RAPID:

This brief is based on data collected by the RAPID survey in October 2023, which confirms that many of the predictions made by providers in NAEYC's October 2022 survey about the impacts of the end of child care stabilization funding are playing out in real time. 

You can find the press release here, and the brief here:

• Going Over the Child Care Cliff: New data from the RAPID survey show that predictions made by providers are coming true

The brief will be available in Spanish later this week. All resources are also available at www.naeyc.org/ece-workforce-surveys.

Some key highlights from this brief: 

• 29% of families reported that their child care tuition had increased in the last month.
• 28% of child care providers who have run out of stabilization funding indicated they had cut wages or were unable to sustain salary increases. 
• 24% of providers who have run out of stabilization funding reported they were serving fewer children.

We encourage you to share and use these data in your work and outreach, especially with your Congressional delegations as they continue funding negotiations and consideration of the President’s $16 billion funding request for child care. And please note that while these data are national-level data only, they are also informing a new NAEYC ECE Workforce Survey that we intend to launch in early 2024, where we aim to once again be able to collect and share back state data, as the ongoing impacts continue to unfold.

Brief - How North Carolina is advancing early educator pay

From the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE):

In our recent Bold on Early Educator Compensation Learning Community session, advocates from the state shared tactics, including a salary scale and toolkit developed by the North Carolina Early Childhood Compensation Collaborative. The scale aims to help programs analyze their own compensation and set targets.

Learn more about North Carolina advocates' strategies to advance educator pay in our summary.

If you're looking to advance your own strategies, our solutions-based fact sheet provides legislators with key issues facing the ECE workforce, state-based solutions, and four action steps to take to champion workforce policies. 

Report - CACFP and License-Exempt Home-Based Child Care Providers

From the Urban Institute:

Designed to address food insecurity amongst children, the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses child care providers for some or all of the costs of feeding children in child care settings. Yet more than 11 million children in home-based child care settings that are exempt from state licensing laws are unlikely to have access to this resource, even though states are allowed to extend CACFP supports to these providers. 

New Urban Institute research finds that more children could get needed nutritional supports if license-exempt home-based child care (LEHBCC) providers were allowed and encouraged to participate in CACFP. Paid and unpaid LEHBCC providers care for more children than licensed child care programs, and often care for vulnerable children, many of whom may be food-insecure. 

Read the report, brief, fact sheet, or blog post to learn more about unique opportunities to reduce barriers to participation for LEHBCC providers, as well as some remaining barriers that need to be addressed. 

⇒ Take Action with Home Grown

Thank you for all of your efforts to support meals and snacks in child care, Head Start, after-school programs, emergency shelters and adult care programs! We have three bills with growing lists of cosponsors ready to say this is important. There’s so much to do to make things right for children, families, and caregivers. The latest action toolkit also includes ways to advocate for child care, Head Start, WIC, and the child tax credit. If you have other resources to share, please let us know.

Policy Brief - DC Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund

From DC Action:

In this new policy brief, DC Action provides an overview of and recommendations for the District of Columbia’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. As you may know, in 2018, Washington, DC passed the landmark Birth-to-Three for All law, which among other things, required pay parity for early childhood educators and local public school teachers with similar roles, credentials, and experience. Through the Pay Equity Fund, fair and livable compensation is becoming a reality for thousands of early educators.

Report - Cost-benefit analysis predicts large ROI for early care expansion in NY state

From the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP):

NCCP would like to share the results of a cost-benefit analysis predicting a significant ROI for early care expansion: A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Child Care Subsidy Expansions: The New York State Case.

By estimating the effects of New York’s recent child care subsidy expansion (the New York State Child Care Expansion, or NYSCCE), researchers predicted a net present value between seven and eight times in annual social benefits relative to the yearly cost of the program under new rules legislated by the state government.  

New York State’s new rules for the childcare sector: a) extended the exit eligibility threshold for families using subsidized care; b) altered the copayment schedule so that it was more equitable; and c) created essential incentives and supports for childcare workers in the state. 

The study was written by economists at Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. It framed large gains in long-term benefits for parents, children, and taxpayers in response to improvements in early care access.

The very high long-term return on the original investment included both direct benefits to recipients of the subsidies (parents and children) and indirect benefits to taxpayers. In their analysis, the authors found that the highest benefits would accrue largely from increases in children’s health across their lifespan as well as from their increased longevity. Additionally, large benefits would accrue from reduced expenditures for taxpayers in criminal justice and victimization costs.

The study can be found online here. It can be cited in written work as: 

Hartley, R. P., Garfinkel, I., Ananat, E., Collyer, S., Wang, B., & Wimer, C. (2022). A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Child Care Subsidy Expansions: The New York State Case. 

Interactive resource & profiles on states’ access to pre-K data

From Child Trends:

A new report and interactive map and state profiles from the Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) highlights findings from a nationwide survey of state-funded pre-K program administrators. The report offers an in-depth look at the types of data that states have access to, the prevalence of disaggregated data among states, and state-level data infrastructure and management needs; it also highlights opportunities for growth in these areas.

The interactive state maps and profiles show users an overview of 43 states’ capacities to access data on children, programs, and workforce members, and on their ability to coordinate and link data about preschool programs. Preschool leaders, researchers, and policymakers can use these resources to inform their efforts to plan more equitable pre-K systems.

These resources, along with a forthcoming companion report on access to Head Start data, are part of the System Transformation for Equitable Preschools (STEP Forward with Data) Framework project. For project updates and resources, please sign up to receive the ECDC Newsletter.

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1. H.Res.845 [118th] Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.
2. S.596 [117th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021
3. H.R.4664 [118th] Making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
4. S.1323 [118th] SAFE Banking Act of 2023
5. H.R.82 [118th] Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
6. H.R.4820 [118th] Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
7. H.Res.786 [118th] Calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.
8. H.R.4821 [118th] Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
9. H.R.2670 [118th] National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024
10. S.452 [118th] Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023

Social Media Spotlight

Field Highlights

Kids' Share 2023: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2022 and Future Projections

Public spending on children represents an effort to invest in the nation’s future. Investments supporting children’s healthy development and human potential can promote their well-being and help them grow into the next generation of adults and workers, leading to a stronger workforce and economy.

To inform policymakers, children’s advocates, and the general public about how public funds are spent on children (birth through age 18), this 17th edition of the annual Kids’ Share report provides a new analysis of federal expenditures on children from 1960 to 2022. It also offers an updated view of public expenditures made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projections of federal expenditures on children through 2033 give a sense of how budget priorities are scheduled to unfold over the longer term under current law...

Click here to view the full article.

The poverty rate soared for families headed by single mothers last year

Despite a strong labor market in 2022, the poverty rate for families headed by single mothers soared, according to a new analysis provided first to Axios.

Why it matters: That's due to the expiration of key pandemic-era benefits, including the child tax credit.



• Women and children face disproportionate poverty and hardship in the U.S., writes Shengwei Sun, a senior research analyst at the National Women's Law Center, who wrote the report.

Zoom in: Sun analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau's supplemental poverty measure, which looks at the share of the population with income below the poverty line and takes into account paychecks, SNAP benefits, and tax credits.

By the numbers: The overall supplemental poverty rate increased to 12.4% from 7.8%, while child poverty more than doubled, the September census data showed...

Click here to view the full article.

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

RELEASED November 17, 2023: CCB 23-37: COST OF CARE PLUS RATE PAYMENTS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS PURSUANT TO SB 140 (CHAPTER 193, STATUTES OF 2023)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 23-37: COST OF CARE PLUS RATE PAYMENTS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS PURSUANT TO SB 140 (CHAPTER 193, STATUTES OF 2023).

The purpose of this CCB is to notify counties and child care and development contractors of the distribution of per-child, monthly payments to family child care providers and centers, pursuant to the Agreement between the State of California and the Child Care Providers United (CCPU) union.

Read the entire CCB here.

RELEASED November 16, 2023: PIN 23-18-CCLD: MAINTENANCE TO GUARDIAN SYSTEM 

CCLD, Care Provider Management Branch (CPMB) is communicating planned system maintenance to the Department’s secure online background check system, Guardian. The Guardian background check system will be unavailable from 6:00 PM Friday, November 17, 2023, to 6:00 AM on Monday, November 20, 2023.

All Guardian users will be impacted and unable to use the Guardian system during this period. If there is an urgent need to transfer an individual with an existing criminal record clearance, please complete a Criminal Background Clearance Transfer Request (LIC 9182) and email to CPMBTransfers@dss.ca.gov or fax to 916-754-4589.

All clearance transfer requests must be submitted before the individual, who is subject to the transfer, has client contact or the licensee will be in violation of the law and subject to a $100 civil penalty. A subject need not wait for a confirmation of the transfer before they can begin work or be present in the facility. Licensees must maintain evidence of the submission for licensing agency review. 

Read the entire PIN here.

RELEASED November 15, 2023: Important Webinar: New Family Child Care Provider Benefits and Information

The State of California and Child Care Providers United (CCPU) agreed to historic investments to improve the quality of life for family child care providers and the families they serve in the most recent contract, including continued funding for health care, training and professional development, and new funding for retirement for child care providers who participate in the state's child care subsidy system. 

We invite you and all contractors and vendors who work with family child care providers in any capacity to join us for a special webinar with an introduction from Director Kim Johnson and CCPU on the importance of these historic investments, review the available health care and training benefits, and information on how providers that you work with can enroll. 

When: December 4, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Via Zoom

RSVP: Zoom link for the CCPU Benefits State Meeting 

RELEASED November 14, 2023: UPDATE RE: FUNDING AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSITIONAL PAYMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

ATTN: Child Care and Development contractors who paid Family Child Care Providers in April 2023

Pursuant to SB 140 and as referenced in Child Care Bulletin 23-25, child care providers will receive a ‘Transitional Provider Subsidy Payment.’ This is a one-time per-provider payment intended to supplement subsidized child care reimbursement. Payments to family child care providers shall be made no later than November 30, 2023.

DSS has released funding to contractors based on what providers reported on the April 2023 Subsidized Provider Report (SPR), including five percent administrative funding to support the distribution to providers. These payments have been issued by check through the State Controller’s Office. In counties where the Stage One or Bridge Programs are administered in-house by the county, Child Development Associates will receive the funding to support the distribution to Stage One or Bridge providers in those counties.

UPDATE: It has come to our attention that some agencies have received insufficient funding to issue the SB 140 Transitional Provider Subsidy Payments. If your agency has received insufficient funding to issue Transitional Provider Subsidy Payments to all family child care home providers and license-exempt providers originally reimbursed in April 2023, please contact ChildDevelopmentFiscal@dss.ca.gov. Once it is confirmed that insufficient funds were issued, CDSS will issue additional funds to ensure the agencies have sufficient funds. In order to meet the November 30 deadline to issue these payments, agencies should use funding received for the Cost of Care Plus Rate payments. Additional funds will then be issued. Please respond as soon as possible to ensure timely issuance of additional funds; no further correction requests will be accepted after 11/30/23.

While child care centers are also eligible for these payments, the November 30 deadline to issue payments does not apply to them, and they were not included in the funds that have already issued. A subsequent allocation will be issued for funding to support centers. There are no expectations for issuance to centers until that allocation is received. If you have not done so already, please complete the center data survey by Monday, October 30.

RELEASED November 15, 2023: CCB 23-36: FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 DIRECT SERVICE BUDGET ACT AMENDMENTS

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 23-36: FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 DIRECT SERVICE BUDGET ACT AMENDMENTS.

The purpose of this CCB is to provide child care and development direct contractors with an overview of the Budget Act Amendment allocations details related to funding provided in AB 102 (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2023). Due to transition of payment systems, effective October 31, 2023, contractors can expect a delay in receiving their Budget Act contract amendments. This CCB serves as a planning allocation for contractor planning purposes.

Read the entire CCB here.

RELEASED November 14, 2023: CCB 23-35: FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 VOUCHER-BASED BUDGET ACT AMENDMENTS

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 23-35: FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 VOUCHER-BASED BUDGET ACT AMENDMENTS.

The purpose of this CCB is to provide voucher-based child care and development contractors with an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 Budget Act amendment details. Attachments displaying the new allocation totals are also provided. Due to transition of payment systems effective October 31, 2023, contractors can expect a delay in receiving their Budget Act contract amendments. This CCB is to serve as a planning allocation for contractor planning purposes.

Read the entire CCB here.

RELEASED November 14, 2023: CCB 23-33: CONTINUED FUNDING APPLICATION FISCAL YEAR 2024-25

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 23-33: CONTINUED FUNDING APPLICATION FISCAL YEAR 2024-25.

The purpose of this CCB is to notify contractors of the applicable programs listed above of the requirement to complete and submit a Continued Funding Application (CFA) to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in order to continue services into the next Fiscal Year (FY). Failure to complete a CFA constitutes notification of a contractor's intent to discontinue services into the next fiscal year. 

Read the entire CCB here.

RELEASED November 13, 2023: CCB 23-21: EXTENSION OF CHILD CARE REIMBURSEMENT BASED ON ENROLLMENT RATHER THAN ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (CDSS)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: CCB 23-21: EXTENSION OF CHILD CARE REIMBURSEMENT BASED ON ENROLLMENT RATHER THAN ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (CDSS)

The purpose of this CCB is to provide guidance to counties and child care and development contractors regarding the continuation of voucher payments to be based on enrollment rather than attendance, and center-based payments to be based on 100% of the contract maximum reimbursable amount or net reimbursable program costs, whichever is less, through June 30, 2025.

Read the entire CCB here.

Inclusion Works! Webinar Series - Part 3 Registration Open!

The CDSS is partnering with WestEd to offer a free expanded virtual webinar series on inclusion. This training is for all who wish to support inclusion and inclusive practices in their child care and development program, child care home, or in programs they support.

This trio of workshops builds on one another and work best when taken as a series. Using the book and accompanying video series, Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs that Promote Belonging for Children with Disabilities, participants will receive training with optional follow-up technical assistance sessions after each workshop to enhance implementation. The book and videos provide a unique and comprehensive baseline for providing quality inclusion. This series offers a strong foundation in inclusive practices, has self-assessment checklists and other useful forms available for use. Participants will also develop a plan of action for implementing ideas in their settings. Participants will be assigned Inclusion Liaisons who will consult with them following each webinar.

All sessions will be simultaneously interpreted into Spanish and all materials will be available in Spanish.

Virtual technical assistance sessions will be offered regionally after each training.

Part 3: Jan. 18, 2024, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Planning in Inclusive Setting

Register Today!

Hold the Date: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Plan Input Session

California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) Community Members, 

This serves as a save the date for upcoming input sessions for the development of the 2025-27 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Plan. The goal of these input sessions is to gather regional community input on various topical sections of the CCDF state plan.

CCDF State Plan Input Session 

Monday, November 20, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Southern Session at Riverside County Office of Education, Riverside, CA. (capacity 300)

Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

• CDSS Headquarters in downtown Sacramento, 744 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

There will be more information to come in a future email, regarding a virtual session via ZOOM on December 7, 2023, 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

Due to limited space, reservations are required and limited to 1-2 people from any agency. Reservations will be first come, first served. Please RSVP with your full names, organization, email address and what session you prefer to attend to STATEPLN@dss.ca.gov. You will receive a confirmation email and details and maps to the location prior to the session date.

To help support our field with providing input on the State Plan, we have put the plan into a Google document. Thriving Families California has a dedicated workgroup developing input for consideration. If you would like to share input, please feel free to insert comments in the link above or email them to us.

Happening This Week, November 20th - November 24th:

Monday, November 20th:

-2025-27 CCDF State Plan Input Session: Riverside

10:00am – 12:00pm 

NOTE: To help support our field with providing input on the State Plan, we have put the plan into a Google document. Thriving Families California has a dedicated workgroup developing input for consideration. If you would like to share input, please feel free to insert comments in the link above or email them to us.

Thursday, November 23th:

-Happy Thanksgiving!

Thriving Families California (formerly CAPPA) is committed to supporting our field with a coordinated calendar. Click here to see current calendar of events. If you have an event to add, email us and it will be added.

The Weekly Good

An uplifting way to start the week, for those of us who need a break from the chaos that is our lives.

During this time where we are all stressed, it would be great to celebrate the positive. Each week we will celebrate everyday heroes, inspiring movements and great things happening in our field. 

It's no secret that our logo is a butterfly. These beautiful and magnificently colored creatures symbolize the positive change CDA strives to bring to the world.

A caterpillar’s metamorphosis makes a powerful point: no matter what hardships we face, we all have what it takes to reach our full potential. It's an inspiring message that speaks to our own capacity to move through different chapters in life by experiencing transformation and personal growth.

Thank you @shannen_mythen_art for helping us visualize this journey for our team and for all of the children, families, and child care providers who walk through our doors on a path toward creating positive change.