California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

California Budget Updates



To support our field keeping up with budget related information, TFC will host updates and information on our Budget Page. any questions.

Upcoming Child Care Budget Hearings:

• Thursday, April 3, 2024 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services @ 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of session - 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• Department of Social Services
• Child Welfare and Foster Care
• Child Care and Development
• Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - Joint Hearing - Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Human Services & Budget Subcommittee 3 on Education Finance @ 1:30 p.m. - State Capitol Room 444 (may change)
• Department of Social Services
• Education
• The State of Preschool and Child Care
• Universal Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment and Ratios
• Child Care and Preschool
• Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
• Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) State Plan Update
• Quality Plan Overview
• Fire Code for Child Care Facilities Oversight
• Department of Social Services Child Care Budget Change Proposals

Click here to go to TFC's Budget Page.

TFC's Featured Bill of the Week

AB 804 (Wicks) Medi-Cal: housing support services

Author: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks represents the East Bay in the California State Assembly, with a district spanning the communities of Oakland to Richmond, and includes the City of Berkeley.

Asm. Wicks was recently appointed Chair of the Appropriations Committee, after serving as Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee for two years prior. Her work focuses heavily on advancing solutions to solve California's housing and homelessness crisis, expanding our state’s social safety net, protecting kids in the digital world, and championing the rights of women and working families. A lifelong community organizer, Asm. Wicks previously served on both of President Barack Obama’s campaigns, and worked for him in the White House. She lives in Oakland with her husband, Peter, and daughters, Jojo and Elly.

How to Support a Bill

As bills move through California’s legislative process, they are presented to and heard by several committees who may recommend amendments and vote on whether or not the bill should continue through the legislative process.

As legislators decide how to vote, they consider public opinion as expressed through position letters. To support a bill, you can submit your letter through the California Legislature Position Letter Portal.

If you have any questions, contact TFC staff!

Important Dates, Deadlines,

Hearings, and Bills

Dates & Deadlines:

• April 10, 2025 - Spring recess upon adjournment.

Upcoming Bill Hearings:

• ASM Higher Education - March 18th @ 1:30 p.m. - State Capitol, Room 126
• AB 363 (Bryan) - Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: eligibility and services.
• SEN Education - March 19th @ 9:00 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2100
• SB 33 (Cortese) - Homeless pupils: California Success, Opportunity, and Academic Resilience (SOAR) Guaranteed Income Program
• SB 48 (Gonzalez) - Immigration enforcement: schoolsites: prohibitions on access, sharing information, and law enforcement collaboration
• SB 98 (Pérez) - Elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education: immigration enforcement: notification

Recently Introduced Bills to Watch:

The following bills of interest have been introduced. You can follow these bills and more on TFC's State Legislation page on our website. Please note that TFC does not formally support nor oppose any bill listed unless explicitly stated.

• AB 936 (Lee) CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Supplemental Benefits Program
• SB 18 (Rubio) Food Desert Elimination Grant Program. AMENDED
• SB 99 (Blakespear) Family childcare homes: United States Armed Forces.

Legislative Resources:

• See the full 2025-26 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.
• Click here to view all the bills that the Assembly and Senate introduced this legislative year.
• Click here to view legislative committee information, rules, and position letter deadlines.

Did You Know?

Child Care Q&A's

NOTE: If you have a question you would like answered or researched, please email.

Question: Will child care provider Cost of Care monthly payments continue?

Answer: Yes. Enacted in the 2024-25 Budget and referenced to continue in the 2025-26 Proposed Budget, this monthly amount will continue.

Federal Update

ICYMI: TFC Sponsored Bill AB 1808 (Nguyen) Highlighted in NWLC Report!

The National Women's Law Center recently published "Work in Progress: State Child Care and Early Education Updates 2024" highlighting noteworthy investments and policy changes made by states in 2024 to support child care and early learning. We are pleased to announce that AB 1808, authored by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen and sponsored by Thriving Families CA in 2024, was listed as a noteworthy policy that lifts up the needs of families.

AB 1808 created a consistent 24-month eligibility period for all income-eligible families within CalWORKs, aligning it with other subsidized child care programs. This change helps to eliminate disparities, streamline processes, and reduce burdens on families accessing child care support.

Read the report here. California's section is found on page 6.

Click here to read the most recent weekly federal update from the National Women's Law Center.

Federal Government Update

This afternoon, the US Senate approved the House’s Continuing Resolution (CR), sending it to the President’s desk for signature. This bill will serve as FY25 appropriations and fund the federal government through September 30th, 2025.

This partisan CR does not simply kick the can through September: it gives the President new power to decide how taxpayer dollars are spent, takes resources away from Americans’ health care and education, and boosts funding for the Pentagon and mass deportations. 

The bill cuts funding for nondefense programs and services by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion compared to fiscal year 2024 enacted levels. More: Full-Year Continuing Resolution Allows Elon Musk and President Trump to Accelerate the Stealing of Funds from American Families and Businesses

As a reminder, Congress is conducting two separate budget processes. They are concurrently working on annual appropriations for FY26, which determines discretionary yearly spending (e.g., CCDBG Head Start), and a reconciliation bill, which affects mandatory spending (e.g., Medicaid, CCES, and SNAP).

Reconciliation 

What this means and why it matters:

• Republican majorities in both chambers are planning to eliminate and cut funding to programs that families, children, and early educators rely on in order to pay for harsh immigration policies and tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. With less revenue available, CCDBG, Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, the Social Services Development Block Grant (SSBG), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and many others remain at risk.
• What proposed federal budget cuts and policy changes will cost children | First Focus on Children
• Cuts to SSBG, TANF Would Eliminate Child Care for 40K Children, Disrupt Care for Millions More | CLASP
• How Would Children Fare Under Proposed Cuts to Federal Spending? | Urban Institute
• President Trump, Congressional Republican Proposals Would Shift Large Costs to States, Inflict Widespread Harm | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• We know that federal funding for programs serving our communities is woefully inadequate, and further cuts would be devastating.

What’s next:

• As a reminder, each chamber passed its own distinct budget proposal. Agreeing to the same budget blueprint in both chambers is step one in advancing the President’s agenda via the fast-track reconciliation process—and we’re not even there yet. 
• If Republicans are going to advance a bill that can become law, they’ll need to take a third step, one in which both chambers agree to the same budget proposal. 
• Bottom line: there’s a long way to go before this agenda is even close to becoming law.
• NEW: Republicans fear time is running out to pass Trump’s agenda - POLITICO
• Please continue to speak out about the critical importance of maintaining access to federal funding, not cutting funding for children, families, & educators, and increasing those funds through annual appropriations.
• More on reconciliation: Budget Reconciliation Talking Points and Background (Child Care for Every Family Network)

Layoffs at the Administration for Children and Families & Department of Education

This week, the Department of Education announced a significant reduction in force (RIF) that, together with other recent employment actions, reduces the agency’s workforce by nearly 50%. In its press release, USED described the RIF as part of the agency’s “final mission,” referencing Secretary McMahon’s first message to the staff. Education Reform Now has prepared this series of charts describing the cuts across offices based on a list of positions cut. 

Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), issued the following response: NWLC Responds to Trump Administration’s Plan to Gut Education Department Staff

Additionally, about 20% of staff at the Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care have been fired. Together, these offices support communities across the country, including by providing grants to improve access to early childhood education, childhood health and wellbeing, and access to affordable child care and afterschool programs. Without staff to process applications and dispense grants, literacy outcomes, school readiness, and the worsening child care crisis will continue to deteriorate – particularly for the low-income families eligible for these programs. 

Still developing as of Friday, March 14th: Judges order Trump to rehire probationary workers let go in mass firings | AP News

NEW: Attacks on the Federal Workforce: Risks to Women, Children, and Families - National Women's Law Center

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1.H.R.28 [119th] Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025

2.H.Con.Res.14 [119th] Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.

3.H.R.10127 [118th] Restoring Trade Fairness Act

4.S.4569 [118th] TAKE IT DOWN Act

5.H.R.8281 [118th] SAVE Act

6.H.R.22 [119th] SAVE Act

7.H.R.1936 [119th] To prohibit funds for the Armed Forces to engage in operations to invade or seize territory from Canada, the Republic of Panama, or the self-governing territory of Greenland.

8.H.R.1161 [119th] Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025

9.S.9 [119th] Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025

10.S.4621 [118th] No Tax on Tips Act

CDSS & CDE Upcoming Events

CCDD Monthly Contractor Meeting – Thursday, March 20th, 10am - 11am

Greetings Child Care and Development Contractors,

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care & Development Division (CCDD) will host the next CCDD Contractor Meeting on Thursday, March 20th, 2025, from 10 to 11 a.m. This meeting series is open to CCDD contractors only, and the tentative agenda is below.

March 2025 Agenda:

Topical Updates​ 

• New Professional Development

Standing Updates

• Child Care Resource & Referral Program 
• Child and Adult Care Food Program 
• Program Quality and Improvement​ Branch 
• Voluntary Transfer of Funds Process
• Infrastructure Grant Program 
• Community Care Licensing 
• Policy and Guidance

Please use this Zoom link to register for the meeting.

Quarterly Child Care Provider Webinar March 2025

Announcing Statewide Child Care Program webinar on March 25, 2025.

Guest Speakers: California Department of Public Health: Cold & Flu Best Practices & Fire Disaster Recovery

Date: Tuesday, March 25

 Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Secure your spot by registering early for this engaging webinar. Register Here

Contact Information ChildCareAdvocatesProgram@dss.ca.gov

Early Childhood Policy Council Meeting Notice and Agenda

Please join us for our March 26th meeting of the Early Childhood Policy Council. The Meeting Agenda and Draft Budget Letter for this meeting are now available on the Early Childhood Policy Council website.  

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Physical Meeting Information: 

1000 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

WestEd, 5th floor, Capitol Room

Virtual Meeting Information:

Please use this Zoom link to register in advance for the meeting

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

**Reminder** (CDSS – CDMIS) CDD-801A & CDD-801B Lock Schedule

Attention: Program Directors, Executive Directors, Software Vendors, Listserv, and Active CDSS – CDMIS Users.

This email serves to inform all CDSS – CDMIS contractors of the upcoming lock schedule for the CDD-801A and CDD-801B.

CDD-801A report periods are locked ninety (90) days after the report due date. This provides agencies additional time to review and update information submitted. Once a report period is locked for the CDD-801A, users trying to access data will receive the following message: “The cut-off date for entering CDD-801A data for the selected month/year has passed. CDD-801A data may no longer be entered for the selected report month/year.”

Read more here.

PIN 25-04-CCLD - Fee Waivers in Response to the January 2025 Fires and Windstorm Conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties

CCLD has released a new Provider Information Notice (PIN),

PIN 25-04-CCLD - Fee Waivers in Response to the January 2025 Fires and Windstorm Conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties

PIN 25-04-CCLD notifies Adult and Senior Care (ASC), Child Care Program (CCP),and Children’s Residential (CRP) Program licensees and providers that the Director of the California Department of Social Services will be using the authority provided in the Governor’s Proclamation and State of Emergency Executive Orders N-2-25 and N-3-25 to waive licensing fees for those impacted by the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Upcoming Thriving Families CA (TFC) Events

Thriving Families CA (TFC) is excited to announce an informational training event in Anaheim, CA designed to empower our community and foster collaboration.

This Statewide Meeting presents a unique opportunity for participants to come together, share valuable insights and experiences, and explore innovative ideas that will shape policies and enhance best practices in our field.

Over the course of two enriching days, attendees will have the chance to engage in a multi-track workshop format, catering to diverse interests and ensuring that every stakeholder finds relevant and impactful content.

Together, we can strengthen our collective efforts to create THRIVING environments for children and families.

We hope you can join us!

Learn More and Register Here!

Social Media Spotlight

Follow TFC on social media!

We would love for you to tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #TFC2025

On Our Reading List

Information & Updates

Happening This Week, March 17-21, 2025:

Tuesday, March 18th:

• TFC Weekly Member Connections Meeting @ 1:00 pm. Email to register.

Thursday, March 20th:

• Monthly CDSS Contractor Call @ 10:00. Register Here.

Thriving Families California 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. 

Thank You to Our Generous 2024-25 Thriving Families CA (TFC) Champions!

We appreciate the tremendous support from our 2024-25 TFC Champion Members. These members have stepped up, making it possible for TFC to support our field with more tailored support of individual organizations, ability to pay for legal, advocacy and social media supports, enhanced regional trainings, improving data collection, and more.