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 . If you have information you would like to have hosted, click here.

Use this Excel document to help you track budget actions as it is updated in real time. Click here to see the 2026-27 budget summary.

Upcoming Budget Hearings

• Senate Budget and Fiscal Review - Wednesday, February 4, 2026 @ 3:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• AB 106 (Gabriel) Budget Act of 2025
• AB 107 (Gabriel) Budget Act of 2025
• AB 117 (Gabriel) Budget Act of 2025
• AB 122 (Gabriel) Budget Act of 2025
• Joint Hearing Assembly Budget Subcommittee 3 Education Finance and Education - Tuesday, February 10, 2026 @ 9:00 a.m. - State Capitol, Room 447
• California Community Schools Partnership Program

February 18, 2026 7th Annual Hybrid 
"Lifting Up Families" Advocacy Day

Advocacy Day Registration is Live!

Click here to register your virtual or in-person attendance.



Join us on February 18, 2026 for the 7th annual "Lifting Up Families" Advocacy Day at the State Capitol and online. This is our statewide day of action to spotlight the real needs of families, elevate solutions that work, and show lawmakers the strength of the coalition behind child care and family-support services. The 2026 Advocacy Day webpage has full details.

Join as a Partner Organization for Advocacy Day!

Our last partner meeting is TOMORROW Tuesday, February 3rd via Zoom at 3:30 p.m., and we’d love for you to join us to connect with other partners, learn more about Advocacy Day, and explore how your organization can contribute to statewide efforts. Email McKenzie Richardson if you need the invitation information.

Nearly 70 organizations partnered with us last year, amplifying a unified message across all 120 legislative offices. Partner organizations are highlighted on event materials—including information packets with district-specific data delivered to every legislator—showcasing their leadership and the strength of our shared work. We welcome partners from all industry sectors.

To join this year’s growing coalition and get involved in upcoming partner meetings before February 18, please reach out to mckenzie@thrivingfamilies-ca.org.

Become a Sponsor for Advocacy Day!

Sponsoring Advocacy Day puts your organization in the spotlight, showing your commitment to families while connecting you with hundreds of advocates and legislators. With options like supporting participant buttons, legislator packets, the morning coffee program, or lunch, sponsors gain visibility, recognition on event materials, and a tangible way to help make the day a success. Click here for the sponsorship form.

Important Dates, Deadlines,

Hearings, and Bills

Dates & Deadlines:

• February 16 - President's Day
• February 20 - Last day for bills to be introduced

Upcoming Hearings:

• Assembly Human Services Committee - next hearing on March 11 (more details to come)
• Letters of support due by 5:00 p.m. on March 5

Legislative Resources:

• See the tentative 2026-27 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: Does California have an obligation to continue paying child care providers based on per-child enrollment, instead of based on per-child attendance?

Answer: Senate Bill 120 funded payment to child care providers based on a family's certified need (i.e. enrollment) until June 30, 2026, and CCB 25-20E clarified that the state will continue to pay providers based on enrollment until June 30, 2028 in compliance with the Child Care Providers Union bargaining agreement.

Federal Update

Partial Federal Shutdown Began Saturday, House Speaker Johnson Says He Expects House to Vote to Re-Open Government on Tuesday

For the latest updates and resources on what to expect in a government shutdown, go to TFC's federal webpage.

On Friday, the Senate approved legislation to fund each of these remaining government agencies through the end of the fiscal year in September, while also agreeing to a two-week stopgap bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. However, the House wasn't in session to approve the Senate's package and on Saturday at 12:01am the federal government entered a partial shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson said he’s confident the partial federal shutdown will be resolved by Tuesday when the House can vote to reopen the government, even though Democrats won’t help fast-track the process and travel delays from a winter storm are complicating logistics. He expects House Republicans to unite behind funding most agencies by then, with a plan to fund every agency except Homeland Security and then spend the next two weeks negotiating DHS and immigration policy issues. The shutdown will end once the House approves the Senate’s package and sends it to the President. 

New Updates on CCDF and Federal Proposed Rule Posted to TFC's Webpage

Click here to be directed to our website page that will be continually updated with the latest news.

• Sign-on letter from national partners responding to the federal CCDF proposed rule
• Update on the partial federal shutdown
• Resources for what happens to child care and social services programs during a federal shutdown

National Sign-On Letter Response to Federal Proposed Rule

CLASP, CAP, NAEYC, and NWLC have created this sign-on letter that calls for HHS to rescind this proposed rule. This letter is intended for local, state, and national organizations; please consider adding your organization’s support by filling out the form linked below. We also acknowledge that organizations may be submitting their own comments, but this letter can be signed in conjunction with other comments or letters.

To add your organization to the letter, please fill out this Google Form. We are collecting signatures until 9am Eastern Time on February 4th, 2026.

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

01/23 Federal Government Update 

This week, the House passed a crucial funding bill that retains the increases to the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Head Start and Early Head Start, as proposed by the Senate Labor, HHS bill over the summer. Specifically:

• $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, an increase of $85 million above FY25. ($8.746 billion)
• $12.4 billion for Head Start, an increase of $85 million above FY25. ($12.72 billion)

Two programs that were slated for elimination in the original House version maintain level funding:

• $315 million for Preschool Development Grant
• $75 million for Child Care Access Means Parents in School

While these increases are welcome after flat funding in FY25, we remain concerned that these increases are not as robust as in the past several years and are still nowhere close to fully funding these critical early childhood programs.

Additionally, the funding package that’s headed to the Senate includes deeply harmful investments in ICE enforcement. See more in item #3.

Now, the package heads to the Senate in hopes of averting a partial federal government shutdown on January 30th. NWLC is continuing our advocacy efforts on these increases and preservation of these critical programs until it’s signed into law. 

Take Action: Tell Congress: No Cuts to Child Care! (NWLC)

Developing: The White House budget office has ordered a review of funding for 14 Democrat-led states, and DC, a spokesperson for OMB confirms. The mandate came in a memo this week demanding responses from all federal agencies except the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon. 

The request signals a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive strategy to target federal funding in blue states – an unprecedented policy approach triggered during last year’s government shutdown that has rapidly accelerated in the wake of sweeping fraud allegations in Minnesota. The political implications are intensifying as the Justice Department has reportedly opened investigations into Minnesota Governor Walz and other state officials, while ICE enforcement actions in Minnesota have resulted in the detention of four students, including a five-year-old child.

Take Action: RAPID RESPONSE: Child ICE Detention in Minnesota  (P-5 Network)

As a reminder, since January 1st, 2026, the administration has taken drastic measures that are already having devastating effects on the child care sector:

• Froze child care funding for 5 states: letters were sent to California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York, suspending about $10 billion in funds for CCDF, TANF, and SSBG.
• TEMPORARILY BLOCKED thru 2/6: Trump can't withhold funds from 5 Democratic states yet, judge says | AP News
• Doubled down on “Defend the Spend” policy, requiring all 50 states to provide additional documentation and verification before receiving child care funds. This policy has led to delays in states' access to funding.
• HHS Proposes Major Rollback of Child Care Subsidy Regulations: HHS released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to undo key components of the March 2024 CCDF final rule, citing administrative burden and a desire to restore state flexibility. Proposed eliminations include:
• The 7% cap on family co-payments.
• The requirement for states to use grants or contracts for direct service delivery to underserved populations.
• The mandate that child care providers be paid prospectively and based on a child’s authorized enrollment rather than attendance.
• This will undo much of the progress in the sector.

⇒ See item #2 for resources and more information

• Reports are coming out of Ohio, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Maine, and San Diego, California, that right-wing influencers have been harassing child care programs by showing up to and calling child care programs to try to interview employees and express suspicions of fraud, especially targeting child care entities run by people of Somali descent.
• Establishment of a new Department of Justice division for national fraud enforcement, which will investigate child care and Head Start programs around the country.

We call on federal leaders to immediately restore full child care funding, end intimidation and enforcement tactics that target child care communities, and halt the escalation of armed enforcement in our communities that has already resulted in tragic and preventable loss of life.

Families need stability. Providers need safety. Children deserve care environments free from fear, chaos, and political intimidation. Communities deserve better than reckless endangerment, intimidation, and violence. 

Take Action: Take action to restore child care funding! (CCEFN)

More:

• BACKGROUND: Trump Administration’s Withholding of Child Care Funding (CCEFN)
• RAPID RESPONSE PLAN: Child Care Funding Freeze (CCEFN)
• Message Guidance_Child Care Funding Freeze (Community Change)

Protect Head Start & Early Head Start 

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attacks on Head Start, halting the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) ban on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as mass office closures and layoffs at the Office of Head Start. These administrative actions had disrupted programs nationwide and hindered their ability to fulfil their mission of providing early education and care to young children from low-income families. More: Federal Judge Grants Second Preliminary Injunction Blocking Attacks on Head Start | American Civil Liberties Union

More: Judge blocks purge DEI-related terms in Head Start grant applications | AP News

Take Action

• Take Action: Take action to restore child care funding! (CCEFN)
• Find in-person and online events here: CHN/partner events joint calendar
• Messaging Guide for Child Care (c3 version) (c4 version) (CCEFN)
• Toolkit: Protecting Immigrant Families - Children Thrive Action Network
• Join us at the Children Thrive Action Network! CTAN is a new network of advocates and service providers at the national, state, and local levels. Our mission is to defend and support children in the United States in immigrant families. Organizations interested in a network to further this goal can join CTAN here.
• Protecting & Supporting Immigrant Children & their Families in Early Learning Spaces | MomsRising
• Meals and Snacks - CACFP Federal Advocacy Toolkit 2025
• CHN budget and tax toolkit for local groups (Coalition on Human Needs)
• To help local and state advocates raise their voices to protect and strengthen key nutrition, housing, early childhood, and other assistance, we’ve created this toolkit with resources to use for requesting a District (or DC) meeting with members of Congress, organizing site visits for policymakers, conversations with members of Congress and/or their staff (which you can use at a local town hall), emails to Congressional staff, getting letters published in local newspapers, and more. See our state data resource library, along with our general poverty and budget libraries, for additional resources. 

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1.H.R.22 [119th] SAVE Act

2.H.Res.353 [119th] Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

3.H.R.6938 [119th] Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026

4.H.R.7148 [119th] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

5.H.R.1 [119th] An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14.

6.S.381 [119th] 10 Percent Credit Card Interest Rate Cap Act

7.H.R.7006 [119th] Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026

8.H.Res.537 [119th] Impeaching Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

9.H.R.7147 [119th] Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.

10.H.J.Res.140 [119th] Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.

Upcoming TFC Events

Thriving Families CA Foundation, in partnership with DSS Child Development Fiscal Services and Baker Tilly (formerly Moss Adams), will be delivering a virtual training for our field focused on Fiscal and Audit topics. During the first part of the training, DSS will be presenting on Fiscal Essentials and provide in-depth reporting information for both direct service and AP contractors.

There will also be time set aside for a Q&A session. 

During part 2, there will be a training from an independent auditor on how agencies should be preparing and complying with the different audit requirements.



We hope you can join us!

CDSS & CDE Upcoming Events

New Module Series: Trauma-Informed Practice: Culturally Responsive Strategies for Working with Adults

The California Department of Social Services is pleased to announce that a new module series, Trauma-Informed Practice: Culturally Responsive Strategies for Working with Adults, is now available! This new module series expands upon the 2-hour module Safe Spaces: Foundations of Trauma-Informed Practice for Educational and Care Settings (0–5), with additional concepts and strategies designed to support those whose work is primarily with adults.

How to Access:

The module series is available on California Early Childhood Online (CECO). You can find it by scrolling to “What’s New” on the CECO homepage or using the Module Catalog. 

Early Education Division California State Preschool Program Office Hours

The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division is pleased to offer weekly office hours as a system of support for California State Preschool Programs. Each week, we will focus on a different topic relevant to your work.

For the week of February 11, 2026, the topic will be: Interactions

These office hours are designed to provide a space for open dialogue and support. Our goal is to answer any questions you may have related to the week’s topic. Participation is optional, and sessions will not be recorded to encourage candid conversation. Attendees will vary based on the presented topic.

Please take a moment to register for the Interactions office hour occurring on February 11, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2j3zIHg5TLagUb5QTI0i8w

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

Upcoming Topics Include:

·      February 18, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. PT: Family Engagement

·      February 25, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. PT: Racial, Cultural Equity & Belonging

Family Child Care at Its Best: Training of Partner Facilitator Topics

With generous funding from the California Department of Social Services, WestEd continues to expand the reach of Family Child Care at Its Best (FCCB) curriculum by training partner facilitators to offer FCCB workshops for their communities. This year we will offer three courses for individuals who have completed the Introduction to FCCB for Partner Facilitators course.

Topics Offered for 2025–2026:

• Child Observation: January 11, 2026–February 21, 2026
• Serving Children with Disabilities or Delays & Their Families (English): April 12, 2026–June 1, 2026
• Serving Children with Disabilities or Delays & Their Families (Spanish): April 26, 2026–June 7, 2026

For more information on FCCB Partner Facilitator opportunities and registration links for each course, visit the FCCB website.

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

CCLD QUARTERLY FORMS UPDATE – January 28, 2026

Primary Audience: ALL COMMUNITY CARE LICENSED PROVIDERS

Message:

In order to keep our external partners duly informed on form updates published by the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD), we would like to provide you with the following list of published CCLD forms that have been created or updated in the last quarter. The following list includes forms that are specific to individual Programs: 

Forms impacting specific Programs:

Adult and Senior Care Program

• LIC 610E: Emergency and Disaster Plan for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly

Child Care Program

• LIC 613A: Personal Rights – Child Care Program

Home Care Services

• HCS 9201: Home Care Organization Inspection Checklist

Note: No form updates were published in the last quarter that impact multiple Programs.

The following list includes forms that have been discontinued in the last quarter:

• LIC 300D: Removal Confirmation – Non-Exemptible
• LIC 300C: Removal Confirmation – Rescinded

RELEASED JANUARY 23, 2026: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-21EIII: ERRATUM TO THE ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ALLOCATION

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published an updated Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-21EIII: ERRATUM TO THE ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ALLOCATION

Purpose: This erratum Child Care Bulletin is to provide revised communication to child care and development contractors regarding administrative allocation appropriated in Assembly Bill (AB) 102 for the administration and support costs associated with implementing ongoing provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding with Child Care Providers United.

RELEASED JANUARY 23, 2026: Management Bulletin 26-01: California State Preschool Program Cost of Care Plus Rate Allocations and One-Time Stabilization Payments for Family Childcare Providers and Centers

Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of all California State Preschool Programs

The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED) has released Management Bulletin (MB) 26-01: California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Cost of Care Plus Rate Allocations and One-Time Stabilization Payments for Family Childcare Providers and Centers. This MB revises and replaces MB 25-11 and was updated to provide clarification on the allowable use of Cost of Care Plus Rate Allocations for CSPP contractors.

Specifically, this MB was updated to align the allowable uses for Cost of Care Plus Rate Allocations with the Legislative intent and allows for these funds to be used for bonuses, incentive and retention payments, or any other one-time payments to CSPP staff.

MB 26-01 can be accessed on the CDE MB 26-01 web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2601.asp.

If you have programmatic questions regarding the information in this MB, please contact your assigned EED Program Quality Implementation Office Regional Consultant. The CDE, EED Consultant Regional Assignments directory web page can be accessed at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp.

Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-34E: Errata to Mandatory Transition to the Updated Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) 2025

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published an updated: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-34E: Errata to Mandatory Transition to the Updated Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) 2025

The purpose of this erratum is to correct the contact information provided to child care and development contractors in Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25‑34 regarding the additional contact information associated with the CRRP@dss.ca.gov email address. This additional contact information has been deleted, and the deletions are marked within brackets and with a [strikethrough]. Contractors need to contact their assigned Program Quality and Improvement Consultant. Questions about the CCB should be sent to your assigned consultant. The list of assigned consultants can be found on the Child Care and Development Contacts webpage. Aside from the deletion communicated in this erratum, all guidance and information contained in the original CCB 25‑34 remains accurate and in effect.

Fiscal Year 2025–26 Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Early Education Contractors

Attention: All Executive Directors, Program Directors, and Other Interested Parties

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025–26 Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Early Education Contractors has been posted to the California Department of Education (CDE) Early Education fiscal information web page. The Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Reporting and Reimbursement Procedures for Early Education Contractors is commonly referred to as the Early Education and Nutrition Fiscal Services (EENFS) Fiscal Handbook.

The EENFS Fiscal Handbook is a manual that aids early education contractors in their enrollment, attendance, and fiscal reporting and explains reimbursement procedures and the role of the EENFS unit within the Fiscal and Administrative Services Division.

The updated EENFS Fiscal Handbook is available on the CDE Early Education fiscal information web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/documents/fy2526fiscalhandbook.docx.

A listing of important changes is included at the beginning of the EENFS Fiscal Handbook each year. Please pay special attention to these changes and contact your assigned fiscal analyst with questions. The fiscal analyst directory can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.

CCLD has released a new Provider Information Notice (PIN), PIN 26-02-CCLD: EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS (MASS ROSTER TRANSFERS) THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE


Primary Audience:

ALL CCLD FACILITY LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS

Summary:

PIN 26-02-CCLD informs all Community Care Licensing Division Licensees and Providers of the ability for Regional Offices to perform a mass roster transfer of all individuals from one facility’s roster to another under specific circumstances.

An electronic copy of PIN 26-02-CCLD: EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS (MASS ROSTER TRANSFERS) THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE, is available for viewing/downloading by clicking on the following link:

PIN 26-02-CCLD: EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS (MASS ROSTER TRANSFERS) THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE

Previous PINs are available at the CCLD website.

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, February 2 - 6, 2026: 



Tuesday, February 3rd:

• TFC Foundation Weekly Member Connections Meeting @ 1:00 p.m. Email to register.
• Lifting Up Families Advocacy Day: Partner Meeting @ 3:30pm.
  

Wednesday, February 4th:

• TFC Public Policy Committee Meeting @ 2:00pm

Friday, February 6th:

• TFC Workgroup - Prospective pay, CalWORKs, and more Meeting at 1:30pm.
  

Thriving Families CA Foundation is committed to supporting our field with a coordinated calendar. Click here to see our 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.