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. 

Governor Newsom Releases his Proposed 2026-27 Budget

On January 9th, Governor Newsom released his proposed 2026-27 budget. You can watch the recording of the budget release here. Click here to see the 2026-27 budget summary. More resources, including investments in child care, are posted on TFC's Budget page.

Upcoming Budget Hearings

• TODAY Assembly Budget Committee - Tuesday, January 20, 2026 @ 11:00 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
• Overview of Governor's 2026 Budget
• Agenda
• Senate Budget Committee - Wednesday, January 21, 2026 @ 9:00 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
• Overview of the Governor's 2026-27 Proposed Budget
• Assembly Budget Subcommittee 7 on Accountability and Oversight - Wednesday, January 28, 2026 @ 9:00 a.m. - State Capitol, Room 126
• Impact of 2026 Federal Funding Withholding for Child Care Services

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 next partner meeting is TODAY Tuesday, January 20 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:

• January 23 - Last day for any committee to hear and report to the Floor bills introduced in that house in the odd-numbered year. Last day to submit bill requests to the Office of Legislative Counsel.
• January 31 - Last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house in the odd- numbered year.

Upcoming Hearings:

• Assembly Joint Hearing Assembly Education and Senate Education - Tuesday, January 20, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• Informational Hearing: Presentation by California Association of Student Councils
• Senate Appropriations Committee - Tuesday, January 20, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2100
• Assembly Appropriations Committee - Thursday, January 22, 2026 @ Upon the Adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
• Includes both bill hearings and suspense hearing
• Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense Hearing - Thursday, January 22, 2026 @ Upon the Adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200
• Assembly Health Committee - Tuesday, January 27, 2026 @ 1:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
• The Devastating Impact of Federal Disinvestment on California’s Health Care System: What We Know and How the State, Health Care Providers, and Communities Are Responding

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.

Partner Opportunities

Children Now: 2026 California Children’s Report Card

The 2026 Report Card grades the State on its performance supporting better outcomes for kids, from prenatal to age 26, across 30 wide-ranging issues affecting them. It then outlines Pro-Kid recommendations to California’s leaders on how we give kids their best chance to thrive.

Webinar: Using the 2026 CA Children’s Report Card to Drive Change

The webinar will provide an overview of the findings in the Report Card, including trends in children’s health, early childhood, education, online safety, and child welfare, and how a range of organizations can use this information to work together to build power, amplify community voices, and improve children’s outcomes. 

• Wednesday, January 21
• 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. PT
• Click here to register

MESSAGING WORKSHOP: Reaching California Voters to Transform the Child Care System

Join A Golden State For Kids for an opportunity to learn about the latest research-backed messaging to drive support for the early care and education sector. This research was conducted to better understand how California voters perceive early care and education, what language resonates, and how we can collectively frame the issue and our message to build broad public and political will. No matter who your audience is or how you work in the space, you will leave the session with refreshed insights, sample language, and practical messaging tools you can use to strengthen your advocacy, outreach, or storytelling around child care.  

WHEN: Wednesday, January 21 — 1-2:30pm PST (90 minute session)

VIRTUAL SESSION — Fill out this form to reserve your spot.

Space is limited

Child Care in the News

Mayor Lurie Launches Family Opportunity Agenda - Every Family With Kids Under Five Will Have Access to Child Care

Click here to read the official press release. Last week, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie launched his Family Opportunity agenda - a wide-ranging action plan to make child care, housing, education, food, health care, and transportation more affordable for San Francisco residents.

Under Mayor Lurie’s Family Opportunity Agenda, every San Francisco family with children under five years old will have access to child care—saving families as much as tens of thousands of dollars every year.

The city will leverage unspent 2018 Proposition C (“Baby C”) dollars to expand free child care for low- and middle-income families at more than 500 high-quality providers across the city. A family of four making less than $230,000 a year will qualify for free child care, while those earning up to $310,000 a year will receive a 50% subsidy.

The city has implemented quality standards for providers and introduced first-in-the-nation investments into educator wage subsidies that help attract and retain the talent essential for student success—leading to better outcomes for San Francisco kids, including an 11% increase in kindergarten readiness since 2021.

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

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

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

A Rapid Response Webinar on FY 2026 Appropriations and More:

What’s on the Table, and How to Make Our Voices Heard

Tuesday, January 20 @ 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT

Register here

Congressional leaders are negotiating the final details of a spending package and expected to release bill text for their remaining FY 2026 appropriations bills this weekend, including funding levels and (hopefully) provisions to safeguard funding for local communities within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Defense. 

Join the Coalition on Human Needs and our partners at the National Immigration Law Center, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Women’s Law Center, Food Research and Action Center and others to find out what the proposed bills could mean for education, child care, housing, attacks on immigrant communities, and more – and how we can make our voices heard to stop attacks on human needs programs and our communities. 

RECAP: Congressman Kevin Kiley Federal Child Care Hearing Last Week

Last week, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing to examine how the private sector is playing an important role in addressing the cost and availability of child care. Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) opened the hearing by discussing how public-private approaches are key to increasing access to affordable child care. 

“Employer engagement is a critical leg in the three-part support system holding up our child care market: families, government, and employers each play a role…CCDBG and private-sector innovation should be partners in meeting the child care needs of America’s workforce,” he said. 

Witnesses:

• Mr. Haden Polseno-Hensley, President and Co-Founder, Red Rooster Coffee Company, LLC
• Ms. Alex Grover, CEO, i2M 
• Ms. Amy K. Matsui, Vice President for Child Care & Income Security, National Women’s Law Center 
• Ms. Mary Lou Burke Afonso, COO, Bright Horizons 

Witnesses highlighted the importance of employer-based tax credits such as 45F—which was significantly expanded under the Working Families Tax Cuts that was signed into law in July.

Click here to read the recap.

Click here to watch the recording.

NWLC’s new report - Progress and Setbacks: State child Care and Early Education Updates 2025

ABOUT THE REPORT: Child care and early education are essential for children and families to thrive. Yet, child care is vastly underfunded and undervalued in the United States. As a result, families struggle to access affordable, high-quality child care, while child care workers are left underpaid and overburdened.

Amid challenges, many states made gains in the 2025 legislative session, adopting policies and allocating funding to expand families’ access to child care and early learning opportunities and better support the child care workforce, as shown in the state-by-state summaries in this report. 

However, not every state had success this year, as several missed opportunities to increase funding or approve legislation to better support families, child care programs, and early learning educators—and some states reduced funding for early care and education. Further sustainable, long-term investments and policy improvements across all states, accompanied by significant federal investments, are necessary to create a child care system that works for all families, children, and child care providers.

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

01/09 Federal Government Update 

This week, 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.
• BREAKING NEWS: Judge Blocks Trump Officials From Freezing Billions in Social Services Funds: Live Updates - The New York Times
• 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.
• More: CCDF Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 2026 Summary (CCAoA)

⇒ We will share a comment template in the coming weeks.

• Reports are coming out of Ohio, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Maine, and 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. More: Child Care Leaders Call for Immediate End to Armed Enforcement, Citizen Policing, and Intimidation in Our Communities – Child Care For Every Family Network

More:

• BACKGROUND: Trump Administration’s Withholding of Child Care Funding (Child Care for Every Family Network)
• RAPID RESPONSE PLAN: Child Care Funding Freeze (Child Care for Every Family Network)
• Trump’s Child Care Funding Freeze: Stories & Impact on the Ground (Child Care for Every Family Network)
• Message Guidance_Child Care Funding Freeze (Community Change)

Protect Head Start & Early Head Start 

NEW: 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

• Child Care Messaging Post-Reconciliation (c3/c4) (Child Care for Every Family Network)
• Find in-person and online events here: CHN/partner events joint calendar
• SRA+SiX TOOLKIT: State Response to Federal Tax Bill
• Tell Congress: Save Head Start for Families (NWLC)
• Messaging Guide for Child Care (c3 version) (c4 version) (Child Care for Every Family Network)
• Interactive Data Dashboard (Center for American Progress)
• Click the link below for a full list of actions under "Federal Update"

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1.H.R.4818 [118th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023

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

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

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

5.S.2296 [119th] National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

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

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

8.H.R.1834 [119th] Breaking the Gridlock Act

9.H.R.4405 [119th] Epstein Files Transparency Act

10.S.1071 [119th] National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

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

Webinar Announcement: Requirements for Equipment Purchase Approval Requests and Subcontract Approval Requests for California State Preschool Programs

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

The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED) is hosting a webinar to provide updates on Requirements for Equipment Purchase Approval Requests (EPARs) and Subcontract Approval Requests for California State Preschool Programs (CSPP). The goal of this webinar is to provide information on when to submit the EPAR form, when a subcontract is needed, how to meet bidding and documentation requirements, and what qualifies for preapproved purchases.



This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (Pacific Time).

Registration is required for this webinar. Please click the link below to register for this upcoming opportunity and the log-in information will be sent shortly after registration is complete. In addition, please submit any questions you may have regarding EPARs and Subcontract Approval Requests.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w1t288_URiyyHF9XTSdidA

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

Paid Survey Opportunity from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood

Help spread the word to reach California parents of children under age 6 by sharing this paid survey opportunity with families in your networks.

The RAPID Survey Project at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood is listening to families with children under age 6 who live in California. This survey asks about experiences of material hardship, child care use and access, healthcare, parent and child well-being, and use of transitional kindergarten (TK). Take the 15-minute survey at this link and receive a $5 gift card: https://tinyurl.com/rapidca-cdss

The survey is open through Thursday, January 29th. 

Please reach out to vcgarcia@stanford.edu if you're interested in learning about how RAPID-CA survey data can support your work.

Updated: RELEASED January 7, 2026: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-34: 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 the following document: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-34: Mandatory Transition to the Updated Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) 2025

The purpose of this Child Care Bulletin (CCB) is to inform all Child Care & Development Division contractors of the implementation of the new Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) 2025 as the official child assessment tool effective July 1, 2026. The transition to the DRDP 2025 tool aligns with California’s commitment to quality improvement and equitable outcomes in early education.

For any further questions or any additional guidance regarding the information in this letter, email CRRP@dss.ca.gov.

DSS Family Engagement and Empowerment Division Document Posted

ACL 25-91 (December 30, 2025)

Trial Transition of CalFresh Federal Quality Control Active Case Reviews To CDSS

DSS Office of Equity Division Document Posted

ACL 25-87 (December 22, 2025)

Documentation of Reasonable Accommodation in the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS)

RELEASED December 23, 2025: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 24-04e: Notice of Rescission

Pending further review, CCB 24-04e has been rescinded and is no longer in effect. This change is effective immediately. 

PIN 25-07-CRP: 2025 Chaptered Legislation Affecting Children’s Residential Facilities and Homes: Summary and Implementation

CCLD has released a new Provider Information Notice (PIN), PIN 25-07-CRP: 2025 Chaptered Legislation Affecting Children’s Residential Facilities and Homes: Summary and Implementation

Primary Audience:

ALL CHILDREN’S RESIDENTIAL LICENSEES

ALL FOSTER FAMILY AGENCY APPROVED HOMES

ALL CHILDREN’S RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM STAFF

Summary:

PIN 25-07-CRP provides implementation information and a summary of legislation chaptered in 2025 affecting licensed Children’s Residential Facilities. The PIN also notes when the statutes referenced become operative.

An electronic copy of PIN 25-07-CRP: 2025 Chaptered Legislation Affecting Children’s Residential Facilities and Homes: Summary and Implementation is available for viewing/downloading by clicking on the following link:

PIN 25-07-CRP: 2025 Chaptered Legislation Affecting Children’s Residential Facilities and Homes: Summary and Implementation

Notice of the Payment Integrity and Information Act of 2019 Review Cycle

In accordance with the Payment Integrity and Information Act of 2019 (PIIA), the Child Care and Development Division – Program Integrity and Improvement (PII) Section is conducting its triennial review to assess the risk of improper payments within our programs. This year marks California’s third year in the review cycle.

As part of this effort:

• A total of 276 files will be reviewed statewide, selected via randomized methodology.
• Through the PIIA the state is required to measure, calculate, and report improper payments, and will identify strategies for reducing future improper payments.

What Does this Mean for Contractors?

Beginning in December 2025, the PII staff will contact contractors who have family data files that were randomly selected for the sample pull for the PIIA review. Contractors will receive a phone call and an e-mail that will provide information to identify the selected family/child file(s), the applicable review month(s) and whether the review of the family data file will be conducted on-site or remotely.

The PIIA review of the family data files may be completed on-site or remotely. Contractors will be asked to make all selected family data files and associated supporting documentation available to the PII reviewers (a checklist will be provided that includes all the documents that will be reviewed). If the family data file is completed remotely the contractor will receive the same checklist, as well as directions on how to upload the requested documentation to a secure zip drive.

The process of reviewing family data files for the PIIA review will begin in January 2026.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this email, please contact PII Managers:

• Miguel Zuloaga by phone at 916-858-9623 or by email at Miguel.Zuloaga@dss.ca.gov 
• Vanessa Saunders by phone at 916-639-6445 or by email at Vanessa.Saunders@dss.ca.gov 
• Monica Escamilla by phone at 916-584-2346 or by email at Monica.Escamilla@dss.ca.gov

CCLD has released a new Provider Information Notice (PIN), PIN 25-19-CCLD: Estimated SSI/SSP Payment Standards Effective January 1, 2026

Primary Audience:

ALL RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY CARE PROVIDERS

Summary:

PIN 25-19-CCLD releases the updated estimated Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplementary Payment (SSP) payment standards effective January 1, 2026, for Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care (NMOHC) – Licensed Facility or Without In-Kind Room and Board.

An electronic copy of PIN 25-19-CCLD: Estimated SSI/SSP Payment Standards Effective January 1, is available for viewing/downloading by clicking on the following link:

PIN 25-19-CCLD: Estimated SSI/SSP Payment Standards Effective January 1, 2026

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, January 19 - January 23, 2026: 


Monday, January 19th:

• Martin Luther King Jr Day Observed 
  

Tuesday, January 20th:

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

Wednesday, January 21st:

• Coalition Opportunity to Come Together on Federal Regulations @ 1:00pm. Click here to register for the call.

Thursday, January 22nd:

• CCDD Monthly Contractor Meeting @ 10:00am. Register Here.

Friday, January 23rd:

• TFC Workgroup - Prospective pay, CalWORKs, and more Meeting at 1:00pm.
  

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.