Support of the Monday Morning Update | | For 2026 please consider a donation to help support delivery of the Monday Morning Update to your email every week by 5:30 am. Our distribution of this update is over 11,000 and growing. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. Thank you! | | May 2026 Featured Member Highlight
Stanislaus County Office of Education - Child & Family Services | | |
The Stanislaus County Office of Education’s (SCOE) Child & Family Services (CFS) Division was established with the mission to provide the foundational resources and services children ages 0-5 need to become lifelong learners. CFS advances that goal every day through comprehensive early childhood education programs, as well as initiatives that empower parents and the 1,200 education professionals with whom they work to maximize their ability to help the region’s children thrive in the classroom and community.
Get to know them and the full scope of their work and how they are supporting the needs of family child care providers and families in Stanislaus county.
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The Thriving Families CA (TFC) Foundation is dedicated to strengthening families via connections to child care and other essential services that are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving economic self-sufficiency. Our community-based programs and services are located in each of California’s 58 counties and are uniquely positioned to address the complex and evolving needs of underserved and marginalized populations. Every day, our membership verifies and provides subsidies for tens of thousands of impoverished working families to access child care needed to support employment and a robust workforce, as well as comprehensive wraparound supports—including food security, stable housing, transportation, mental health services, domestic violence intervention, home visiting, health care access, legal assistance, and immigration support. Learn more about our network of 70+ public and private community-based organizations here.
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Standing Firm for Families in Uncertain Times
By Denyne Micheletti, CEO of Thriving Families CA (TFC) Foundation
California’s child care system is at an inflection point—and it is not happening in isolation.
Just one year ago, the conversation at the State Capitol centered on expansion: building new slots, implementing historic investments, and stabilizing a long-strained workforce. Today, the focus has shifted. Discussions now center on unspent funds, delayed contracting, and the troubling reality that dollars intended for families are not consistently reaching them.
At the same time, uncertainty at the federal level is growing. Proposals under consideration could reshape funding streams, adjust eligibility frameworks, and introduce new constraints on safety net programs. While specifics continue to evolve, the direction is clear: instability at the federal level will ripple down to states, communities, and the families we serve.
For those of us working in child care, this moment demands clarity and resolve.
Families are not experiencing policy in the abstract. They are navigating daily realities—trying to get to work, maintain stable housing, and ensure their children are in safe, nurturing environments. Child care is not optional; it is foundational.
Yet today, we are seeing a widening gap between intention and delivery.
California has made significant investments in child care over the past five years. The commitment is real. But too often, the system delivering those resources is not operating with the speed or flexibility required. Funds remain idle due to contracting delays. Programs struggle to respond to real-time demand. Families remain on waiting lists while providers face increasing strain.
This is not a funding problem—it is a systems problem.
And it is precisely in moments like this—when uncertainty is high—that our commitment must be strongest.
Because the stakes are immediate and real.
When child care systems falter, families lose stability. Parents reduce work hours or leave jobs. Employers lose reliable workers. Providers—many operating small businesses—face financial strain. And children lose access to early environments critical to their development.
In short, when child care doesn’t work, California doesn’t work.
Federal uncertainty only heightens this urgency. Potential shifts in funding or policy could widen existing gaps and place even greater pressure on a system already struggling to deliver in real time. We cannot afford to be reactive. We must stay focused on what works.
And we know what works.
Community-based organizations are essential infrastructure. They connect families to care, support providers, and ensure that services reach those who need them. Flexibility matters. Stability matters. And neither can be compromised.
Most importantly, our commitment to families cannot fluctuate with political or fiscal uncertainty.
Across California, community-based contractors continue to show up every day—navigating complexity and doing everything possible to keep children in care and parents in the workforce. That work does not stop because funding is delayed or policies are unclear.
If anything, it becomes more critical.
This moment calls for resolve.
We must push for systems that function better—systems that move dollars efficiently, reflect how families actually use care, and align policy with practice. We must engage thoughtfully on federal proposals and advocate for approaches that protect families and providers.
But above all, we must remain grounded in our purpose.
Families are counting on us.
In times of uncertainty, the answer is not to pull back—it is to stand firm—committed to serving families, supporting providers, and ensuring that child care remains essential infrastructure for our communities, workforce, and economy.
Because even now, one thing remains clear: when we invest in families, we invest in California’s future.
| | California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol | |
Thank You to Our Generous 2024-25 Thriving Families CA Foundation Champions!
Thank you to the following Champions who stepped up in 2024-25, with funding to enhance our ability to serve the field. These agencies have made 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.
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