Breaking Update: Tentative Senate Agreement to End Federal Shutdown Reached

Last night, a deal was negotiated by a group of Democrats and Republican leaders to fund the government through January 30. Senate Republican John Thune planned a test vote last night, and, according to insider sources, the agreement should have the 60 votes needed to pass in the Senate. From there, the agreement would need to pass the House of Representatives, who are still on recess, and then be signed by President Trump. This process would still take days before the government can re-open. Additionally, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that House Democrats would not support the agreement, which puts the onus on House Republicans to collect enough votes to pass the agreement.

The agreement contains a “minibus” — three full-year appropriations bills that will fund certain departments like Agriculture through the end of the fiscal year next fall — and a continuing resolution to fund the rest of the government at existing spending levels through Jan. 30. It would also fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through next September. According to sources, the deal also reverses Trump's "reduction in force" layoffs of federal workers during the shutdown.

A major change in the agreement from previous attempts is the removal of the extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Instead, Democrats were promised that the Senate will vote on a bill to extend the subsidies by the end of the second week of December.

California State Budget, Legislature & The Capitol

Partial SNAP Funding is Flowing to the States Despite Legal Battle Over Full Program Funds

On November 1, 2025, states were not able to make November payments to SNAP beneficiaries due to the federal shutdown. This is the first time in the program’s 60-year history that the federal government failed to make the food-assistance payments because of a pause in appropriations. 1 in 8 Americans use SNAP to buy groceries.

PARTIAL BENEFITS RESTORED - The Trump administration must tap the $5.5 billion contingency fund to partially fund SNAP benefits earlier last week after two separate court orders were issued. The U.S. District Court in Massachusetts found that the federal government is statutorily mandated to use previously appropriated SNAP contingency funds, which would force the government to pay partial benefits out of the $5.5 billion fund. The partial benefits, as the administration advised states to release earlier last week, are more complicated to administer than full funds and are expected to take more time to flow to recipients. That being said, according to Governor Newsom, some Californians saw CalFresh benefits loaded onto their card last week.

THE LEGAL BATTLE OVER FULL FUNDING - Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that the federal government is illegally withholding available funds for SNAP and must make these funds, which includes $23 billion from Section 32 funds, available to all states. However, the administration immediately asked the Supreme Court to intervene and block the order. On Friday night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused the ruling to fully fund SNAP. The Justice said the pause will remain in effect until 1st Circuit Court of Appeals issues a ruling. Meanwhile, some states already moved or attempted to issue full SNAP payments based on the Rhode Island judge’s order. The USDA issued guidance to states on Friday that those full payments were “unauthorized” and must be reversed, and threatened states with penalties for over-payments. If the government re-opens, full SNAP funding would be released to the states.



ADDITIONAL WIC FUNDING - The Trump administration transferred $450 million in tariff revenue to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, according to federal funding records. The shutdown has compromised benefits for nearly 7 million Americans on WIC. This infusion of funds will cover about 3 weeks worth of benefits according to the National WIC Association.

Special Election Update - Prop 50 Passes

Last Tuesday, 64% of California voters approved of the ballot measure to redraw the state's congressional map to favor Democrats in 5 districts. Proposition 50 authorizes the state to employ legislatively-drawn congressional maps beginning with the 2026 elections and continuing through the elections held after the 2030 census. It temporarily suspends the authority of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (which has drawn maps in past cycles) for these congressional elections, with the commission expected to resume map‐drawing duties after the next census. 

Charles Munger Jr., the lead funder of the ‘No’ on Prop. 50 campaign, said he was saddened by the outcome but would keep working toward independent redistricting nationwide. “I oppose partisan gerrymandering in any state, regardless of the party initiating it,” he said in a statement.

What's next? The 2026 and 2028 elections will occur with the redrawn congressional maps. Click here for an interactive map of the new districts.

Key affected districts

• California’s 1st Congressional District (Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R) would lose some of the most conservative northern counties (e.g., Modoc, Siskiyou, Shasta) and instead pick up more liberal-leaning areas in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties (including Santa Rosa).
• California’s 3rd Congressional District (Rep. Kevin Kiley, R) would be reshaped to include more of Sacramento County, shifting toward a more Democratic-leaning electorate.
• California’s 9th Congressional District (Rep. Josh Harder, D) would gain more Democratic-leaning East Bay cities, boosting the Democratic advantage.
• California’s 13th Congressional District (Rep. Adam Gray, D) would have its Republican lean decreased by several points (≈-5.5 pp) by adding more strongly Democratic Stockton-area voters
• California’s 48th Congressional District (Rep. Darrell Issa, R) would lose Republican-strong areas in Temecula/East San Diego County and gain more Democratic-leaning cities in Coachella Valley and north San Diego County (e.g., Palm Springs, Vista), meaning it becomes far less safe for a Republican hold.
• On the flip side, California’s 40th Congressional District (Rep. Young Kim, R) is actually redrawn to become more Republican-leaning by gaining more Riverside County/Orange County Republican areas, making it a safer seat for Republicans even as other seats shift.

Counties in green had a majority of "yes" votes for Prop 50, counties in red had a majority of "no" votes for Prop 50. Click here to view the interactive map on the Secretary of State's website.

Advocacy Day Planning Kickoff Meeting - Tuesday, November 20th 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. via Zoom

Click here to register for the kickoff planning meeting! We welcome all partners and people who are planning to support or attend advocacy day to attend this collaborative meeting.

February 4, 2026 7th Annual Hybrid "Lifting Up Families" Advocacy Day

Join us and our partners in family services, advocacy, business, and government on February 4, 2026 for the 7th annual "Lifting Up Families" Advocacy Day at the State Capitol and online! Click here to be directed to the 2026 advocacy day webpage for more information.

Interested in joining the advocacy day as a participant or sponsor? Email mckenzie@thrivingfamilies-ca.org.

Important Dates, Deadlines,

Hearings, and Bills

Dates & Deadlines:

• December 23-25, 2025 - Winter Holiday
• January 1, 2026 - Statutes take effect.
• January 5, 2026 - Legislature reconvenes.

The Legislature is on recess until January 5, 2026. This is a great time to schedule in-district meetings and site visits. Please let TFC staff know if you would like assistance with reaching out to your representative.

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.

Child Care News Around the Country

• Zohran Mamdani, who ran on universal child care, elected New York City mayor
• The Washington Post: D.C. set to become first city in the U.S. to implement local child tax credit
• As More States Expand Child Care Programs, This Is One to Watch
• The federal shutdown has forced some Head Start migrant childcare centers to close
• States are quietly cutting child care funding — and families are out of options
• (and the world) What America Can Learn From England’s Rocky Child Care Rollout

Did You Know?

Child Care Q&A's

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

Question: How quickly are child care providers reimbursed for services provided to families using a child care voucher?

Answer: According to WIC 10277(a)(1) based on CFR 45.98(m)(1), child care providers shall be paid within 21 calendar days of the submission of either a completed attendance record or invoice.

However, WIC 10277(a)(5) specifies that if a county or contractor is unable to issue reimbursement payments within 21 calendar days due to extenuating circumstances, the impacted provider shall be notified within a reasonable timeframe of the county or contractor becoming aware of the circumstance causing the delay of reimbursement payment. The contractor will then make the payment as soon as they are able.

Question: What are the requirements for a completed attendance record or invoice?

Answer: A complete attendance record or invoice includes the following, at a minimum:

1. The dates and actual times the child entered and left care each day. This information shall be documented on a daily basis.
2. The signature of the parent or guardian, the name of the child receiving services and signature of the child care provider attesting under penalty of perjury that the information included on the monthly attendance record or invoice is true and accurate.
3. A provider may submit a monthly attendance record or invoice without a parent’s signature when the parent has not communicated with the provider for seven consecutive days and the provisions of Abandonment of Care have been adhered to.

A contractor cannot process a reimbursement payment for services provided if the above requirements are not met.

Federal Update

Resources on the Federal Shutdown

On Wednesday, October 1, 2026, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a budget for Fiscal Year 2026 by the September 30 deadline. Visit TFC's website to learn more.

Latest Shutdown News from the Coalition on Human Needs:

Min. Leader Schumer announced a proposal from his caucus to combine a short term Continuing Resolution, the mini-bus package expected to include Agriculture, Military Construction/VA, and Legislative Branch full-year appropriations bills, with a 1-year extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credit, and a bipartisan committee to deal with longer-term ACA issues.

The Senate Republican caucus is scheduled to meet this afternoon. Most pundits were skeptical that they would simply agree to this. Leader Thune has talked about keeping the Senate in session this weekend, and negotiations are expected to continue through the weekend.

Head Start Update - First Five Years Fund

Since the November 1st funding deadline for Head Start has come and gone, programs in states across the country have had to close their doors leaving more than 9,000 children and families without access to the care, early learning, nutrition, and stability Head Start provides.

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

Federal Government Update 

Congress has made little progress in its efforts to reopen the government, despite the growing impacts across the country. More: Live updates: Flight cuts underway due to shutdown as transportation secretary warns impact could get much worse | CNN Politics

Breaking news (11/7): The scuttle over SNAP is far from over. A day after a federal judge blasted the Trump administration for politicizing the nation’s biggest anti-hunger program, DOJ lawyers are racing to block his order to pay full benefits, POLITICO reports. The DOJ attorneys claimed in their filing that the judge’s order “has thrust the Judiciary into the ongoing shutdown negotiations and may well have the effect of extending the lapse in appropriations, exacerbating the problem that the court was misguidedly trying to mitigate.”

Critically, the administration has continued to shift funding to keep the WIC program afloat, further demonstrating that the lack of funds for SNAP is intentional. More: Trump administration injects more temporary funding for child nutrition program | Reuters

Resource: SNAP Benefits Update: What Happens Next and Why the Timeline Varies by State - Food Research & Action Center

Additionally, Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs continue to close as programs run out of money. 

• Confirmed Closures of Head Start Programs Due to The Government Shutdown
• This list will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. Programs are fully or partially closed: Confirmed Closures.docx | Powered by Box
• Thousands of Children Locked Out of Head Start Classrooms as Federal Shutdown Drags On - NHSA
• See How the Government Shutdown Impacts Head Start By State - NHSA
• State Map & News Clips - Shutdown 2025: Impact On Head Start Programs - FFYF

⇒ Take Action: Tell Congress: Reopen the Government AND Protect People’s Health Care (NWLC)

As of Friday (11/7), it does not appear that Congress is close to coming to a deal to reopen the government. Not only does this impasse affect the operation of the federal government, but it is also delaying overdue agreement on FY26 appropriations. Federal ECE and other programs are currently operating on the FY24 budget. More: The federal government is still shut down. Here's what that means in your community : NPR

We urge Congress to adopt the Senate Democrats' version of the Continuing Resolution, which would lower health care costs by repealing the catastrophic Medicaid cuts and making the enhanced ACA premium tax credits permanent. Importantly, their 30-day continuing resolution includes safeguards to prevent Trump from illegally withholding federal funds from programs like Head Start. More: NWLC Action Fund Endorses Democrats’ Proposal to Fund the Government; Rejects Republicans’ Spending Bill

⇒ Take Action: Tell Congress: Reopen the Government AND Protect People’s Health Care (NWLC)

More on the impacts of the shutdown in item #2.

Protect Head Start & Early Head Start 

Head Start Litigation

Federal Court Halts Trump Administration’s Unlawful Attacks on Head Start Families: In a win for working families, a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction effectively blocking an exclusionary directive of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS), which sought to shut out immigrant families from participating in Head Start based on their immigration status for the first time in the program’s history since it was created in 1965. The ruling prevents the HHS directive from going into effect and enjoins the government from implementing or enforcing it against any Head Start agencies, program providers, student or family participants, or other similar persons. More: Federal Court Halts Trump Administration’s Unlawful Attacks on Head Start Families | American Civil Liberties Union 

Importantly, this emergency injunction applies to every state across the country.

We are still awaiting a ruling on the anti-DEIA executive order and RIFs/regional office closures.

• Head Start Funding: Supporting Early Education | Start Early
• Together for Head Start | Linktree
• Encourage your members to share their Head Start stories:
• A new confidential story portal is officially live:childcareforeveryfamily.org/HeadStart.
• You can find graphics to share HERE or share our posts from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,and BlueSky. 

Executive Actions

• Tracking the Harm of DOGE Cuts | CLASP
• Executive Action Watch | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• EducationCounsel - Executive Actions Chart.docx - Google Docs
• Executive Action Spotlight - Protecting Immigrant Families

Take Action

• Tell Congress: Reopen the Government AND Protect People’s Health Care (NWLC)
• 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"

What does the federal government shutdown mean for ECE?

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is warning that the ongoing federal government shutdown threatens to disrupt services for tens of thousands of children and families who rely on Head Start.

Due to the timing of federal grants, as of November 3rd, more than 8,000 children and families in 15 states and Puerto Rico are waking up unable to access critical Head Start services due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) warns that this number will likely grow with each passing day as the federal government remains shuttered. As of November 1st, 140 Head Start programs serving more than 65,000 children and families in 41 states and Puerto Rico have not received the federal grant funds necessary to operate. Among the states hit hardest by this Nov. 1 deadline: Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Ohio.

• Confirmed Closures of Head Start Programs Due to The Government Shutdown
• This list will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. Programs are fully or partially closed: Confirmed Closures.docx | Powered by Box
• Thousands of Children Locked Out of Head Start Classrooms as Federal Shutdown Drags On - NHSA
• Nearly 4,800 Homeless Children Will Lose Head Start on November 1 - SchoolHouse Connnection
• See How the Government Shutdown Impacts Head Start By State - NHSA
• State Map & News Clips - Shutdown 2025: Impact On Head Start Programs - FFYF

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

1.H.R.5371 [119th] Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026

2.H.R.1 [119th] One Big Beautiful Bill Act

3.S.3024 [119th] Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025

4.S.3012 [119th] Shutdown Fairness Act

5.H.R.372 [119th] Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act

6.S.499 [119th] Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2025

7.S.J.Res.88 [119th] A joint resolution terminating the national emergency declared to impose global tariffs.

8.H.R.1968 [119th] Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025

9.S.2882 [119th] Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026

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

CDSS & CDE Upcoming Events

Webinar Announcement: Eligibility, Notice of Action, and Need for Services

Attention: California State Preschool Programs Executive Directors, Program Directors, and Other Interested Parties

This email is to notify California State Preschool Programs (CSPP) contractors of two webinars that will be held by the Early Education Division, Program Quality Implementation Office and Eligibility and Support Services Office on November 14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon titled, “Eligibility and Notice of Action,” as well as 1 to 2:30 p.m. titled, “Need for Services.” Both webinars are intended for CSPP contractors that offer full-day/full-year CSPP services.

The first webinar, “Eligibility and Notice of Action,” on November 14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon, will provide an overview of determining family eligibility for services and Notices of Action requirements for CSPP.

The second webinar, “Need for Services,” on November 14, 2025, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., will provide an overview of family need criteria for services in CSPP.

Below is the log-in information you will need to participate in the webinar:

Zoom Webinar Registration Information

Please click the link below to register for each webinar:

Friday, November 14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon (Pacific Standard Time)

Eligibility and Notice of Action: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xoSDmtSLToujvR7AlTVtLQ

Friday, November 14, 2025, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)

Need for Services: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k0n1o5BESFu10J_-tuJSwQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. We look forward to your participation.

PIN 25-15-CCLD: GUARDIAN TRAINING WEBINAR FOR LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS

CCLD has released a new Provider Information Notice (PIN), PIN 25-15-CCLD: GUARDIAN TRAINING WEBINAR FOR LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS

Primary Audience:

ALL CCLD FACILITY LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS

Summary:

PIN 25-15-CCLD announces a Guardian webinar for all providers on November 19, 2025, from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

An electronic copy of PIN 25-15-CCLD: GUARDIAN TRAINING WEBINAR FOR LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS is available for viewing/downloading by clicking on the following link:

PIN 25-15-CCLD: GUARDIAN TRAINING WEBINAR FOR LICENSEES AND PROVIDERS

Previous PINs are available at the CCLD website.

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

Fiscal Year 2025–26 California State Preschool Contract Changes Letter

Attention: All Executive Directors, Program Directors of California State Preschool Programs and Other Interested Parties

The Early Education and Nutrition Fiscal Services (EENFS) Unit has posted the Fiscal Year 2025–26 California State Preschool Contract Changes letter.

Fiscal Year 2025–26 California State Preschool Contract Changes Letter

The 2025–26 California State Preschool Contract Changes letter can be found on the CDE EENFS web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/beginningyrlttr25.asp. This letter details information important to all California State Preschool Program contractors. Topics include:

• Budget Act amendments
• Cost of care plus rate allocations
• One-time stabilization payments
• Reporting prospective pay administrative costs and contract earnings calculation changes
• Reporting unearned prior year exceptional needs service-level exemption credit

If you have any questions regarding this correspondence, please contact your assigned EENFS Fiscal Analyst from the EENFS Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.

CCLD QUARTERLY FORMS UPDATE – OCTOBER 28, 2025

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 impact multiple Programs, as well as those specific to individual Programs: 

Forms impacting multiple Programs:

·       LIC 9214 (7/25): Application for Administrator Certification

·       LIC 300A (9/25): Confirmation of Removal – Exemption Needed

·       LIC 300B (9/25): Confirmation of Removal – Denial/Recission

RELEASED October 24, 2025: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-26: Cost of Care Plus Rate Payments to Child Care Centers Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 120 (Chapter 13, Statutes of 2025)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published the following document: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-26: Cost of Care Plus Rate Payments to Child Care Centers Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 120 (Chapter 13, Statutes of 2025)

The purpose of this CCB is to provide guidance to counties and child care and development contractors regarding the distribution of cost of care plus rate payments to child care centers pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 120 (Chapter 13, Statutes of 2025).

For questions regarding the information in this letter, please contact the Child Care and Policy Development Bureau at (916) 657-2144 or at CCPB@dss.ca.gov.

Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-21E: ERRATUM TO ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM ADMIN SUPPORT ALLOCATION

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently posted the following document on its Internet website: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-21E

The purpose of this erratum Child Care Bulletin is to revise communication to provide information to child care and development contractors regarding administrative allocations 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.

If you have questions or need additional guidance regarding the information in this letter, please contact the Child Development Fiscal Services inbox at childdevelopmentfiscal@dss.ca.gov

November 2025 Monday Morning Update Sponsor

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, November 10 - 14, 2025:

Monday, November 10th:

• TFC Rural Cooperative Meeting @ 2:00pm

Tuesday, November 11th:

• Veteran's Day- No Member Connections Call

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.