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.

Governor Releases 2024-25 May Revision

New trailer bill language has been posted. Click here to go to TFC's Budget Page.

Upcoming Budget Hearings:

• Wednesday, June 4, 2025 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 1 on Education Finance @ Upon Call of the Chair - 1021 O Street, Room 2100
• All Departments - Open Issues
• Wednesday, June 4, 2025 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services @ Upon Call of the Chair - 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• All Departments - Open Issues
• Thursday, June 5, 2025 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 1 on Education Finance @ Upon Call of the Chair - 1021 O Street, Room 2100
• All Departments - Open Issues
• Thursday, June 5, 2025 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services @ Upon Call of the Chair - 1021 O Street, Room 1200
• All Departments - Open Issues

LAO: The 2025‑26 Budget

Multiyear Budget Outlook

Last week, the Legislative Analyst’s Office released its multiyear budget outlook, shortly after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May revision. The nonpartisan office forecasts that deficits will continue — citing a structural imbalance between California’s revenues and expenditures.

California will face deficits between $10-$20 billion annually through the end of the decade, posing concerns for lawmakers both now and in the years ahead.

TFC's Featured Bill of the Week

AB 752 (Avila Farias) Child daycare facilities



Author: Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías 

Anamarie Ávila Farías proudly represents California’s 15th Assembly District, which includes parts of Contra Costa County and the East Bay. A lifelong public servant and advocate for working families, Ávila Farías brings decades of experience in affordable housing, economic development, and educational equity to her role in the State Assembly.



As the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States through the Bracero Program, Ávila Farías’s personal story reflects the resilience and contributions of immigrant communities. Raised by a single mother after her father’s passing, she overcame significant socioeconomic challenges, inspiring her lifelong commitment to addressing poverty and inequities. These experiences drive her dedication to policies that support housing security, workforce development, and family well-being.

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:

• June 2 - 6, 2025: Floor session only. No committees, other than the conference or rules committees, may meet for any purpose.
• June 6, 2025: Last day for each house to pass bills introduced in their house.
• June 9, 2025: Committee meetings may resume.

Upcoming Bill Hearings:

• Senate Human Services Committee - Monday, June 16, 2025 @ 3:00 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 Letters are due by noon on June 10th
• AB 904 (Aguiar Curry) Childcare services: workday
• AB 1528 (Committee on Human Services) Child care

For updated bill hearings and when letters are due, please visit TFC's State Legislation Page.

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.

• SCR-72 (Wahab) Childcare Awareness Month
• Would proclaim May 2025 as Childcare Awareness Month. Good data on the economic impact of child care was cited.



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

NEW RESOURCE POSTED: Head Start’s Footprint: A Focus on Rural Communities, Children with Disabilities and Vital Health Services

New Blog: The Caregivers Who Hold It All Together—and Why They Deserve More

"Think back to your childhood. Who helped shape those early years—maybe teaching you new words, guiding you through homework, or making sure you were safe and cared for? Whether it was a grandparent, auntie, abuela, or neighbor, many of us have had trusted caregivers beyond our parents who played a vital role in our growth. Yet, the conversation around family values often overlooks the unsung heroes who step in when parents can’t do it all.

Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers have been the backbone of child care for generations, quietly doing the work that keeps families afloat. Today, around half of all children in non-parental care are looked after by FFN caregivers. Yet, their contributions often go unnoticed. Their care provides more than just supervision; it shapes children’s early development, offering stability and love that is essential for growth...

...During the pandemic, as child care centers shuttered and costs soared, families turned to FFN care more than ever. These caregivers showed up—despite the risk to their health and the lack of recognition. Although their role is crucial to supporting families, FFN caregivers remain largely absent from the national child care conversation—and even more so from discussion about “family values.” This conversation rarely acknowledges the realities of working families, particularly single parents, low-income households, and those with non-traditional work hours— the very families FFN providers so often support when no other options exist."

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

Federal Government Update

House Republicans barely passed a massive bill last week containing much of President Trump’s domestic agenda after months of tense negotiations between feuding factions. Now it’s the Senate’s turn.

Republicans are rushing to pass the bill — which would cut taxes and spending, raise the debt limit and increase defense and border security funding — by July 4. The true deadline might be later this summer, when the federal government expects to exhaust its borrowing capacity.

But getting the bill through the Senate won’t be easy. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) can lose no more than three Republican votes because no Democrat is expected to support it — and more than three Republicans have voiced serious concerns with the bill.

Some of them have balked at the spending cuts the House included in its version. Others are pushing for much more aggressive cuts. Sen. Paul (R-KY) has vowed to oppose the bill unless Republicans strip out a provision to raise the debt limit by trillions of dollars.

House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) has pleaded for senators to revise the bill as little as possible, but Trump said Sunday that he expected the Senate to make “fairly significant” changes. Thune will need to rework it to reflect Senate Republicans’ concerns and include their priorities — without tearing it up so much that it can’t pass the House again once it clears the Senate.

Here are seven ways Republican senators are pressing to change the bill: 7 ways Senate Republicans are split over Trump’s ‘big bill’ - The Washington Post (gift link).

As a reminder, this bill includes the largest Medicaid and SNAP cuts ever, which will result in massive coverage losses. In addition to decimating state budgets, to name just a few aspects of this dangerous plan.

• NEW: State by State Data: House Republicans’ Extreme Budget Plan Fails Families, Children, and Communities | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

We need national, state and local partners to educate the Senate on what is in the House Bill and how it harms people and state budgets. As outlined below in the section on reconciliation, increasing the pressure on the GOP caucus divisions and slowing down this process is key to preserving funding for our priorities. 

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 to enact President Trump’s agenda, which affects mandatory spending (e.g., Medicaid, SSBG, TANF, and SNAP).

***

Escalating Attacks on Head Start & Early Head Start

Your advocacy is working, and we must remain vigilant.

As previously shared by Dr. Ruth Friedman, an author of the 2007 Head Start reauthorization and advised HHS on the 2016 overhaul of Head Start regulations:

Though the disastrous budget proposal has been withdrawn, the Trump administration has already taken steps to undercut the program and vigilance is critical. The administration first temporarily froze funding and then slow-walked routine funding to local programs, which has led to temporary closures and confusion around teacher layoffs. They also fired many federal staff administering the program and closed five regional federal offices. In March, the Trump administration told Head Start programs they couldn’t spend money on diversity, equity, and inclusion activities, even though this is in direct contradiction to federal law that requires Head Start programs to provide high-quality evidence-based programming to children with diverse backgrounds, provide inclusive and accessible services for children with disabilities, and consider diversity in the development of staff. The ACLU has filed litigation against the Trump administration arguing its actions reflect an illegal dismantling of the program. More: America Narrowly Escapes a Terrible Trump Head Start Policy Idea (for Now) - The Century Foundation

Now is the time to ensure that no further damage is done to this critical lifeline for nearly 800k children, their families, and communities. We must ensure that members of Congress demand that HHS deliver timely payments without additional burdens on grantees AND demand that the Trump Administration reinstate fired employees and reopen ACF regional offices.

⇒ Urge your members of Congress to fight for and prioritize funding for Head Start and demand that the Trump Administration reinstate fired employees and reopen ACF regional offices.

These attacks are also not a surprise - we’ve long known that there has been a decades-long campaign against Head Start, culminating in Project 2025, which the President has been implementing piece by piece. We cannot treat this fight as just another partisan battle but as the real threat to the existence of Head Start that it is. 

More:

• 5 Things To Know About Head Start - Center for American Progress (including map & district data)
• Head Start Fact Sheets - NHSA

Reconciliation/Budget Resolution 

What this means and why it matters:

• Using a special legislative process called reconciliation that requires only 50 votes in the Senate, Congressional Republicans plan to enact massive, long-term policy changes along party lines. Republican majorities in both chambers are planning to eliminate and cut funding to programs that families, children, and early educators rely on to pay for harsh immigration policies and tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. With less revenue available and cuts on the table, 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. 
• Why GOP Budget and Tax Proposals to “Help” Families Won’t Actually Help 
• Talking Points: Debunking Republican Leadership’s “Pro-Family” Tax Agenda
• We know that federal funding for programs serving our communities is woefully inadequate, and further cuts would be devastating. Additionally, we know that states will not be able to make up the difference without these federal funds.

What’s next:

• The House and Senate have different priorities and must resolve their differences before getting a bill signed into law. 
• GOP leaders have delayed a reckoning, but they have not avoided one. Resolving their budget disputes could prolong the next steps in the reconciliation process—and that could be a big problem for the entire enterprise.
• The passage of time alone does not guarantee a reconciliation push fails: it’s how people use that time.
• Bottom line: the longer Republicans in Congress take to move their reconciliation package, the more time there is to defeat it.
• 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)

⇒ Take Action: Tell the Senate: Prioritize Women and Families, Not Tax Breaks for Billionaires (NWLC)

Executive Actions

Late Friday, President Trump released his administration’s proposed budget for FY26, which includes flat funding for Head Start, meaning programs would be funded at the same level for the third straight year. The budget will go next to Congress for their consideration over the summer Budget in Brief documents and some Congressional Justifications available on agency websites.

HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2026/index.html 

Appendix: whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/appendix_fy2026.pdf

• Executive Action Watch | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• EducationCounsel - Executive Actions Chart.docx - Google Docs

Most Viewed Bills of the Week:

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

2.S.1046 [119th] No Tax On Overtime Act of 2025

3.S.129 [119th] No Tax on Tips Act

4.H.R.561 [119th] Overtime Pay Tax Relief Act of 2025

5.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.

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

7.S.146 [119th] TAKE IT DOWN Act

8.H.R.404 [119th] Hearing Protection Act

9.H.R.482 [119th] No Tax on Tips Act

10.H.R.22 [119th] SAVE Act

R&R Network and Thriving Families CA Foundation 2025 Hybrid Joint Conference - Call for Presentations NOW OPEN!

Call for Presentations NOW OPEN!

Submit a Workshop Proposal Today!

We invite you to submit a workshop proposal to this year's Hybrid Joint Conference. Please see the 2025 Call for Presentations Announcement  for more information.

Please share the below Call for Presentations links with others you feel could present workshops which would be of benefit to conference attendees.

Workshop proposals are due, Friday, June 13th.

2025 Conference

Save the Date and join your peers for an amazing 2025 Joint Conference! The California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and Thriving Families CA Foundation, are excited to announce that we will once again offer a joint conference in 2025 that has both an in-person and virtual option this Fall!

We are working with the Conference Committee to offer thoughtful, user-friendly options with keynote presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and connection time with vendors. For the in-person conference, we will once again be at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento. For those who prefer the conveniences that come with virtual attendance, we’ll have an option that is similar to the last five years. Regardless of the option that works best for your agency, we look forward to connecting, supporting and partnering with you!

Registration information, along with a preliminary conference program, will be released soon! At that time, online registration will be open, and attendees will be able to select from the in-person conference or the virtual conference. Those that register for the in-person option will also receive access to the virtual conference. The in-person option will be limited to 450. When registration opens, all agencies will have an opportunity to register a limited number of people by a specific deadline. If spaces remain after the deadline they will be made available to interested agencies.  



Visit the Conference Webpage for more information as it becomes available.

Upcoming CDSS Events

SAVE THE DATE: Equity-Centered Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Advisory Panel

The California Department of Social Services is pleased to announce the sixth convening of the Equity-Centered QRIS Advisory Panel. The sixth Panel meeting will be June 17, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. All meetings are open to the public so that community members can participate and share advice and ideas. The meetings will include interpretation and translation in Spanish, Chinese and American Sign Language, and additional interpretation support will be added to later meetings if needed.

Please save the following details for the next meeting:

• June 17, 2025
• 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Zoom Registration

CDSS & CDE Information & Updates

RELEASED May 29, 2025: CCB 25-13: Guidance for Implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 393 for Dual Language Learners

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published the following document on its Internet website: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-13: Guidance for Implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 393 for Dual Language Learners

The purpose of this Child Care Bulletin (CCB) is to provide guidance and support to contractors regarding the implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 393 (Chapter 435, Statutes of 2023). AB 393 was codified in Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 10209.6 and requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to create procedures for contractors to identify and report data on children who are Dual Language Learners (DLL) enrolled in center-based General Child Care and Development Programs (CCTR) and center-based Migrant General Child Care and Development Programs (CMIG) administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

RELEASED May 23, 2025: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-08: Child Care for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWorks) Family Reunification Participants

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published the following document on its Internet website: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-08: Child Care for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (Calworks) Family Reunification Participants.

The purpose of this Child Care Bulletin (CCB) is to provide guidance to County Health and Human Services Agencies (HHSAs) and Child Care and Development contractors administering the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stages One, Two, and Three Child Care Programs for families receiving CalWORKs Family Reunification (FR) services pursuant to Assembly Bill 135 (Chapter 85, Statutes of 2021).

RELEASED May 21, 2025: Child Care Bulletin (CCB) 25-07 Travel And Mileage Reimbursement Guidance 

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care and Development Division (CCDD) has recently published the following document: Child Care Bulletin (CCB): 25-07 Travel And Mileage Reimbursement Guidance. 

The purpose of this Child Care Bulletin is to provide child care and development contractors with updated information regarding elimination of travel prohibitions for state-funded and state-sponsored travel, travel and per diem rates, out-of-state travel approval, and updated mileage reimbursement rates. 

If you have any questions or need additional guidance regarding the information in this letter, please contact your Program Quality and Improvement Consultant. You can find their contact information on the Child Care and Development Contacts webpage. 

Management Bulletin 25-03 and Frequently Asked Questions: Serving Two-Year-Old Children in California State Preschool Programs

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) 25-03 and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to serving two-year-old children in California State Preschool Program (CSPP). Senate Bill (SB) 163 was signed by the Governor on July 2, 2024, and it allows, but does not require, CSPP contractors to enroll two-year-old children through June 30, 2027. With this, statute specifies that two-year-old children that are enrolled prior to June 30, 2027, may continue to be served in the program. This MB supersedes all email directives previously sent by the CDE on this topic.

The guidance found in this MB and the FAQs cover examples of age categories and definitions, eligibility, priority, ratio requirements for programs that choose to serve two-year-old children, diapering and toileting practices for serving young children in CSPP, licensing requirements, assessment requirements, and resources for contractors.

MB 25-03 can be accessed on the CDE MB 25-03 web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2503.asp.

The CDE Serving Two-Year-Old Children in CSPP FAQ web page can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/serving2yofaqs.asp.

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, June 2- June 6, 2025:

Tuesday, June 3rd:

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

Wednesday, June 4th:

• TFC Public Policy Meeting @ 2:00pm.

Friday, June 6th:

• TFC CalWORKs Consolidation Workgroup @ 1:00pm.

Thriving Families California 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. 

On May 10th, the Family Resource Center (San Joaquin County) hosted a special celebration in honor of Child Care Provider Appreciation Day at the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Manteca, CA. Over 100 local Child Care Providers attended the event which included an appreciation breakfast, networking, resources on self-care, child development, and giveaways. The keynote speaker for the day's event was, Sonia Manzano (15-time Emmy-Award winning actress and television writer who played "Maria" on "Sesame Street"). Ms. Manzano shared with the Providers the importance of the early childhood education field and shared her personal journey: "From the South Bronx to Sesame Street: A Story of Inclusion & Belonging." Child Care Providers received a signed copy of her Ms. Manzano's children's book, "No Dogs Allowed" as a keepsake of the day. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors added to the joyous occasion by reading a proclamation-"encouraging all San Joaquin County residents to recognize Child Care Providers throughout the County for their dedication to providing quality care and learning services, and for the important role they play in our children's future."

To view more pictures of the celebration, visit the Family Resource Center's Facebook page.