Impact of State Budget on Early Education
State preschool was cut by $15 million and the state's General Child Care budget was cut by $40 million. The federal stimulus law signed by President Obama in February, however, includes funds that may help offset some of the state's cuts to these early education programs. The federal stimulus bill also includes funding for Head Start and Early Head start programs. but the ecnonomy is so uncertain that employers may have trouble with enrollment as people in our communities lose their jobs and, therefore, their need for child care. If that happens, our employers may be forced to make staff cuts. Stay posted for more information.
According the California Budget Project, the budget agreement approved by the State Legislature on July 24, 2009, impacts Child Care and Development Programs in the following ways:
Eliminates the School Age Community Child Care (Latchkey) program, effective August 31, 2009.
Continues to reimburse child care providers up to the 85th percentile of the 2005 Regional Market Rate survey.
Maintains the current family fee schedule for child care assistance.
States that families receiving CalWORKs cash assistance cannot be charged a fee for child care assistance.
