Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2020-21 Budget for Early Childhood
He would create a new Department of Early Childhood Services that would consolidate and integrate the myriad existing programs and work in partnership with the Department of Education on the state’s preschool program.
Last year’s budget authorized a Master Plan for universal preschool and child care. The report is due 10/1/20. Question 1, what will the delivery systems look like? Roles of public schools, private non-profits, Head Starts, Centers, Family Home providers. Question 2, who pays for it and how is it financed, respective roles of taxes and user fees? Question 3, how will quality be assured/enhanced? Question 4, what will the reimbursement rates look like?
California already has universal coverage for maternity care and relatively good birth outcomes at least as compared to the rest of the nation. Nearly half of all births are paid by MediCal and this year’s budget proposes a MediCal Healthier California for All §1115 waiver to improve outcomes of coverage. $10 million for Surgeon General training programs on childhood traumas, ACEs (adverse childhood experiences).
Paid family leave benefits were increased from six to eight weeks in last year’s budget, effective July 1, 2020. The Governor’s goal is six months of paid family leave; it is unclear what in this year’s budget helps get us there.
Subsidized child care was increased in last year’s budget by 12,400 slots and $440 million. It appears that this year’s increase is $113 million, half through the General Fund and half through the Cannabis Fund.
Access to universal pre-school is the Governor’s goal; he proposes 10,000 new pre-school slots and a spending increase of $32 million.
Full day Kindergarten and Pre-school facilities received $400 million to construct new or retrofit existing facilities. $300 million remains unspent.
There is a $15 billion GO bond on the March 2020 ballot for construction of Public Pre-school, K-12 and College facilities.
Reducing childhood poverty. The legislature doubled the state’s earned income tax credit last year, improved grant levels and established supplemental student financial aid awards. This year’s budget adds $34 million in increased monthly pass through payments of child support (increased from $50 to $100 for a family with one child and $100 to $200 for families with two or more children).
$50 million was authorized last year for child savings accounts to help low-income students defray the tuition, room and board and books costs to attend college. The Administration wants to build on it.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 1/16/20