The California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAAEYC) promotes access, for all young children birth through age 8, to high-quality early care and education opportunities with:
- Highly skilled and qualified staff
- Developmentally and culturally appropriate practices
- Research-based dual language strategies
- Multicultural, anti-bias practices that value and support diversity
- High-quality special needs services
CAAEYC has created the following Public Policy Platform to guide our advocacy efforts:
Workforce: Recruitment, development, compensation of a highly skilled, professional workforce to advance excellence throughout the early care and education field
Quality: High-quality, developmentally and culturally appropriate early care and education programs for all young children, including children with special needs
Accessibility: Accessible high-quality early care and education programs for all young children and their families in urban, suburban, and rural communities
Affordability: Affordable high-quality early care and education programs for all young children and their families, including both low and middle income families
Collaborative Partnerships: Collaborations with other organizations, legislators, early care and education professionals, business and community leaders and individuals interested in promoting high-quality early care and education programs for all children and families
Public Policy Priorities 2019-2020
Posted: February 2, 2020
CAAEYC created the following Public Policy Priorities for 2019-2020 to guide our advocacy efforts:
Workforce: Recruitment and development of a highly skilled, professional workforce to advance excellence throughout the early care and education field
- Sufficient funding for increased professional development and higher education opportunities
- Credentialing standards for ECE educators
- Increased compensation for ECE professionals commensurate with education levels and longevity
- Outreach efforts to recruit new members to the field
Quality: High-quality, developmentally and culturally appropriate early care and education programs for all young children, including children with special needs
- Increased licensing visits and oversight with well-trained licensing analysts
- Expansion of high-quality initiatives for all ECE programs private and public
- Grant funding for facility improvements
Accessibility: Accessible high-quality early care and education programs for all young children and their families in urban, suburban and rural communities
- Income eligibility level for state funded programs increased to 100% of the SMI (for consistency of format)
- Sufficient funding to serve special needs populations in inclusive settings
- Sufficient funding for additional spaces for Alternative Payment and General Child Care (CCTR) programs
Affordability: Affordable high-quality early care and education programs for all young children and their families, including both low and middle income families
- Sufficient resources to allow all children and parents access to high-quality ECE options
- Expansion of state funded income eligibility requirement to allow more families access to subsidized care
Collaborative Partnerships: Collaborations with other organizations, legislators, early care and education professionals, business and community leaders and individuals interested in promoting high-quality early care and education programs for all children and families
- Support collective ECE advocacy efforts
- Support improved efficiencies among statewide/regional organizations
- Partner with both ECE and non-ECE organizations in promoting best practices for children and families in their communities
- Promote the economic benefits of high-quality ECE programs