Save the Date for February 3!
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| Linda Olivenbaum |
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| Joyce Stone |
CAEYC is partnering with many of our sister/brother organizations to host an Early Learning Advocacy Day in Sacramento on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. The day’s event will include a keynote speaker, a panel to discuss current issues that affect our field, and team visits to the Capitol to help educate our local representatives on key policies to support children and families in California. Our partners include the California Child Development Administrators Association (CCDAA), the California Child Care Coordinators Association (CCCCA), Children Now, California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, California Head Start Association (CHSA), California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA), Early Edge, First 5 Association of California and the Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE). All of the partners will be collaborating on an issues paper to share with legislators and their staffs. This is an important opportunity for our entire field to come together with one voice!
Please watch for registration materials to come out shortly. If you have any questions, please email Joyce Stone at joycesto@gmail.com
Important Issues to Keep on Your “Radar”
Even though the California Legislature is only meeting in Special Sessions until the new legislative year begins on January 4th, there are two important policy issues to monitor.
The first pertains to the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) known as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). As the Child Care Law Center states on its website:
“The Child Care Development Fund is the primary source of federal funds for child care programs across the nation. Twenty percent (approximately $566 million) of California’s funding for state-subsidized child care comes from CCDF. In 2014, Congress reauthorized the fund for the first time since 1996. The new law contains additional safety and quality requirements, family-friendly eligibility policies and consumer information and education programs.”
On December 8 in Sacramento State Senator Holly Mitchell held an Informational Briefing on CCDF that addressed the new federal requirements, possible effects on existing child care programs and how California can best meet the new requirements.
CAEYC Public Policy Committee members have been involved in discussions that aim to unite the field on making recommendations for the State Plan that is being written that will describe how California will spend CCDF funds. The State Plan will be released soon and a public hearing will be held in Sacramento on January 12 at the California Department of Education offices. If you are not able to come to Sacramento that day, written testimony will be accepted; please email it to: statepln@cde.ca.gov
The second issue is the work of the Child Development Permit Advisory Panel convened by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This Panel is taking a thorough look at the current Child Development Permit and is discussing:
- Suggested changes and modifications to the current Child Development Permit Matrix
- Suggested changes to the required content and/or performance outcomes
- The Early Childhood Education Specialist Credential
You can see minutes of Panel meetings by clicking on here.
Contact Us!
If you have any questions about the work of the CAEYC Public Policy Committee you may contact Linda Olivenbaum, Chair or Joyce Stone, Co-Chair. We will work hard this year to let you know how you can participate in this important work. Our voices are crucial to making sure that the children and families in our communities receive the highest quality child development programs and other services they need. All of this begins with informed public policy decisions.