Public Policy Updates

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Juliet Zemaitis

Public Policy Updates

The Public Policy Committee is very pleased to announce that Brittany Samayoa, Sara Gassner-Wollwage, and Nell Redaniel have joined our committee. They were selected from more than 25 applications received during the open application period.

Think forward, think public policy.

We would like to introduce to you our dynamic Public Policy Committee made up of members, who push forward policies that benefit the field, young children and their families.

Chair: Juliet Zemaitis
Vice Chair: Jennifer Escamilla
Past Chair: James Moses
Legislative Action Workgroup Co-Chairs: Joyce Robinson and Brittany Samayoa
Policy Linkages and Professional Development Workgroup: Jan Fish and Sara Gassner-Wollwage
Communication and Outreach Workgroup: Juana Armenta and Nell Redaniel

If you have any questions or you would like to find out how to get involved, please contact any member of the Public Policy Committee or email us at publicpolicy@caeyc.org.

Together we can move our field and services to children and families forward.

The CAAEYC Public Policy Committee (PPC) has been hard at work since our last eConnections article. In the midst of all this work, we have undergone a significant transition where we said goodbye to three of our PPC members who have served us well for many years. Thank you to Fran Chasen, Linda Olivenbaum and Leah Catching. We are so appreciative of all the time and energy they provided to our Committee and in service of children, families and early childhood providers in the state of California. Effective July 1, 2023, we welcomed three new members (Nell Redaniel, Brittany Samayoa, and Sara Gassner-Wollwage), who are already having a positive impact on our Committee. Much of our focus since January has been on budget issues. We have also followed legislation and supported some important pieces that were ultimately included in the 2023-24 budget.

The Early Childcare and Education Trailer Bills have been signed by the Governor. The work of early childhood advocates, including your CAAEYC Public Policy Committee secured major investments that will benefit early childhood providers, children, families and our communities.

The Early Childcare and Education Trailer Bills contain the following provisions:

Change in the Definition for Part-Time and Full-Time Care

  • Effective no later than March 1, 2024, part-time means services certified for a child for fewer than 25 hours per week.
  • Effective no later than March 1, 2024, full-time means services certified for a child for 25 or more hours per week.

Hold Harmless Provisions

  • Starting July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, contract reimbursement shall be based on the lesser of either of the following:
    • One hundred percent of the contract maximum reimbursable amount.
    • Net reimbursable program costs.
  • Providers shall be paid based on the maximum certified hours of care for families regardless of attendance.

Cost of Care Plus Rate
Starting January 1, 2024, ending June 30, 2025, programs shall receive a monthly cost of care plus rate for all children enrolled in subsidized childcare and state preschool programs.

  • The per-child rate is separated by regions, with different rates applied to Central, Southern, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area regions. The add-on rates range from $98 to $211, depending on the provider type and region in which a provider is located.
  • There is a 10% administrative percentage to facilitate the processing of these payments for APPs and FCCHENs.

One-Time Stipend
A one-time-only stipend will be issued to all providers, ranging from $500 to $3,000 based on provider type. Payment will be issued no later than November 30, 2023. There is a 5% administrative percentage to facilitate the processing of these one-time-only stipends for APPs and FCCHENs.

Single Child Care System Rate
Gives authority to CDE and CDSS to develop a single reimbursement rate structure based on cost of care for subsidized childcare programs no later than July 1, 2024.

Most of the legislative bills we have been following have been turned into two-year bills or repurposed for other issues critical to early childhood programs and the children and families they serve. To see the most up to date information related to the bills we are following, please click here.