The 2025-26 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 28, 2025 - The specific rates providers receive in 2025 ‑ 26 —as well as the overall amount of funding needed to support these rates —will depend on the collective bargaining process, decisions regarding the alternative reimbursement rate structure, and actions by the Legislature.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5024

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Child Care and State Preschool

Nov 17, 2023 - Since 2021 ‑22, the state has added about 146,000 new slots, which more than doubled the number of subsidized child care slots in the state. As of April 2023, about 30  percent of the recently added slots have been filled.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4817

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Child Care and State Preschool

Nov 14, 2025 - Expands Rate Reform Reporting Requirements. Trailer legislation included in the 2024-25 budget package requires DSS to provide quarterly updates on progress toward implementing child care rate reform through January 2026.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5088

The 2023-24 Budget: Child Care Proposals

Feb 9, 2023 - The Governor’s proposal to delay the slot expansion plan by not adding additional child care slots in 2023‑24 would save $134 million General Fund. The proposed delay in the slot expansion plan seems reasonable given state’s budget problem.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4672

A Review of Child Care and Preschool Program Flexibilities in Certain Counties

May 13, 2021 - The policy also reduces administrative burden without adding cost pressure, as three-year olds enrolled in State Preschool are very likely to continue to be eligible as four-year olds. Generally, income eligible four-year olds receive priority enrollment in State Preschool.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4431

The 2024-25 Budget: State Preschool

Apr 16, 2024 - Concerns With CDE ’s New Rate Augmentation Authority. Typically, the Legislature sets rates and provides funding to implement these rates through the annual budget process. However, this fall, CDE used the recently granted authority to redirect excess funds that were set aside for a different purpose, without explicit legislative input or oversight.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4894

The 2022-23 Budget: State Preschool

Feb 22, 2022 - Moreover, the Governor ’s proposal is not clear on whether two ‑year olds enrolled in State Preschool would be funded at the same rate as three ‑ and four ‑year olds, or if they would be funded at the higher rate for toddlers that is used in General Child Care.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4555

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - The reason for the reduction is the recent voter approval of Proposition  35 (2024), which requires the state to spend less MCO tax money on offsetting General Fund spending and more money on provider rate increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Child Care and Preschool

Oct 27, 2022 - These increased rates are provided through adjustment factors applied to the rate the provider would typically receive. For example, an adjustment factor of 1.8 reimburses providers at 1.8 times the rate for four-year olds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4643

The 2021-22 Budget: Transitional Kindergarten Expansion Package

Feb 5, 2021 - Selected school districts would then receive funding for the year ‑over ‑year increase in TK students served in the 2022 ‑23 school year, and would receive per ‑pupil grants equivalent to half of the LCFF rate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4350