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

Nov 14, 2025 - The remaining $45  million is to support the costs of administering monthly cost of care plus payments. Extends Reimbursement Flexibility Based on Maximum Certified Need for Voucher-Based Providers. The budget provides $88.6  million non-Proposition  98 General Fund to continue to pay voucher-based providers based on a child ’s maximum certified hours of care rather than on attendance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5088

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 28, 2025 - After applying the COLA, the administration projects that providers in three additional counties would be funded based on the SRR, resulting in a total of 45  counties funded based on the SRR. LAO Comments COLA Policy Effectively Prioritizes Rate Increases for Lower ‑Cost Counties.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5024

Overview of Federal Relief for K-12 Education and Child Care

Apr 29, 2021 - The flexible statewide ESSER funding was used to provide $112  million for higher reimbursement rates for some school meals, $45  million for a competitive grant to support implementation of the community schools model, $6  million for teacher professional development to address student learning loss, and $2  million for the California Department of Education (CDE) to administer the funds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4419