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

Nov 14, 2025 - Reduces Emergency Child Care Bridge Program Funding. The budget reduces funding for the Emergency Child Care Bridge program by $30  million non-Proposition  98 General Fund on an ongoing basis. This reduction was based on the administration ’s projections of the amount of funding necessary to meet demand for the program and is not intended to reduce access to services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5088

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

Jan 13, 2025 - As such, if the Legislature wishes to have substantively more reserves available when responding to downturns or other emergencies, we would recommend also changing the formulas that set aside funds each year to increase how much is saved.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

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

Apr 29, 2021 - Simila r to the CARES Act, the state can use these funds on emergency needs related to education. California received $154  million for statewide emergency needs under GEER. Any private school funds remaining after six months also may be used for statewide emergency needs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4419

The 2023-24 Budget: Transitional Kindergarten and State Preschool Proposals

Feb 14, 2023 - Note: Some school districts may allow younger students who do not meet the criteria above to enroll in transitional kindergarten. These students do not generate state funding until their fifth birthday and must turn five before the end of the school year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4682

The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2023 - In contrast, we do not view these items as baseline spending because they were not approved in any budget ‑related legislation. Consequently, we do not consider withdrawing the inflation set ‑aside or shifting back to lease revenue bonds from cash to be budget solutions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4662

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 28, 2025 - (AP agencies do not receive a similar COLA for CalWORKs child car e.) As part of the 2023 collectively bargained early education and parity agreement, the state did not apply the COLAs for 2023 ‑24 and 2024 ‑25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5024

The 2022-23 Budget: State Preschool

Feb 22, 2022 - Because non ‑LEA providers do not have these same advantages, we think it is likely that they will find serving a larger share of students with disabilities more challenging. This is particularly true of those that do not already operate Head Start.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4555

The 2023-24 Budget: Child Care Proposals

Feb 9, 2023 - Overall, we do not expect access to child care to be significantly impacted by the delay in the overall slot expansion plan given that providers likely will be able to serve additional families in 2023 ‑24 with current unfilled  slots.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4672

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

May 13, 2021 - Moreover, the PRRs do not target rate increases to specific age groups that might have the lowest rates relative to the RMR. (The RMR captures cost variation based on both region and a child ’s age using a survey of licensed child care providers.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4431

The 2021-22 Budget: Child Care Proposals

Feb 11, 2021 - In addition to providing nutrition support to child care providers, CACFP supports adult day care, emergency shelters, and after school care. The administration plans to “connect the existing CACFP with other nutrition and child care programs currently housed at DSS. ” However, it is unclear why these connections cannot be made within the current structure with CDE administering the program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4363