State Budget FY 2013-14

We were very happy to see that the Prop 30 Victory has created enough revenues to prevent proposed cuts to child care or other health and human services in the 2013-14 budget proposal!  However, we know that child care has lost $1 billion and 110,000 slots since 2008.  We must continue to fight to rebuild what was lost!

Two issues did come up in the budget regarding child care:

1) The Governor proposes to expand Medi-Cal to those making below $15, 415.  In doing so, should the state pay the costs to enroll the newly eligible, he would like to give the administration and funding of child care to counties.  We have strong concerns that 58 different counties administering and funding child care at their own discretion will have a negative impact on families ability to have equitable access to child care sevices.  Stakeholder groups are being convened to address the Medi-cal expansion and several child care advocates are included in those groups to share their concerns and not allow child care to be pit up against health care.  We want everyone to have access to quality child care and quality health care!

2) The Governor calls on a stakeholder group to be convened by the Department of Social Services to identify efficiencies and streamlining options to improve the child care delivery system.  Parent Voices has been invited to participate as stakeholders in this process.  We will use our February Knowledge is Power Budget Advocacy Trainings to illicit feedback and recommendations from parents about improvements and recommendations to the child care system that will be shared at these stakeholder meetings, with the Legislature, and with the Child Development Division at the Department of Education. 

Protecting Child Care Subsidies and Safety Net Programs in the State Budget

 State Budget FY 2012-13

What we lost:

• $130 million cut across the board eliminating 26,500 child care slots

What we won: 

• The January proposal included over $500 million in proposed cuts impacting 62,000 slots…..now it’s down to $130 million impacting 26,500 slots which means we protected 75% of the funding from being cut!
• The January proposal included a proposal to lower income eligibility guidelines to 200% of Federal Poverty Level….that was rejected and 15,700 parents can continue to seek economic security, keep their jobs, and keep their peace of mind knowing their children are safe and secure!!!
• The January proposal included reimbursement reductions to Title 5 child care centers (10%) and Voucher based programs (40th percentile of 2005 Market Rate)….that was rejected and will ensure that these programs can stay open, parents will not have to make up unaffordable co-payments, and jobs and businesses are preserved!!! 
• The January proposal included shifting control of child care administration from the Dept of Education to the Dept of Social Services County Welfare Offices and changed eligibility….that was rejected meaning we protected thousands of families who would have lost care for fear of going to the welfare office, and there wouldn’t be a system of 58 different child care systems that parents would have to navigate when they move from county to county!!! 

Parent Voices participated in 8 Budget hearings; at least 10 budget actions across the state; 3 Knowledge is Power Budget Advocacy Trainings; 750 participated in this year’s Stand for Children; collected 7,500 petition signatures and submitted them to the Governor, and members were featured in at least 30 media stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an extraordinary year of advocacy! 

Join a local Parent Voices Chapter near you to be part of this exciting work! CLICK HERE !

View our Advocacy Tool Kit! Use the Parent Script to make calls to your Legislator; Fill out a family budget profile and show the Legislature that without child care assistance you cannot make ends meet; decorate a doll with your children and on the back write how important child care is to you and your family; print a petition and ask others parents and community members to sign it;  or share the online version on facebook or other social media sites.  To find these tools in Spanish or Chinese click here.