2024-25 Public Policy Priorities

Public Policy Platform 2024-2025
Approved by Membership October 23, 2024 

EveryChild California supports subsidized early care and education programs for children from birth to age 12 and their families. We believe that all families need access to high-quality early care and education programs, regardless of income level, and that all providers need technical assistance and training to fully serve the diverse needs of children and families.

 EveryChild California’s priorities are based on sufficient FUNDING to pay providers for the true cost of care. Increase ACCESS to all eligible families. Support and uplift wages and training to the WORKFORCE and provide QUALITY services to families and children. California's economic success and viability rely upon a comprehensive early care and education system that includes a local, diverse delivery system.

• Support Full Parental Choice through a Mixed Delivery System for all Early Education providers
  • Eliminate the provision that blended subsidized and private pay families must be charged the same rate and eliminate the penalty if center-based programs charge less than the contracted rate for private pay families ^[1]
  • Support programs as they transition to serve younger age children and new applicants to serve infant/toddler care by funding spaces and expediting licensing
  • Provide unencumbered paid training days to contractors to meet their individual program needs
• Reduce Administrative and Regulatory Burden and Obstacles
  • Streamline administrative eligibility and fiscal reporting processes for families and programs and provide consistency for system and policy divisions for all programs
  • Streamline Community Care Licensing and reduce other barriers to adding additional spaces for eligible families
  • The Commission on Teacher Credentialing child development permits and credentials should match the needs of the language diversity and cultural identity of the workforce
•  Create a Workforce Pipeline Covering (Reflecting) the True Cost of Care
  • Provide real and sustainable living wages to the ECE workforce in parity with credentialed teachers, valuing lived experience, diversity, and the ongoing professional development required of the ECE Workforce.
  • Offer multiple on and off-ramps at all levels of the ECE career lattice to offer a fully actualized ECE career pathway.
  • The true cost of care in subsidy programs needs to be accurately reflected in the new reimbursement model, including the cost of doing business with the state of California and implementing the Building a Better Early Care and Education System Act
  • Explore partnerships with other organizations to further the organization's work

Questions: Contact Nina Buthee, Executive Director, EveryChild California, nina@everychildca.org