SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — All low-income 4-year-olds in California will be guaranteed access to high quality preschool under the budget signed by Governor Brown with legislative leaders Friday morning in San Diego. The expansion and improvement of pre-Kindergarten opportunities, championed by State Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, the state’s Senate Democratic Caucus, and the state’s bi-cameral Legislative Women’s Caucus, received plaudits from the state’s Congressional Delegation as California delivers on President Obama’s call to bridge the achievement gap that forms before children enter Kindergarten.
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“California’s commitment to working families continues to set an example for the rest of the country,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “I’m proud the state budget invests in early childhood education, which is essential to ensuring a bright future for our children and unleashing the power of women. As California makes progress, House Democrats in Washington are also fighting for access to quality, affordable child care with an economic agenda for women and families, ‘When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.’”
California’s budget will provide all low-income 4-year-olds with the building blocks critical to success in school and later in life. The gold-standard study by Economics Nobel Laureate, Professor James Heckman showed that every dollar invested in high-quality early education generated seven dollars in returns, in the form of lower grade retention, lower crime rates, and higher lifetime earnings.
“California’s budget agreement to add resources for quality preschool is a critical step forward in improving children’s lives now and long into the future,” said Congressman George Miller (CA-11), the Senior Democratic member serving on the House’s Education and the Workforce Standing Committee. “State legislators’ wise decision to invest in early education in order to improve quality, access, and related infrastructure will pay huge dividends for California.”
Starting in the 2014-15 budget year with a $264 million investment, California will eventually offer 234,000 low-income 4-year-olds access to high-quality pre-kindergarten at full implementation in future years, representing nearly half of all 4-year-olds in the state. Those 4-year-old children with at least one working parent from low-income families will be eligible for full-day pre-kindergarten and 77,000 are expected to take advantage of that full-day opportunity. California’s budget will also fund improved quality in the state’s early childhood education programs.
As home to one in eight of the nation’s children, California’s education system has an acute impact on the nation’s future economy. California’s Congressional Delegation offered their support for the budget action on Early Childhood Education.
“I applaud Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Governor Brown for their leadership in passing a Budget that expands early-learning opportunities for low-income children in California. Funding early education is an important opportunity we can give children and a priority for the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. Once fully implemented, this landmark accomplishment will offer 234,000 low-income 4-year-olds, which is nearly half of all 4-year-olds in California, access to high-quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunities. The studies are clear—high-quality early education programs increase high school graduation rates and college attendance, and also decrease crime. This initiative will build a stronger economy and middle class to help America compete in a global market, and give all Americans a better opportunity to succeed in life. Your efforts have ensured that early education remains a priority in California for many years to come.” -Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation
“Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders; as a nation we have a responsibility to provide every child with a high-quality education that enables them to achieve their goals. I am so pleased that the State of California has increased its commitment to early education and development, which is integral to every child having the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. As a former school board member and Chair of the California State Assembly Committee on Education, I will continue to work in the United States Congress to support early childhood education, including programs like Head Start and Early Head Start.”
-Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26)
“In fundamental ways, the potential of our society is linked directly to the educational efforts geared at the early childhood experiences of each individual. With this landmark budget agreement, we make a unified commitment to fill the first five years of every child’s life with learning, enrichment, and imagination. There is no greater investment than the one we make in our children, and no resource more precious than the promise we see in them. I applaud the California legislature for taking this important step toward ensuring that every child has a strong foundation of early learning, upon which an engaged, successful, and happy life can be built.” -Congressman John Garamendi (CA-3)
“I applaud the work of the California Legislature, Senate President Pro Tempore Steinberg, and Governor Brown for continuing the work of ensuring that each and every child has access to a high-quality, early childhood education. The Equity and Excellence Commission, which I helped form, found that Universal prekindergarten is one of the essential components in developing an equitable and excellent education system for all. Ensuring that all children have access to education shows that the State of California is committed to addressing systemic inequities, investing in our future, and ensuring that every child has the chance to be safe, secure, and successful in life. Education is the current generation’s investment in future success.” -Congressman Mike Honda (CA-17)
“This is one of the most important education reforms California could implement, and as its major advocate, it is only fitting and appropriate that it should happen under Sen. Steinberg’s leadership. His legacy will be generations of children that will be better ready for every step of their educational future and better able to lead California into the future.” -Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
“As a mother of a young 5-year old, I understand the importance of investing in early childhood education. The academic achievement gap starts at a very young age and having a preschool system that is inclusive of all 4-year olds, regardless of their families financial status, is crucial for our students’ long-term educational success. Furthermore, these funds assure agencies will continue to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs geared towards children from low-income and immigrant families, such as the Early Start and Head Start programs. When I was a child, Head Start helped me start school at the same educational level as my peers, even though I was raised speaking a different language and of a modest background. This agreement helps support these types of programs so that they have teachers with high qualifications, small classes, and strong family engagement programs. I commend leaders of the Legislature for taking our shared commitment of improving early childhood education and turning it into action.” -Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-38)
“Early childhood education is the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and it should be available to anyone regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make. I applaud Governor Brown and the California legislature for making pre-kindergarten education a top priority, and for expanding greater educational opportunities to children across our state.” -Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-5)
“Pleased to see Governor Jerry Brown sign a budget that includes funding and a long-term commitment to providing pre-Kindergarten opportunities for all low-income 4-year-olds in California. The children of my district, and across California, will finally have access to the quality early education they deserve, regardless of their family’s income. This action will give parents the confidence to head to work, without reservations, knowing that their children will be receiving quality care that will contribute to all aspects of their development and prepare them for future academic success.” -Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51)
In his State of the Union address of January this year, President Obama said, “Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old. As a parent as well as a President, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, thirty states have raised pre-k funding on their own. They know we can’t wait.”
The budget includes four complementary components that strengthen existing infrastructure and prepare California’s preschool system to provide access for all low-income 4-year-olds which, in combination, will eventually offer 234,000 low-income 4-year-olds access to high-quality pre-kindergarten at full implementation. They are:
1. Expanding California State Preschool (FY 14-15: $85 million in additional investment):
There are currently more than 102,000 4-year-olds from low-income families in California State Preschool. The budget commits to 43,000 full day new preschool opportunities for low-income children, phased in over multiple years. The commitment begins with a $70 million provision for 11,500 new, full-day and full-year preschool slots for low-income 4-year-olds from working families by the end of the budget year. An additional 31,500 positions will be budgeted in out-years to reach the agreement to provide pre-Kindergarten opportunities for all low-income 4-year-olds.
This expansion enables parents to work and know that their children are in quality care that contributes positively to all aspects of their development. The budget also repeals the existing fee for the part-day California State preschool program, saving those low-income families $15 million.
2. Improving Transitional Kindergarten (FY 14-15: within existing resources):
To utilize Transitional Kindergarten as an important source of pre-kindergarten opportunity for low-income 4-year olds, quality standards for Transitional Kindergarten (currently available to one quarter – or more than 86,000 – of the state’s 4-year-olds) will be enhanced to support developmentally appropriate instruction for 4-year-olds that is distinct from regular kindergarten.
These new quality standards include specific state guidance on curriculum (California Preschool Learning Foundations) and early childhood education credits and or work experience requirements for newly placed Transitional Kindergarten teachers, beginning in 2015-16. These newly-placed teachers will have until the 2020 school year to meet education and work experience requirements.
3. Enhancing Preschool Quality & Infrastructure (FY 14-15: $85 million):
The budget establishes an ongoing $50 million annual grant to support quality improvements in California State Preschool at the local level. This Early Learning Quality Rating and Improvement System block grant will support preschool providers that meet the high quality targets and provide incentives for those striving to meet them.
To build capacity and prepare preschool providers to deliver higher standard services, the budget includes $35 million in one-time funds for professional development, state preschool quality projects, and preschool facility loans.
4. Restoring Rates, Childcare and Early Start (FY14-15: $94 million):
The budget includes $69 million in increases to reimbursement rates for all early learning and childcare programs (ages 0-5), which will help raise preschool quality. The budget includes $17 million to restore 1,500 slots for other childcare programs.
The Budget Act appropriates $8 million this fiscal year to restore Early Start services to infants and toddlers with substantial disabilities back to pre-2009 budget cut levels, and removes onerous criteria that had to be met for infants and toddlers to qualify for services.
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Preceding provided by State Senator Darrell Steinberg