Overwhelming research shows that early brain development in young children is critical to their overall well-being and prospects in life. Unfortunately, too many California children enter kindergarten unprepared for school and never catch up.
That’s why my Pre-K for All Legislative Package would ensure that the thousands of 3 and 4-year-olds have access to a quality education.
The Pre-K for All Legislative Package would build upon the existing California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and proposes to:
1) Implement targeted universal preschool
2) Create new preschool facilities
3) Address reimbursement rate reform across early childhood education (ECE) programs
AB 123: Pre-K for All: Targeted Universal Access
Expands on the existing California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and:
- Offer Targeted Universal Pre-K for 4-year-olds that reside in school attendance areas where 70% of children enroll in free and reduced-priced lunch programs.
- Offer an additional year of preschool for 3-year old children living in poverty.
- Improve quality standards with evidenced-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that is aligned to K-12 standards.
The Preschool Facilities Bond would:
- Place a $500M bond on the 2020 ballot for acquisition, construction, or retrofit of surplus classrooms.
- Provide funds to local educational agencies and community benefit organizations that hold CSPP contracts.
AB 125: Reimbursement Rate Reform
The Reimbursement Rate Reform will:
- Simplify reimbursement rates by managing the mixed-delivery system as a single, regionalized rate system for all early learning services.
- Increase rates to competitively compensate teachers and providers based on quality standards.
- Provides financial incentives for ongoing professional development and rewarding higher quality standards of care.
“Preschool is a proven difference maker—breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty, addressing our education achievement gap and keeping kids out of our juvenile justice system” says Assemblymember McCarty. “If red states like Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma can offer Universal Preschool and Pre-K for All, California can join in the effort”.
Fact Sheets:
AB 124 - Pre-School Facilities Bond Act of 2020
AB 125 - Early Childhood Education: Reimbursement Rates
