Cradle-to-Career Grant Program.

Existing law requires the Department of Community Services and Development to, among other things, plan and evaluate strategies for overcoming poverty in the state, mobilize resources in support of antipoverty and community services programs, and administer public and private funds designed to support antipoverty programs that are not currently administered by other departments. This bill would require the department to establish and administer the Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Grant Program for the purpose of addressing child poverty and achievement gaps among California children of different races and socioeconomic statuses. Under the bill, C2C grants awarded would be available to community-level or regional networks, as specified. The bill would require the department to convene and facilitate a workgroup to establish common indicators and metrics, an application process, and additional requirements deemed appropriate to further the purposes of the program. The bill would create the Cradle-to-Career Grant Fund and would authorize the department to set aside no more than 6% of moneys in the fund to cover administrative costs. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that, subject to appropriations from the General Fund made in the annual Budget Act for the purposes of the program, those appropriations be made in the form of an installment of $30,000,000 per year for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years, to be allocated for planning and implementation grants, as specified. The bill would make C2C grant recipients who continue to meet the program requirements eligible for 2-year extensions, subject to approval by the department.