Early childcare and education.

Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law, the Early Education Act, among other things, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs, including, but not limited to, part-day and full-day developmentally and age-appropriate programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to coordinate with the State Department of Education and others to develop the state plan for purposes of the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) . Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, to implement a reimbursement system plan that establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates. Existing law requires the state and Child Care Providers United - California to establish a Joint Labor Management Committee to develop recommendations for a single reimbursement rate structure that addresses quality standards for equity and accessibility while supporting positive learning and developmental outcomes for children, as specified. Existing law also requires the department, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, to develop and conduct an alternative methodology, as specified, in order to set reimbursement rates for state-subsidized childcare and development services. This bill would, among other things, require the State Department of Social Services to, no later than May 15, 2024, report the status of the draft CCDF state plan to specified budget subcommittees and the Legislative Analyst's Office on the state's proposed single rate structure, and to, no later than July 1, 2024, submit the necessary information to support use of a single rate structure utilizing the alternative methodology to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families in the state plan or an amendment to the state plan. The bill would also require the department to provide the same budget subcommittees and the Legislative Analyst's Office with an outline of implementation components for the approved single rate structure within 60 days of federal approval of the single rate structure utilizing the alternative methodology in the state plan, and would require that single rate structure to apply to specified subsidized childcare and development programs under the department and state preschool programs under the State Department of Education. This bill would require, on or before March 1, 2024, a contractor operating a California state preschool program through a family childcare home education network and each county and contractor that reimburses childcare providers for the provision of state-funded subsidized childcare and development services to develop, implement, and publish a plan for timely payment to providers, as specified. This bill would allocate previously appropriated funds in the Budget Act of 2023 to the State Department of Social Services and State Department of Education to provide specified family childcare providers and childcare centers with a monthly cost of care plus rate commencing January 1, 2024, and through June 30, 2025, inclusive, and a flat-rate, one-time payment, as specified. Existing law previously appropriated funds for the establishment of the Joint Child Care Providers United - State of California Training Partnership Fund and to establish a health care benefits trust administered by Child Care Providers United - California, as specified. This bill would allocate additional funds for those purposes, as specified. The bill would also appropriate $100,0000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services for a one-time contribution to Child Care Providers United - California, or its designee, for the establishment of the Child Care Providers United - California Retirement Trust, and $80,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services for a lump-sum contribution to the trust for the purpose of providing retirement benefits to family childcare providers, and would allocate additional funds for that purpose, as provided. The bill would also approve the agreement dated June 30, 2023, entered into by the Governor and Child Care Providers United - California, in its sole capacity as the certified provider organization representing family childcare providers, as specified. This bill would provide that if specified provisions of the bill are in conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached between the Governor and a certified provider organization pursuant to a specified provision, the memorandum of understanding shall be controlling without further legislative action, except as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.