Early care and education.
What changed between versions
The bill was expanded from a single-section intent statement to a multi-code amendment package covering the Education Code, Health and Safety Code, and Welfare and Institutions Code, making it a full early care and education reform measure.
Preschool program eligibility is extended to children of parents or guardians employed by a local educational agency, and full-day preschool eligibility is extended to children whose families are participating in a CalWORKs program activity.
Family fee exemption is changed from up to 12 months to up to one certification period, and the prohibition on requiring families to report income changes for 24 months now explicitly applies when a family member transfers between state preschool programs or when a child is voluntarily disenrolled.
The priority sequence for enrollment is revised to include children whose parent or guardian is employed by a local education agency, and residency-based enrollment for remaining spots is expanded to include families with a parent or guardian employed within the qualifying school district or public school attendance boundary.
The exemption from mandated reporter training for persons with limited English proficiency when training is not available in their primary language is deleted.
The definition of 'attendance' for reimbursement purposes is expanded to include excused absences for medical and educational appointments, and days a child is not in attendance during an expulsion or suspension appeal process.
The annual cost-of-living adjustment for state preschool programs and childcare and development programs is suspended for the 2026-27 fiscal year, except resource and referral programs and local planning councils which receive a 2.009% adjustment.
A portion of appropriated funds is allocated to the State Department of Education to provide a once-per-month, per-child-served cost of care plus rate for providers serving children in California state preschool programs, commencing July 1, 2026.
Beginning on or before July 1, 2027, the department may set aside up to 15% of funding associated with slot expansion awards for general childcare programs to fund minor repairs, infrastructure upgrades, and other readiness activities.
The department is authorized to transfer funding across and within specified childcare and development programs, including unallocated or unexpended funds, with criteria prioritizing maintenance within the same program type. The department must report transfers to legislative committees by October 1 of each year.
A new disaster-related infrastructure grant program is created to support childcare facilities impacted by state or federally declared disasters, with requirements for criteria development, grant amount determination, technical assistance, data reporting, and program evaluation.
$25,674,000 is appropriated from the Federal Trust Fund to the State Department of Social Services for disaster relief efforts related to disasters occurring in 2023 and 2024, available for encumbrance until September 30, 2029.
By no later than January 1, 2027, contractors must reimburse California state preschool program providers and subsidized childcare providers for the full amount of the certificate or voucher without deducting family fees, and must collect family fees separately.
Medication administration provisions in the Child Day Care Facilities Act are expanded from applying only to inhaled medication to all medications, and written instructions must now specifically contain the name of the medication.
The anaphylaxis policy that was previously optional for child daycare facilities is now mandatory. Facilities must comply with the policy established by the department.
The limit on temporary absences for family daycare home licensees is changed from 20% of daily care hours to 20% of monthly care hours, subject to waiver. Licensees must now ensure substitute adults have criminal record clearance, complete health and safety training, are immunized, and meet other department requirements before their initial presence.
Health and safety training (pediatric first aid, CPR, preventive health) is expanded from requiring only one director or teacher per facility to all staff who provide childcare, each family daycare home licensee, and each substitute adult. A new requirement of 12 hours of continuing education annually is added for those staff.
The 'disaster plan' requirement is renamed to 'emergency and disaster plan' with specified required components including evacuation procedures, contact information lists, and reunification procedures. Facilities must train staff on the plan, review it annually, maintain a daily roster of children, and have keys available for evacuation. Compliance required by January 1, 2027.
Beginning January 1, 2028 (or when SAWS automated changes occur, whichever is later), data available to local contractors on county-level SAWS databases must include the relationship between CalWORKs recipients and children, childcare license numbers, and whether recipients are receiving Medi-Cal or CalFresh benefits.
The department is authorized to waive any rules or regulations under the Child Day Care Facilities Act if the waiver is reasonable and necessary to carry out the act and is not detrimental to child health and safety.
Childcare contractors are required to terminate eligibility if there is substantiated evidence of fraud or program integrity violation that invalidates a certification. The department is authorized to enter agreements with county welfare departments for fraud investigation and enforcement, and to clarify processes for recovery of funds and sanctions.
The market rate survey frequency is changed from no more frequently than once every 2 years to every 3 years. An alternative methodology option is added that must be conducted no less than every 3 years and no sooner than 2 years before submission of the Child Care and Development Fund Plan.