Bill Text: CA AB125 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 125 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Early childhood education: reimbursement rates.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-08-20 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB125 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB125-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 11, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 125

Introduced by Assembly Members McCarty, Berman, Bonta, Burke, Carrillo, Chiu, Friedman, Eduardo Garcia, Gonzalez, Limón, Reyes, Santiago, Ting, and Wicks
(Principal coauthors: Senators Dodd and Hill)

December 03, 2018

An act to add Section 8265.3 to the Education Code, relating to early childhood education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 125, as amended, McCarty. Early childhood education: reimbursement rates.

~~Existing law, the~~

The Child Care and Development Services Act, establishes a system of child care and development services for children up to 13 years of age, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to implement a plan establishing assigned reimbursement rates, per unit of average daily enrollment, to be paid by the state to provider agencies for the provision of those services.

This bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a single regionalized state reimbursement rate system for childcare, preschool, and early learning services that would achieve specified objectives. The bill would require the State Department of Education, on or before January 1, 2021, to create a plan for the single regionalized state reimbursement rate system for childcare, preschool, and early learning services, as provided. The bill would require the department to ensure that the plan’s methodology includes certain things, including that the state’s diverse early childhood education teachers and providers be competitively compensated.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:

(1) Research shows that access to quality early care and education programs is crucial to children, families, and the future success of the state.
(2) Early care and education programs provide young children with valuable early learning and child development experiences that prepare them for school and a successful future. With access to quality childcare and early learning, families can go to work and provide for their children’s needs, knowing that their children are safe, nurtured, and learning.
(b) In recognizing the benefits of quality early care and education to a child’s lifelong well-being and to the path of families to self-sufficiency, it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would build a strong foundation for our early care and education system so it can optimally serve the unique needs of California’s families and young children.

SEC. 2.

Section 8265.3 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8265.3.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a single regionalized state reimbursement rate system for childcare, preschool, and early learning services that would achieve all of the following:
(1) Compensate all teachers and providers for the true cost of providing care by reimbursing them at rates that reflect the economic diversity of California.
(2) Recognize the costs of meeting varying standards and regulations.
(3) Strengthen the ability of the state’s mixed delivery system to provide quality early learning options.
(b) On or before January 1, 2021, the department shall create a plan for the single regionalized state reimbursement rate system described in subdivision (a). The department shall ensure that the plan’s methodology includes all of the following:
(1) That the state’s diverse early childhood education teachers and providers will be competitively compensated.
(2) That quality will be incentivized by giving teachers, childcare providers, and early learning programs access to financial incentives to engage in continuing education, ongoing professional learning, quality improvement efforts, and the implementation of higher quality standards as a means of improving child outcomes.
(3) That policymakers will understand funding levels and the needs of parents, and that community members will understand the differences in program content and the costs associated with providing high-quality childcare, preschool, and early learning services.

SECTION 1.
(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a single regionalized state reimbursement rate system for childcare, preschool, and early learning services that would achieve all of the following:
~~(1)Compensate all teachers and providers for the true cost of providing care by reimbursing them at rates that reflect the economic diversity of California.~~
~~(2)Recognize the costs of meeting varying standards and regulations.~~
~~(3)Strengthen the ability of the state’s mixed delivery system to provide quality early learning options.~~
~~(b)It is the intent of the Legislature that the single regionalized state reimbursement rate system described in subdivision (a) would ensure all of the following:~~
~~(1)The state’s diverse early childhood education teachers and providers would be competitively compensated.~~
(2)Quality would be incentivized by giving teachers, childcare providers, and early learning programs access to financial incentives to engage in continuing education, ongoing professional learning, quality improvement efforts, and the implementation of higher quality standards as a means of improving child outcomes.
(3)Policymakers would understand funding levels and the needs of parents, and community members would understand the differences in program content and the costs associated with providing high-quality childcare, preschool, and early learning services.