Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates $400 million of COVID-19 funds to aid day-care providers.

Highlights:

• Alleges the legislature intends to prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic before the enactment of the CARES Act, to allocate $42,014,000 of the CARES Act Child Care and Development Block Grant supplemental payment to fund reimbursement of the General Fund (Sec. 1.F.b).

• Appropriates up to $31,250,000 to support alternative payment programs, including migrant alternative payment programs, to reimburse providers with a one-time stipend as follows (Sec. 1-1.B):

• The State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, will determine a flat-rate stipend amount for all childcare providers based on the number of subsidized children enrolled and the average cost of care;

• The Superintendent of Public Instruction will allocate stipends to alternative payment programs for distribution to childcare providers according to a schedule to be provided by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and approved by the Department of Finance; and

• The administration fee charged by an alternative payment program distributing the stipends to childcare providers shall not exceed 5%.

• Requires a budget revision to be submitted by the State Department of Education to the Controller to move the appropriate funding amounts identified for CalWORKs Stage 1 providers to the State Department of Social Services for allocation (Sec. 1-1.E).

• Specifies all children who meet the need and eligibility requirements of the Education Code enrolled in childcare under Executive Order No. N–45–20, N–47–20, or N–66–20 will be the first priority for enrollment in alternative payment programs with available capacity (Sec. 1-4.f).

• Appropriates $244,000,000 to provide a flat-rate one-time stipend amount of $525 per child enrolled in subsidized childcare or a state preschool program (Sec. 3-1).

• Appropriates $80,000,000 in CRRSA funding to provide additional emergency vouchers for children of essential workers, at-risk children, and children with disabilities or special health care needs whose individualized education plan or individualized family service plans include early learning and care (Sec. 3-3.A)

• Classifies “at-risk children” as children identified as any of the following (Sec. 3.g):

• Those receiving child protective services;

• Those at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation;

• Those who are eligible through the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children;

• Those experiencing homelessness; and

• Domestic violence survivors.

• Appropriates up to $1,793,000 for state employee compensation related to State Bargaining Units in the 2020–21 fiscal year according to the following schedule (Sec. 5.b):

• $817,000 from the General Fund of Item 9800-001-0001;

• $654,000 from Item 9800-001-0494; and

• $322,000 from Item 9800-001-0988.

Full Bill Text