 At First 5 LA we believe in the importance of preschool, and its role in preparing children to be ready for Kindergarten, and the rest of their school careers. That is why were pleased to see two bills currently under consideration in the State Legislature that would, if passed, improve preschool quality and streamline currently existing programs.
Below are the bills summaries: SB 1629 (Steinberg), the Early Learning Quality Improvement Act
This bill will establish the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Commission to develop a framework for improving the quality of preschool programs. This includes a quality rating system to help parents make informed decisions about programs for their children, and a graduated funding model to help existing and future preschool programs reach and maintain higher levels of quality.
The commission would be required to develop the policy and plan for an Early Learning Quality Improvement System and submit a report on its recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor by December 31, 2009. No general fund dollars will be used to fund the Commission, which shall apply to First 5 to fund its work. AB 2759 (Jones), the California State Preschool Program Act of 2008
This bill would consolidate all the current state preschool, prekindergarten family literacy and general child care and development programs serving preschool-aged children, to create the California State Preschool Program. It would be the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation and would streamline the administration of our state preschool programs and help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of program administration.
Currently SB 1629 is in the Senate, and AB 2759 is in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Last week, SB 1629 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee. We encourage all First 5 LA stakeholders to follow these important bills, as they could change how First 5 LA programs deliver services in years to come. ‹‹Back to this week's Monday Morning Report |
