State Budget Update: Legislators Reject Proposed Childcare Cuts

Both the Assembly and the Senate budget committees recently voted against eliminating CalWORKs, a welfare-to-work program that includes child care services for families in the program. The two committees also rejected the governor's proposal to eliminate state child care for low-income working families.

The two houses did diverge on some issues relative to child care. The Assembly voted down a number of the governor's proposed changes, such as reducing income eligibility limits for child care, reducing child care provider rates, and cutting CalWORKs Stage 3 child care. The Senate chose instead to send those proposals to conference committee. The Senate also voted to place a measure on the ballot to repeal Proposition 49, which increased the state earmark for afterschool programs.

Despite lawmakers' actions, many providers in L.A. County continue to worry about the fate of child care services in the state.

"In this volatile economic time, cutting programs which are helping families work toward a level of stability would be equal to cutting the lifeline of many families' futures," a child care professional wrote in response to the Monday Morning Report's last state budget update.

Despite legislators' rejection of the child care cuts, California still does not have a budget plan that will solve California's $19 billion deficit. Both the Senate and Assembly Democrats have already put forth their own respective budget proposals (see links listed below) which vary significantly. With a Budget Conference Committee still in the works, legislators are unlikely to meet next week's June 15 Constitutional deadline to pass a budget bill.

Suggested Reading:

• State Senate Revenue Plan
• State Assembly: California Jobs Budget Proposal
• California Budget Bites