Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California Budget Spares Cuts To Early Childhood Programs
()
California's budget for the next fiscal year preserves many existing child care programs, but falls short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s aspirations to extend those services to thousands of new children.
Child care providers who serve low-income families were spared a 10% cut in their rates, proposed to help offset the state’s projected $54 billion budget deficit.
“That's a big win because providers have been out. They stayed open,” said Cristina Alvarado, executive director of Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles. “They have been providing the services.”
In mid-April more than half of licensed L.A. preschools and child care centers had closed, but most home providers remained open.
Support for LAist comes from
The state budget also includes:
- Funding through the end of September for essential workers who received subsidized child care during the pandemic. Newsom previously set aside $50 million for these workers.
- An outline of how to spend $350 million in federal aid for child care. About 40% of the money will reimburse the state for coronavirus-related expenses.
- $2.3 million to transfer child care programs to the state’s Department of Social Services. The creation of a new state agency to oversee child care programs was shelved.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District is voting on a budget that also maintains the early childhood programs that enrolled almost 22,000 kids last school year.
There’s about $100 million for a “primary promise” initiative, announced by Superintendent Austin Beutner on April 20, “to make sure every child has a foundation in literacy, math skills, and critical thinking before they finish elementary school.”
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist