The good news is that State leaders have taken action in recent weeks to prevent a number of Governor Brown’s proposed cuts to children’s programs.

The California State Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, chaired by Concord’s Assemblymember Susan Bonilla, voted to reject the governor’s budget proposals to eliminate transitional kindergarten and to realign child care to the county welfare departments. These are positive first steps in addressing a number of the Governor’s proposals that would be devastating for low-income children and families.

But the Governor has also called for $517 million in cuts to child care, which would be achieved by changing eligibility guidelines and provider reimbursement rates for subsidized care as well as eliminating child care for 62,000 low–income children.

In a joint hearing on March 14, members of Assembly budget subcommittees on Education Finance and Health & Human Services opted not to take action on these proposed reductions to child care programs. These cuts were instead deferred until May, when a clearer picture of the state finances would be available.

How would these cuts affect Contra Costa families?

These cuts, if enacted, would harm thousands of low-income families and their child care providers.  In a new video, produced by First 5 Contra Costa in collaboration with the Contra Costa County Local Planning Council for Childcare and Development and Parent Voices, local parents and child care professionals share their stories about how devastating these cuts would be for children and our community.

View it here…then make your voices heard!

You can also find more information about the local impact of child care cuts at www.cocokids.org.