Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers Hear Urgent Calls to Fund Childcare Workforce, Expand LEAPS
Summary
State officials and providers pressed lawmakers at the joint human services budget hearing to increase funding for childcare workforce pay, expand LEAPS awards and fund substitute pools and capital grants to prevent program closures and fill tens of thousands of vacant childcare seats.
State officials, childcare providers and advocates told the joint legislative human services budget hearing that the governor's executive proposals include important new investments but fall short of what is needed to stabilize and expand the state's childcare system.
Speakers said the key gaps are workforce pay and capacity: providers cannot open classrooms without enough qualified staff and many family and center programs operate on thin margins. Assemblyman Hevesy and other legislators pressed officials about payment rates and the fate of hundreds of applicants who scored well in the LEAPS (Learning, Education and Afterschool Partnerships) competition but were not funded.
Department of Children and Family Services Commissioner Demia Harris Madden described the executive budget’s childcare items during opening testimony, including the capital grant program (which she said funded 5,500 seats…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
