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Advocates and providers press for state preschool contract changes, eligibility simplification and stable funding
Summary
Every Child California and provider groups urged consolidation of state preschool contracts, simplified eligibility priorities, permanent authority to serve two‑year‑olds in CSPP, enrollment‑based payment and other administrative fixes to preserve community‑based providers and expand access.
Witnesses and provider representatives described operational challenges facing the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and offered a set of recommendations to preserve community‑based capacity amid TK expansion.
Nina Boothie, executive director of Every Child California, told the committee that CSPP is currently limited to 2‑, 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds and that the provision to serve two‑year‑olds expires in 2027. She described CSPP as “the most age‑restrictive childcare contract in the nation” and argued that policy changes are needed so providers can compete for contracts and maintain fiscal viability.
Boothie and other witnesses proposed a set of administrative reforms: combine part‑day/part‑year and full‑day/full‑year CSPP contracts into a single preschool contract to reduce duplicative audits and reporting; allow full‑day contracts to wrap with TK so programs can offer extended‑day services; streamline the seven CSPP priority levels into a simpler order that matches CDSS voucher priorities (prioritize CPS‑at‑risk and set‑aside for children with disabilities, then treat income‑eligible 2‑, 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds equivalently); eliminate licensing fees for subsidized programs; permit family self‑attestation of income for eligibility; make the 2‑year‑old provision permanent; and allow CSPP contract funds to be used for stipends to recruit and retain teachers for two‑year‑old classrooms.
CDE, CDSS and LAO staff responded to technical questions about feasibility and historical reasons for priority levels, and LAO staff said consolidation has precedent in prior state reforms but that legislative and administrative work would be needed to implement changes.
Why it matters: CSPP contract structure, eligibility windows and funding rules determine which local providers can remain open and whether family‑based and community‑based programs can serve younger children and nontraditional hours. Several providers told the committee that without simpler contracts and enrollment‑based funding, some rural and smaller providers would be forced to close.
Ending: Committee members asked agencies to provide technical follow‑up on administrative pathways to consolidate contracts, the fiscal impacts of making the two‑year‑old provision permanent, and options for enrollment‑based payment language to protect fixed program costs.
