Even though they do not vote, the nearly 438,000 children living in Santa Clara County deserve elected officials who understand how funding and policy decisions impact their lives. Too often, children are lost in a long list of priorities. However, decisions made today about investing in children’s safety, health, education and economic security have long-term […]
Services to children and families are on the ballot this November. Measure A is an extension of a one-eighth cent sales tax passed by the voters in 2012. The measure needs a simple majority to pass approximately $50 million annually for County services including public safety, trauma and emergency care, affordable housing, supportive services for […]
With the elections coming up this November, it’s important to take a look at what’s on the ballot. What is Measure A? Measure A is an extension of an existing one-eighth cent sales tax passed by the voters in 2012. Measure A will secure approximately $50 million annually for County services including public safety, trauma […]
Earlier this week saw the release of the Getting Down To Facts II studies from Stanford University Graduate School of Education and Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). The full suite of 36 studies and accompanying policy briefs and resources are available here. It’s an enormous body of work that has been synthesized into six […]
The California Budget and Policy Center has released its latest child care and preschool fact sheet (here) with the headline that, adjusted for inflation, state spending on early care and education (ECE) programs are “near pre-recession levels with [a] boost from one time funding”. The fact sheet goes on to describe the history of the […]
August 31st represents the end of the legislative session, with bills that have not passed through both Houses of the State legislature either dead or moving on to the Governor’s desk for signature, veto, or to become law without signature. As you may recall from Schoolhouse Rock, it’s not easy for a bill to become […]
As we work to ensure that every child in Santa Clara County gets the strong start they deserve, it’s worth looking around at other early care and education initiatives across the country to see how other folks are doing it, and to remind ourselves that we are part of a movement. The recent release of […]
Santa Clara County Officeof Education (SCCOE) has just released its report of its study into the current state of early learning facilities in the county (here). The study found that there are nearly 32,000 children ages 0-5 years in Santa Clara County that are in need of, yet do not have access to, licensed, quality […]
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2018 Kids Count data book has just been released and continues to paint a concerning picture for California’s children – beginning with the foreword. In the run-up to the 2020 Census, the report lays out the challenges for the Census that result in significant undercounts of young children, particularly low-income […]
UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment released its 2018 Early Childhood Workforce Index last month and, like the inaugural 2016 edition, the story is grim. The ECE workforce, approximately 2 million strong, earns less than 2/3 of the median wage in every state – putting them in the category of “low […]