A Message from Tammi Happy New DECADE! The sound of that is full of possibilities. The Commission has positioned First 5 Riverside to support and align with Governor Newsom’s “Parents’ Agenda” that includes the biggest funding increases for children ages 0-5 in our state’s history. Our new Strategic Plan – approved by the Commission in December – will allow us to strengthen this work at the local level. Our federal House and Senate representatives also passed a spending bill that includes $1 billion increased funding for early learning and care programs. There will be no shortage of opportunity for First 5 Riverside and our early childhood partners with new and expanded funding in programs and initiatives that strengthen supports for children and families in California. In our 20-year history, there has never been a better time for us to bring this important work to the next level in creating comprehensive systems change for children ages 0-5. I have highlighted some of the unprecedented new funding opportunities in the Governor’s budget that continue to advance California systems to improve, integrate and expand services to strengthen families and help children grow and thrive. Our new strategic plan activities – approved by the Commission in December – will allow us to strengthen and align this work at the local level. The governor has given us what we have asked for. Our First 5 toolbox is stocked and ready. 2020 promises to be the decade we can make the greatest impact for our youngest children. Sincerely, Tammi Graham, Executive Director First 5 Riverside
Parent's Agenda A brief overview of Governor Newsom’s budget priorities for young children and families includes: Universal job protection to all workers who take paid family leave and disability leave regardless of employee size; and $1 million to help small businesses mitigate associated expenses $10 million in one-time funding to develop a cross-sector training program for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), and for a public awareness program, around trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive responses, for specific sectors including early childhood, education, government, and law enforcement An additional $53.8 million for CalWORKS Stages 2 and 3 Child Care $50 million in ongoing funding from the Cannabis Fund (Prop 64) to support over 3,000 general child care slots, and an additional $10.3 million to add 621 general child care spaces An additional $31.9 million in 2021, and $127 million ongoing, for 10,000 additional state preschool slots (full-day, full-year), effective April 1, 2021 By investing $1 billion to fight homelessness around the state, the proposed budget would also profoundly affect many families with young children, who account for one third of the state's homeless population.
FY2020 Funding Bill At the federal level, the House and Senate passed FY2020 government spending bills to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year. Included in the legislation is over $1 billion in increased funding for federal early learning and care programs, including a $550 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program and a $550 million increase for Head Start & Early Head Start. The final FY2020 approved funding that will benefit young children include: Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) $5.826 billion — $550 million above FY2019 Early Head Start / Head Start $10.613 billion — $550 million above FY2019, of which an additional $100 million
is to be used for expansion of Early Head Start or Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Preschool Development Grants $275 million — $25 million above FY2019 IDEA Part B Preschool Grants $394.12 million — $3 million above FY2019 IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Families $477 million — $7 million above FY2019 IDEA Grants to States $12.764 billion — $400 million above FY2019
CalEITC Expansion First 5 Riverside was invited by the Office of the Governor to participate in a Roundtable Discussion on January 14 to engage trusted partners on how to promote the $1 billion toward the California Earned Income Tax Credit and Young Child Tax Credit. Good news for families with young children! The expanded California Earned Income Tax Credit, new Young Child Tax Credit, and federal Earned Income Tax Credit can give money back to families when they file their taxes. Please forward to anyone you know who may benefit.
Click here to find out how much you could get back with the CalEITC Tax Calculator
New State First 5 Center Opens The First 5 Association opened the new Center for Children’s Policy this month to promote policies and best practices to strengthen systems for children 0-5 in California. The First 5 Center draws from the assets, experiences and expertise of the 58 First 5 Commissions around the state. It is supported by philanthropic and other funding sources to pave the way for First 5 counties to continue to diversify and cultivate new sources of
funding. The First 5 Center includes the All Together Now campaign and a new early childhood resource library with a digital collection of free resources, from stories, quotes, fact sheets, data and more. Access the new Early Childhood Resource library here.
Senator Roth Recognizes Commissioner Judy D. White, Ed.D. for MLK Jr. Legacy Award Senator Richard Roth congratulated Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) Superintendent of Schools and First 5 Commissioner Judy D. White, Ed.D. on Twitter after Moreno Valley College recognized her as the 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award Honoree.
Census 2020 Over 1 million children from birth to age 5 were missed in the 2010 Census, making it the largest undercounted age group. In addition, California had the highest undercount of children 5 and under. Every child missed by the Census results in lost federal program funding, resulting in about $2,000 per child over the next 10 years! To help ensure that we count all kids, the First 5 Association launched a Census toolkit with downloadable resources to help promote the 2020 Census. Locally, First 5 Riverside and First 5 San Bernardino have partnered with CensusIE to see how we can work together to promote the Census within the Inland region, specifically targeting messages towards hard-to-count populations. You may also visit our website for additional information about the census and the importance of counting children ages 05.