CHILD CARE RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE - A CRY FOR HELP!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, on the 84th day of the State budget not being signed, over a hundred parent advocates, children and child care providers mobilized in support of funding for child care centers impacted by State Budget impasse. Child care centers throughout Los Angeles County, like others across California, have closed their doors or will be closing their doors by the end of September 2010.

The future of child care is bleak in the midst of this historical budget conflict and unsigned budget for California. This State budget crisis is devastating and no resolution seems imminent soon. Parents are grappling to find alternatives to child care and many are concerned about how to maintain their employment and/or participate in educational and vocational training programs. Governor Schwarzenegger’s refusal to sign the budget and leave the task for his successor until January 2011 is causing a major calamity for child care centers.

Schwarzenegger has proposed to eliminate child care subsidies for 142,000 children. The State has not paid for approximately 55 percent of low-income families. To date, more than 18 programs with classrooms or sites in Los Angeles County have closed impacting 1,000 children and 280 staff who been furloughed according to Laura Escobedo, of the Local Planning Council for Los Angeles County.


In addition, more than 11,116 children in alternative payment programs will be impacted due to unpaid vouchers by the State of California. It is anticipated that 12 center based programs will be closing by September 30th. A total of 3,067 children will be without child care services and 409 staff will lose their jobs.

Unpaid vendors of these centers are also caught in the middle of this despairing situation. Payments to vendors have been placed indefinitely on hold until the signing of the State Budget. The financial indebtedness for these centers is mounting everyday and children, parents and child care staffs are suffering.

The event was organized by Hoover Intergenerational Care, Inc. (H.I.C.), The South Central Child Care Research and Training Consortium (SCCRTC), and Community Voices of Crystal Stairs Resource and Referral Agency. Participating child care centers among others included some of the following: Girls Club of Los Angeles, Heavenly Vision, Hoover Intergenerational Care, Inc., Second Baptist Church, Options Child Care, Children’s Collective, Inc., Child Development Consortium, Connections for Children, Center for Community and Family Services, Faithful Central Education Center, Coalition for School Readiness and Quality Children Services. Also attending on behalf of Senator Curren Price was Andrew Lachman.

California Budget Impasse Set to Break 85-Day Record as No Vote Scheduled

California is poised this week to break its record of going 85 days without a budget as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers remain at odds over closing a $19 billion deficit in the most populous U.S. state.

“We can solve this in three seconds if the Democrats wanted to cut enough so the state could live within its means,” the 63-year-old Republican said in an interview before meeting with legislators in his Santa Monica office today.
“The second that happens, we could have a budget,” he said. “It’s a very difficult time for all of us.”

Lawmakers adjourned at the end of last month and haven’t scheduled a vote on the budget. The last time California had gone this long without a spending plan was on Sept. 23, 2008, when Schwarzenegger signed an accord a week after it was approved by legislators.

California, the biggest U.S. issuer of municipal debt, has missed its constitutional deadline to have a budget by the July 1 start of its fiscal year in all except four of the last 20 years. Budgets and tax increases require approval by a two- thirds vote of the Legislature, a so-called supermajority that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can muster.

“The two-thirds supermajority required for budget passage basically sets them up each and every year to fail persistently like this,” said Guy LeBas, a fixed-income strategist with Janney Montgomery Scott, a financial advisory firm based in Philadelphia.

Rating Threat

At issue this year is how to best erase the resurgent deficit brought on by the recession that cut into state revenue. Schwarzenegger and Republicans want to dismantle the state’s main welfare program and slash $12.4 billion of spending. Democrats proposed $5.9 billion in higher taxes and fees combined with $8 billion of spending cuts.

The state’s credit grade may be cut if the stalemate continues for several months or more, Standard & Poor’s said in June. S&P rates the state A-, its fourth-lowest investment grade and the lowest among its peers. A lower rating may add to California’s borrowing costs. The extra yield investors demand on 10-year California bonds fell from 1.53 percentage points above AAA rated municipal securities Dec. 9 to 1.21 percentage points yesterday, Bloomberg Fair Value Index data show.

Schwarzenegger is demanding lawmakers roll back pension benefits for state workers to 1999 levels and agree to ask voters to approve spending curbs and the creation of a rainy-day fund.

IOU Alert

“It’s unfortunate that the Legislature has gone this long without a budget, but we absolutely will not just solve the short-term problem in front of us without addressing the pension and budget reforms so we don’t go through this again,” said Schwarzenegger’s spokesman, Aaron McLear.
California Controller John Chiang has warned that unless a compromise is reached soon he might have to once again resort to paying state bills with IOUs as soon as next month to ensure he has enough money to pay priority obligations such as debt service.
“It’s maddening and frustrating to be more than 80 days into the fiscal year without a budget,” said Senate President Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat from Sacramento. “We’re close to an agreement and I am hopeful a deal that is fiscally responsible, funds education at the highest level possible, and doesn’t shred the already delicate safety net, can come together soon.”
In 2009, two back-to-back impasses ended only after Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed to cut $32 billion from spending and raise taxes by $12.5 billion. He has vowed not to raise taxes again.

Compromise Call

The governor “needs to get together and work out a compromise,” said Kevin Richards, 58, an unemployed construction worker standing outside Schwarzenegger’s Santa Monica office.
“He can’t get anything done and I end up on the street,” said Richards, who said he once supported the governor and lost his unemployment benefits two months ago. “I’ve got sand in my hair from sleeping on the beach.”

After a budget agreement, California plans to issue as much as $10 billion in short-term notes. Schwarzenegger’s Department of Finance has identified about $6 billion of bonding needs for the period from the budget’s resolution to the end of November.

California last sold general-fund backed securities in June, when it offered about $120 million of debt for veterans’ homes. The state sold $450 million of public-works bonds in April and $5.9 billion of debt in March.

To contact the reporters on this story: Michael Marois in Sacramento at mmarois@bloomberg.net; Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles at cpalmeri1@bloomberg.net.

California Budget Crisis Press Conference

Save Child Care! Save Jobs!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 10 am

It is the longest budget stalemate in California history, and time and money is running out for South Los Angeles child care centers. Child Care providers have stopped receiving payments, child care centers have laid off staff and many have closed their doors. Without child care, parents are not able to work or participate in training programs that allow them to financially support their families and give them hope for a better future.

Please stand with the community on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 10 am to tell the Governor to be a LEADER and pass a responsible budget that will help California’s families and children.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 22, 2010
TIME: 10 am
WHERE: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office
300 S. Spring St, LA-State Building, Los Angeles, CA

For More information Contact:
Levi Kingston, Founder Bd. Chair Hoover Intergenerational Care 213- 748-3700
Adrienne Marks, Communication Director, Cell (805) 9984, e-mail ajmgrants4u@yahoo.com

Hands Around the Capitol on September 15, 2010

This WEDNESDAY September 15, the HHS Network and its partners will be holding the "HANDS AROUND THE CAPITOL" demonstration, and we need all hands on deck to make this our biggest push yet!

We'll be in the Capitol to call on obstructionist legislators and tell them, "WE NEED A GOOD BUDGET WITH REVENUES NOW!" Join us WEDNESDAY Sept. 15th at the South Steps of the State Capitol Building at 1:00 p.m.

The HHS Network is also reserving buses in the following location to help transport people to the Capitol:
Fresno
Stockton
Modesto
San Francisco
Hayward
Oakland
Berkeley
Richmond
Southern California

To reserve your bus seats today, please contact Jessica Lehman at jessica.lehman@cril-online.org or Jodi Reid at jreid@californiaalliance.org! Please contribute to make Sept 15 a decisive action in the budget campaign Hundreds of people with disabilities, seniors, parents, and others are preparing to come to the Capitol on September 15. Can you help us pay for transportation? Please click here to donate $5, $25, $100, or whatever you can give.

If the budget delay continues, critical services at child care centers, health care clinics, and community programs begin to shut down – and thousands of people who contract with the state get deeper in debt because they aren’t getting paid. That’s why organizations representing these Californians are planning a giant mobilization in Sacramento on Sept 15.

Why Sept 15? Legislative leaders will be in the Capitol, negotiating the budget. It’s also the day Governor Schwarzenegger returns from his trade mission in Asia. Those hardest hit by the state budget crisis will go to Sacramento to tell the obstructionists: You are forcing the closure of critical programs, job loss for hundreds of thousands of employed people, and hurting California seniors, children, families and people with disabilities.

Be a part of this campaign and contribute to the fund by going to hhsnetworkca.org and clicking on the donate button. Thanks so much!

HHS Network of CaliforniaVisit us online at HHS Network of CaliforniaBecome a Fan of the HHS Network of California on Facebook!Follow Us on Twitter!

The California State Budget - Update No. 3

The State Level

Today is Day 70 of the fiscal year. This year's stalemate has now passed the second-latest budget previously on the books (Sept. 5 for fiscal year 2002-2003). The record for the latest budget signing stands as Sept. 23 -- when Schwarzenegger signed the spending package for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have one more day to meet for more budget negotiations before the governor's departure Thursday for a six-day trade mission in Asia.
Democratic leaders held back yesterday from criticizing the governor for going abroad without a budget in place, pointing out that talks can happen over the telephone while Schwarzenegger is away.
Although there is still no signed budget, there has at least been movement with other legislative bills. The following is a list of child care-related bills that await the Governor’s signature. The Governor has until September 30th to sign them.

AB 2084 (Brownley) - Child day care facilities: Nutrition
Requires a licensed child day care facility to follow specified guidelines relating to the provision of beverages (milk, juice & water). Includes the exclusion of a child, with documentation from a physician, from any of the requirements (e.g., 1% milk or nonfat milk, no beverages with added sweetener) if the child’s health would be adversely affected. Includes new findings and declarations and notes that if a child has a medical necessity for “medical food” documented by a physician or if a parent or guardian provides a beverage then the provider is exempted from the requirements of this bill as it relates to the child/ren involved. Includes definition for healthy beverages and other technical changes. Implementation delayed until January 1, 2012 and then only requires DSS-CCL determination of compliance during regularly scheduled visits.

AMENDED to allow the department to adapt the provisions of the most recent nutrition information available.

SB 1116 (Huff) - Heritage Schools
Defines heritage schools as programs that serve school age children that attend a full-day public or private school and educates children to speak a foreign language and learn about a foreign culture and customs. Heritage schools would be required to comply with fingerprinting and criminal record checks applicable to private schools and to file an affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Requires the director of a heritage school to complete at least 15 hours of health and safety training and employees and volunteers to be in good health. It requires notification to parents that the school does not have a child care license. Includes a fee of $100 for initial affidavit filing and for each subsequent filing with of fee of $55 to be deposited in the Heritage Enrichment Resource Fund. Limits the fee for affidavit filing to the cost of the department in administering the program. Changes the filing requirements related to filing date, address requirements and enrollment information and from an affidavit or statement of operation to electronic registration form. Notes that Heritage schools do not satisfy state compulsory education requirements. Notes that Heritage schools shall not employ a person who is prohibited from employment by a public school district due to a crime conviction. Officially exempts a Heritage School from licensure as a child day care facility.

AB222 (Adams) – Ancillary Child Care
As of January 1, 2011 exempts employees under 18 years of age who provide care in an ancillary day care center from the requirement to register as a trustline provider. It would specifically provide that nothing in the trustline provider provisions shall be construed to prevent a person under 18 years of age from being employed in an ancillary day care center. A person who is denied trustline registration or has had registration revoked is ineligible for employment. This bill permits an employee or perspective employee to work pending the review of the trustline application.

SB 1381 (Simitian) - Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Program
Changes the kindergarten and first grade entry age progressively beginning in 2011-12 through 2014-15 back by one month each year. Requires that those children ineligible for kindergarten be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program and included in the calculation of average daily attendance. *Transitional Kindergarten defined as the first year of a two-year kindergarten program maintained by the school district.

*AB 434 (Block) - After School Program: Matching Funds
Authorizes the cost of a program site supervisor selected under the ASES Program Act of 2002 to be included as direct services, provided that at least 85% of the site supervisor’s time is spent at the program site. The site supervisor cost may be include in direct services but doesn’t have to be AB 2178 (Torlakson) - After School Education and Safety Program
To the extent consistent with federal and state privacy laws, would allow school districts to provide After School Education and Safety Programs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers with specified data.

SB 798 (DeSaulnier) - 21st Century Learning Centers
Revises the criteria and priorities for allocating funds as of January 1, 2010. Revises the percentage of funds required to be allocated and establishes per-day rates for the operation of year-round programs, school-year programs and summer or intersession programs. Requires the department to periodically review the appropriateness of percentages for allocation of funds and authorize them to adjust the percentages after consulting the Advisory Committee on Before and After School Programs. Technical changes made.

The Water Cooler Bubble Up Report

Women’s Budget Rally

Who/What: Democratic members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus will hold rally/press conference to denounce Governor’s proposed budget, which targets women and children and subjects them to disproportionate harm.

Date: Wednesday, September 8th

Time: 11:30am-12:30pm

Location: West Steps of the Capitol (10th Street Side)

Purpose: Highlighting the need to fund vital programs that support women and children.

Calling on the Governor to stay in the country and continue to work on a budget that is fair and doesn’t target the women and children of California.

The Democratic members of the Legislative Women's Caucus are hosting a rally next Wednesday, September 8 on the West steps of the State Capitol to protest the Governor's/Republican's proposed cuts to CalWORKs and child care. We need to get as many people to the Capitol for this rally as possible. If you are able to join us for this one-hour event, you will be helping to emphasize the importance of these programs to women and children. The Women's Caucus has consistently stood behind our issues, and now is the time we need to stand behind and support their efforts to hold off on any more cuts to child care and CalWORKs and to push for agreement on a state budget. Urge members in your community to join us in our efforts on Tuesday.

If you think you can attend and can get others to join you, please e-mail me and let me know and provide information on approximate numbers. We are trying to keep the staff posted on the number of participants we can bring. Thanks for your continued strength, effort, and energy on behalf of California's children and families.

"Working to Meet Child Care Needs in California"