*co-sponsored by Early Edge California and Kidango
Date Introduced: 3/26/2019
Current Status: Senate Appropriations Committee
Title/Synopsis: Early childhood development: interagency workgroup
AB 123 offers subsidized preschool and child care providers new tools and flexibilities to better meet the needs of families in their communities, improve continuity of care for children, and decrease administrative costs during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. AB 123 also enables at-risk families to more easily enroll in subsidized child care by reducing the number of additional paperwork families enrolled in other safety-net services need to provide.
This legislation is significant because the COVID-19 pandemic has led to subsidized preschool and child care providers struggling to meet the needs of families due to the economic hardships resulting from fluctuating attendance and costs associated with evolving public health requirements. High-quality preschool improves a child’s school readiness and social-emotional development and builds a foundation for future success, so AB 123 would provide support for these struggling providers.