SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) today announced more than $40 million has been advanced as bridge funding to prevent a crisis for thousands of California families and child care providers following Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto of child care funding for former CalWorks recipients. The bridge funding is intended to last until new legislation to restore the cuts can be acted upon in January.
“The Governor was clearly wrong to veto child care funds that help keep thousands of families working and off welfare,” Pérez said. “While the implementation of the cuts is being heard in court, we are continuing our efforts to find bridge funding until we can restore the money for this vital program. I’m very pleased to announce that more than $40 million has come forward so far, helping us meet the need for the youngest children, from infants to age 5, through the end of January.”
The Governor’s veto would eliminate safe, subsidized child care slots for 81,000 children in 60,000 working families in California whose parents have moved off welfare and into the workforce. His veto also means small business child care providers throughout the state face having to lay off their own employees.
$6 million of the $40 million comes from the Assembly, which is contributing the funds from cuts made to the Assembly’s own operating budget. On October 19, Speaker Pérez also contacted the state’s First 5 Commission and the 58 County First 5 Commissions, seeking their help in providing bridge funding. So far more than $34 million in specific contributions have been put forward by county First 5 Commissions to assist families affected in those counties. Other Commissions have not designated a specific amount, but have generally authorized covering costs to ensure that impacted children aged infant to 5 in the county do not lose their child care.
The First 5 County Commissions that have so far come to the aid of families include Alameda ($1.75 million), Alpine, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa ($2 million), Humboldt ($43,000), Lake ($140,000), Los Angeles ($15 million), Marin ($180,000), Mendocino, Monterey ($260,000), Napa ($85,000), Nevada ($50,000), Orange ($400,000), Placer ($300,000), Riverside ($2.1 million), Sacramento ($2 million), San Diego ($3.2 million), San Joaquin ($553,000), San Luis Obispo ($300,000), San Mateo ($705,000), Santa Barbara ($470,000), Santa Clara ($3 million), Santa Cruz, Solano (761,000), Shasta ($207,000), Sonoma, Tuolumne, Ventura ($630,000), Yolo ($306,000), and Yuba.
Meetings where the issue will be considered are slated for Amador, Glenn, Madera, Merced, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Francisco and Tulare counties.
An Alameda County judge who had stayed implementation of the cuts for one week is expected to issue a ruling later today, and could potentially extend the stay or otherwise impact how the cuts might go into effect.
CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408
Website of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
