California’s early care and education advocates are continuing to campaign for universal preschool, although Prop. 82—which would have provided free, voluntary preschool for California’s four-year-olds—was defeated in June. “A lot of folks are excited because the overall movement for preschool is much larger now…and we can continue that if we do things collaboratively,” says Scott Moore of the Child Development Policy Institute Education Fund.

Prop. 82 “raised the visibility of preschool issues,” adds Nancy Strohl of the Child Care Law Center. And even as Prop. 82 failed in California, Illinois approved its own universal preschool program.

Meanwhile controversies continue over some hot-button issues that emerged during the campaign: how to provide full-day care for working families, support for current providers and for children learning English, and emphasis on social-emotional as well as academic development.

Major players still committed

First 5 California “is committed to promoting high-quality universal preschool for all children,” says Communications Director Elisa Bupara. First 5 funds universal preschool projects in areas of Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Ventura, and Yolo counties. Other counties are now getting programs off the ground (Contra Costa, Glen, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Yuba).

The programs are free, serve three- and four-year-olds, run at least three hours a day and 175 days a year, and target children in areas with the lowest-performing schools. Many counties provide “wrap-around” care. All programs that meet quality standards can participate.

The Reiner Foundation will continue to push for universal preschool, says spokesman Mark Fabiani. “The challenge now…is to bring together those who see the value in universal preschool, but may have disagreed with Prop 82’s methods, to find another way to accomplish this important education reform,” he adds.

Preschool California will “focus on expanding quality preschool and staff compensation,” says President Catherine Atkins—by creating a blueprint for future campaigns and pushing for greater state investment in preschool.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation “made a 10-year commitment to achieving universal preschool,” says program officer Weiman Wang, and creating “(an) environment where people understand early childhood education is important and providers (are) supported.”

Advocates continue campaigns

California Child Development Corps is calling for more involvement by teachers and providers in local universal preschool planning–and more money for professional development. If local preschool programs expect teachers to “reach higher education standards,” teachers want additional funds, says Alice Burton of the Corps.

Family child care providers will continue efforts to be recognized as professionals, says Bernice Gilmore of the California Federation of Family Day Care Associations. Many long-time providers don’t have a BA, which Prop. 82 would have required, she points out, adding that “additional education does not necessarily mean higher quality care.”

The California Association of Family Child Care will send emails and meet with legislators to make sure providers are included in universal preschool legislation, says President Marva Lyons.

Parent Voices is calling for “culturally and linguistically appropriate (programs) with (an emphasis on) social development,” says statewide organizer Mary Ignatius. “These kids are sometimes coming home so stressed out.” Parent Voices plans to bring parents to testify in Sacramento about the need for full-day, full-year, quality preschool, as well as the need for more subsidized child care, more child care inspections, and higher reimbursement rates for providers.

Debate about preschool standards

Last year, the California Department of Education drafted standards for California’s state preschools. These were based on “considerable…research (about) how children learn, standards from other states, and California’s K-8 standards,” says Gwen Stephens of CDE’s Child Development Division. The department withdrew its draft standards at the request of the Prop. 82 campaign.

Early childhood educators and immigrant groups worried that the standards wouldn’t be appropriate for young children—so they got involved.

Social and emotional development: Concerned that CDE’s draft standards focused only on academic skills, the Southern California Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC) drafted a position paper calling for research-based standards that value play and caring relationships, integrate all forms of development, encourage positive approaches to learning, support children’s home languages and cultures, and include children with disabilities.

Preschool standards should include “the whole gambit of child development. . .sense of self worth, (resolving) conflicts with other children. These skills are as important as any academic skills,” says Betsy Hiteshew of SCAEYC. Advocates are now gathering signatures to support the SCAEYC document and plan to present it to CDE.

Language: “When (kids) don’t understand what’s being said, it creates an obstacle to their learning,” says Antonia Lopez of the National Council of La Raza. “We’re working proactively to…make sure standards include strategies for children to learn English and develop their first language.”

NCLR and other organizations met with CDE officials and held three town hall meetings with Latino parents and community members. They developed preschool principles that address language and other issues and are working for legislation based on these principles.

Next steps: CDE is revising the standards to address language and development issues, says Stephens. Advocates will be able to give “considerable input” through stakeholder meetings, public hearings, and web-based comment forms.

If the standards reflect advocates’ views, they will “support them whole-heartedly,” says Hiteshew. “If not, we’ll work on changing them. The time to be involved is now. If developed and implemented properly, (the standards) could make a huge positive difference.”

More money for preschool

This year’s state budget includes $100 million for state preschool for children in low-income families. “It’s exciting that the governor is willing to push for an increased investment in early care and education,” says Donita Stromgren, of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

“We hope there will (also) be increased investment in full-day, full-year preschool (and) in the people who are providing care,” adds Strohl.

For more information

• California Association for Family Child Care, 510-450-7152, www.cafcc.org
• California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, 415-882-0234, www.rrnetwork.org
• California Child Development Corps: 415-808-7327; www.uwba.org/matters/w4qcc/
  w4qcc_cacorps.htm
• California Federation of Family Day Care Associations, 323-779-7208
• Child Care Law Center, 415-394-7144, www.childcarelaw.org
• Child Development Policy Institute, www.cdpi.net
• Parent Voices, 415-882-0234, www.parentvoices.org
• Preschool California, 510-271-0075, www.preschoolcalifornia.org
• Southern California Association for the Education of Young Children, 310-434-4456, www.scaeyc.net

Extra resources from the Children’s Advocate bulletin (updated 2-07)

• Caring for Our Children, from the Child Care Work Group, outlines state budget and policy priorities for key early care and education issues, including access, affordability, and eligibility; licensing and regulation; provider payment and rate structure; compensation, professional development, and retention; and financing and systemic issues. Online at http://www.childcarelaw.org/docs/workgroup1.07.pdf
  
  
• High-Quality Teaching In Preschool Closes Achievement Gap, from the winter 2006 issue of Education Next, discusses quality early care and education programs. Finds that high-quality programs helped children from less educated families and children with behavior problems do as well in preschool and first grade as children from more educated families and children without such behavior problems. Online at http://www.hoover.org/
  
  
• The economic benefits of investing in high-quality early care and education are discussed in two reports:
  
  
  • Economic Promise of Investing in High Quality Preschool, from the Committee for Economic Development, online at http://www.ced.org/
    
    
  • Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth, from the Brookings Institution, online at www.brookings.edu/views/papers/
    200604dickenssawhill.htm

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