SR-100-002 (25)
F:\HumanServices\Share\ADMINISTRATION\Staff Reports\Universal Preschool.doc
Council Meeting: January 11, 2005 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution in Support of Universal Preschool for all Four Year Olds
in California
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution to support
universal preschool for all four year olds in California.
Background
At the November 9, 2004, City Council meeting, a representative of Public Counsel,
Child Care Law Project asked the City Council to adopt a resolution in support of
universal preschool for all four year olds in California. Public Counsel is working with
Preschool California and other statewide organizations to develop the state funding and
infrastructure to support universal preschool in California. Under consideration are
options for a viable funding mechanism – possibly a ballot initiative for 2006. Council
requested that staff return with a revised resolution that reflects the City’s support for
universal preschool, but does not jeopardize state support for local programs. A revised
resolution is attached for Council approval.
If funded, the statewide program would be available to all four year olds. The program’s
guiding principles would be to:
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Meet established standards for quality;
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Attract and keep professionals who are educated and compensated at levels
comparable to teachers in California’s K-12 system;
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Take place in a variety of settings, including public and private child care centers
and family child care homes, Head Start and schools;
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Provide culturally, ethnically and linguistically appropriate settings and developed
in concert with an infrastructure for educating a culturally, ethnically and
linguistically diverse workforce;
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Be inclusive of children with special needs;
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Link to full-day early care and education programs for working families; and
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Be publicly funded through state revenues.
Discussion
Since the 1980s, when the City adopted its first Development Agreement to support
child care, the City has demonstrated its understanding that high quality preschool
benefits children’s success in school, local business and the economy. The City’s Child
Care Master Plan adopted in 1991 (by the City Council, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD) Board of Education and Santa Monica College (SMC) Board
of Trustees) and the more recent Early Childhood Initiative (developed as part of the
community’s Lifelong Learning Community Partnership and supported by City,
SMMUSD and SMC) continue to provide the policy framework to encourage creation of
child care facilities and services in Santa Monica. These plans also call for increasing
options for quality, accessible and affordable preschool for Santa Monica families.
The infrastructure of the California child care and development system is fragmented.
For example, State Child Development funds administered through the Department of
Education are allocated to both child care center programs and “Alternate Payment”
Programs (the statewide system that provides funds for child care in licensed child care
centers or family child care homes). The result is a statewide child care and
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development system that is extensive, but lacks coordination and consistent quality in
the delivery of services to children and families.
The Los Angeles County First 5 LA Commission, the organization created by the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors following the passage of Proposition 10 (tobacco
tax initiative), will be launching universal preschool for all four year olds in Los Angeles
County on a limited scale beginning in March 2005. For the next five years, Los
Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), a nonprofit organization, funded by First 5 LA, will
oversee the program in Los Angeles County. First 5 LA has committed $100 million in
start-up funds and $100 million annually for the next five years towards this effort. This
funding is insufficient to sustain the system over the long term. Therefore, additional
funding will be required to continue the program beyond the initial five years in Los
Angeles County and to serve all the children who would be eligible for the program.
Preschool California is a broad-based, multi-year, non-partisan advocacy campaign to
achieve voluntary preschool for all four year olds in California. The campaign brings
together business leaders, K-12 educators, early care and education providers, child
advocates, parents, labor, law enforcement, faith-based institutions, and many others to
work toward making quality preschool programs available for all of California's children.
Given the State of California’s structural budget deficit, great uncertainty remains
regarding the will of the voters and the Legislature to fund this effort.
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The City’s primary concern in response to State budget challenges must continue to be
protection of local resources given state’s propensity to underfund and/or divert funds
from other vital state and local programs. City support of a statewide universal
preschool program must therefore insist upon adequate funding to provide all children,
including those with special needs, universal access to sustainable, high quality early
care and education services, and effectively integrate new resources into the early care
and education infrastructure without diversion of local revenues.
Budget/Financial Impact
The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budget or financial
impact.
Recommendation
It is recommended that City Council adopt the attached resolution in support of
Universal Preschool for all four year olds in California.
Prepared By: Barbara Stinchfield, Director, Community and Cultural Services
Julie Rusk, Human Services Manager
Julie Taren, Senior Administrative Analyst
Attachment: See Adopted Resolution No. 10011 (CCS).
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