SR-100-002-01 (2)
f:hsd:share:strpts:earlychildhood.doc
Council Meeting: May 22, 2001 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Resolution Supporting California Assembly Bill 1539 (AB1539) to Ensure a
Smooth Transition of a Child’s Records from Preschool to Kindergarten
and California Senate Bill 308 (SB308) to provide Sufficient Funding of
Child Care to Low-Income Working Families by January 1, 2006.
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends the City Council adopt a resolution supporting California
Assembly Bill 1539 (AB1539) to ensure a smooth transition of a child’s records from
preschool to kindergarten and California Senate Bill 308 (SB308) to provide sufficient
funding of child care to low-income working families by January 1, 2006.
BACKGROUND
Assemblymember Fran Pavley introduced AB 1539 in this legislative session on
February 23, 2001. This bill requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to
develop procedures and take steps necessary to ensure that a child’s records from a
state funded preschool, infant, or toddler program records transfer to a public school
when the child goes to kindergarten. SB 308 was introduced in this legislative session
by Senator Martha Escutia and passed by the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee. This bill requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide
sufficient funding to cover the cost of child care and early childhood development
services for all-income eligible individuals commencing on January 1, 2006.
DISCUSSION
AB1539:
While school records for children in the SMMUSD preschool programs transfer with
them when they enter kindergarten, this does not consistently occur for children in other
Santa Monica state and federally funded programs. Contact between kindergartens
and child care and early education programs is essential so that kindergarten teachers
can effectively build upon the learning and development of individual students and so
children and their families know what to expect during the transition. AB1539 is an
urgency measure that further advances the importance of a child’s experiences in child
care and early childhood programs to success in school, and functioning in later life.
Transfer of information would be accomplished only with parental consent.
SB308:
Approximately 700 children from low-income families in Santa Monica receive preschool
and early education services from a variety of state and federally funded programs
including Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), Parent Infant Care
Services (PICSI), Children’s Place, and Head Start. These programs are designed to
provide children with access to high-quality and developmentally appropriate child care
and early education programs that will help prepare them for school. According to the
Child Care in Santa Monica Report (September 2000), approximately 300 children
under the age of five are on a wait list for subsidized child care and early education
programs. While the City currently provides $432,500 to Connections for Children for
child care subsidies to Santa Monica families, the City alone cannot meet the needs of
all qualifying low-income families. The intent of SB308 is to fully-fund all eligible families
on waiting lists.
FISCAL/BUDGETARY IMPACT
Staff recommendations in this report have no budgetary impact.
RECOMMENDATION
City staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution supporting California
Assembly Bill 1539 (AB1539) to ensure a smooth transition of a child’s records from
preschool to kindergarten and California Senate Bill 308 (SB308) to provide sufficient
funding of child care to low-income working families by January 1, 2006.
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director,
Julie Rusk, Human Services Manager
Tracy Scruggs, Human Services Supervisor
Julie Taren, Senior Administrative Analyst
Community and Cultural Services Department
ATTACHMENTS: Resolution
RESOLUTION NUMBER ________________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA, CALI-
FORNIA SUPPORTING: 1) CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 1539 (AB1539) TO ENSURE
A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF A CHILD’S RECORDS FROM PRESCHOOL TO KIN-
DERGARTEN; 2) CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 308 (SB308) TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT
FUNDING OF CHILD CARE TO LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES BY JANUARY 1,
2006
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica established the importance of education as a key
Council budget priority; and
WHEREAS, the 1990 Child Care Master Plan sets forth its commitment to maintain and
expand the support of quality, affordable and accessible early childhood education and
school age child care programs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica has provided substantial resources toward early
childhood subsidies and after school programs; and
WHEREAS, quality early childhood development programs create the foundation for a
child’s lifelong school success; and
WHEREAS, growth and learning occur in a gradual process for each child and devel-
opment and learning are enhanced when programs are founded on the child’s previous
experiences and implemented in an orderly sequence; and
WHEREAS, it is critical that preschools and kindergartens join forces to develop pro-
grams that reinforce each other; and
WHEREAS, quality educational school age child development programs support school
success and reduce delinquency, vandalism, gang affiliation and accidents; and
WHEREAS, in order to address the critical and increased need for quality early child-
hood and school age programs, the responsibility must be shared by all governmental
bodies;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES
HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Santa Monica City Council supports: 1) California Assembly
Bill1539 (AB1539) to ensure the smooth transfer of information and importance of
preschool to kindergarten transition, and 2) California Senate Bill 308 (SB308) to
provide sufficient funding of child care to low-income working families by January
1, 2006
Section 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution; and thenceforth
and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________
Marsha Jones Moutrie, City Attorney
strepts\resolutionsFY2001earlychildhood.doc