The Honorable Kansen Chu Chair, Assembly Human
Transcription
The Honorable Kansen Chu Chair, Assembly Human
The Honorable Kansen Chu Chair, Assembly Human Services Committee Capitol Office Sacramento, CA 94249-0014 RE: SUPPORT of AB 233 (Lopez) Child care and development services: alternative payment programs: reimbursement rates Dear Chairman Chu: We, the undersigned, support Assembly Bill 233 to provide maximum parental choice, access and stable child care for eligible working families for 12 months. Additionally, this bill aims to create greater efficiencies and maximize the use of public funds to greater support working families. The goal of AB 233 is provide stability to eligible working families that are doing everything required of them in order to receive a subsidy; that their subsidy will be constant for 12 months. For the working families our mixed community based delivery system of public and private nonprofits support, we see firsthand the benefit of removing the threat of loss of child care in the lives of families. Further, for the employers of our families, securing stable child care funding ought to lead to a more reliable work force. Integral to the success of working families attaining self-sufficiency, is reliable and stable child care that supports both the needs of a working parent and supports the immediate and longer term outcomes of their children. Families that are eligible for a child care subsidy struggle with a multitude of poverty stressors exacerbated by the uncertainty of being able to support familial necessities such as housing, food, health care and education. Finally, we should note that on November 17, 2014, with bipartisan support, President Barack Obama signed S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 20141 into law. As part of this law is language to establish a 12 month redetermination period. In the best interests of moving our most fragile of working families towards self-sufficiency, we ask that you SUPPORT AB 233. Sincerely, CC: Assembly Human Services Committee Members & Staff 1 CCDBG Reauthorization of 2014