ERIC Number: ED504229
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Oct
Pages: 16
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Access to Preschool: Recommendations for Reducing Barriers to Providing Full-day, Full-year Programs. Policy Brief
Miller, Kate
Children Now
More than ever before, Californians recognize that preschool provides young children with a strong start in school and life. Research confirms that effective preschool not only prepares children for kindergarten, but benefits them in the long-term. Despite the benefits, only 48% of 3- and 4-year-old children attend preschool in California. While all families want to provide their children with the best early learning opportunities possible, there are a number of barriers that can make preschool impossible. To help more working families and ultimately increase the state's preschool attendance rates, more full-day, full-year options must be made available for the families that need such services. This policy brief provides recommendations for increasing full-day, full-year preschool opportunities by: (1) Increasing the daily Standard Reimbursement Rate (SRR) for all early care and education programs, part-day and full-day, with particular focus on raising the rate for full-day, full-year care; (2) Monitoring and supporting administrative and legislative efforts to consolidate and streamline existing California Department of Education (CDE) early care and education programs; (3) Increasing comprehensive training and technical assistance services for accounting and program staff in early care and education agencies; (4) Supporting efforts to create a more consistent approach to unrestricted and restricted third party funding; (5) Improving capacity of the Centralized Eligibility List (CEL) to support early care and education; and (6) Conducting a legislative interim hearing to identify regulatory and legislative barriers to funding and access to full-day, full-year opportunities. Specific actions and timeframe for each recommendation are included. (Contains 25 endnotes and 1 chart.)
Descriptors: Technical Assistance, Preschool Education, Preschool Children, Preschool Teachers, Access to Education, Educational Finance, Financial Support, Educational Legislation, Educational Administration, Staff Development, Hearings
Children Now. 1212 Broadway 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Tel: 510-763-2444; Fax: 510-763-1974; e-mail: children@childrennow.org; Web site: http://publications.childrennow.org
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Authoring Institution: Children Now, Oakland, CA.
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A