Increasing Access to Preschool: Recommendations for Reducing Barriers to Providing Full-day, Full-year Programs. Policy Brief

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.)