Sacramento, CA—Today the Senate Committee on Human Services voted unanimously SB 1307, authored by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park). SB 1307 incentivizes employment in early childhood education by making early childhood education (ECE) workers eligible for state subsidized child care.
California is facing a shortage of ECE workers due to, in part, the high cost of childcare for ECE workers’ own children. Unaffordable childcare discourages many from joining or staying in the ECE workforce, further compounding its shortage.
SB 1307 encourages the growth of the early childhood educator workforce by making ECE workers eligible for state subsidized child care. Specifically, this bill will provide eligibility for state subsidized child care and will exempt the income of the ECE worker from their total household income with verified employment at a child care center or family child care home. Additionally, SB 1307 adds ECE worker families to the priority list for subsidized child care programs. By doing so, this bill incentivizes employment in the ECE space and clears the path for more people to enter this workforce.
“California is facing a dire shortage of the availability of childcare due to an inadequate early childhood education workforce,” said Becker. “SB 1307 Increases the ECE workforce and the amount of child care available to all Californians by making childcare for ECE workers more affordable.”
SB 1307 is sponsored by All Five, who was the 2024 will of the Senate District 13 “There Ought to be a Law” contest, and is supported by Good2Know Partners, Footsteps Child Care Inc., Mi Second Casa Preschool and Daycare, San Mateo County, Child Care Partnership Council, Early Care and Education Consortium, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Foster City Vice Mayor Stacy Jimenez. It now heads to the Committee on Appropriations for consideration.