Taking its cue from the Universal Preschool Task Force in 1998 and the Master Plan for Education in 2002, the movement to develop a preschool-opportunity-for-all system in California has established a stronghold in California. Read about all the statewide legislative and organizational efforts being made and find out how you can become a part of the momentum.

First 5 California

Created by Proposition 10 in 1998, First 5 supports children from prenatal to age 5 by providing information and services that promote early childhood development and school readiness.

The First 5 Statewide Commission has more information on the First 5 California School Readiness Initiative and First 5 California’s Efforts to ensure that all California children have the chance to get ready for kindergarten.
Visit the First 5 California website to stay informed on the latest breaking news and upcoming First 5 events.
 

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

In 2003, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation announced a multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment to achieve and implement preschool opportunity for all 3 and 4 year olds in California within 10 years.
More about their commitment 

Master Plan for Education

Delivered to the Legislature in August 2002, the Master Plan for Education is a comprehensive policy document which lays out a blueprint for strategic planning of pre-K through university education policy and finance.  The Plan includes voluntary preschool access to all children in the two years leading up to kindergarten as one of its key school readiness recommendations.
Read the School Readiness Working Group: Final Report (pdf)

Universal Preschool Task Force

In 1998, the Universal Preschool Task Force, convened by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, called for "publicly funded universal preschool within ten years for all three- and four-year-old children in California." Specifically, it recommended:

• expanding the supply and quality of the preschool workforce;
• increasing the number of facilities;
• ensuring access in a range of settings; and
• combining local, state, federal and private funds to finance the program.
  

The task force report, Ready to Learn (Sacramento: California Department of Education, 1998) elevated preschool in policy debates and became a basis for future work on preschool opportunity for all. It is not available electronically, but copies can be ordered from CDE by calling (800) 995-4099 and asking for item #1399 ($8.00).
 

Affordable Buildings for Children’s Development (ABCD)

ABCD seeks to build a comprehensive and sustainable financing system for quality child care facility development in California by utilizing existing organizations and adapting a proven model drawn from the affordable housing development system.
Review the ABCD fact sheet (pdf)
A chart summary (pdf) of all these statewide efforts is provided by EarlyEducation.org