Governance
California’s early care and education programs are overseen by three distinctive governing bodies: the California Department of Education (CDE), the California Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) and First 5 California. These statewide administrators manage California’s early learning system and collaborate to improve the availability and quality of early child care and development programs throughout California.
California Department of Education (CDE)
The California Department of Education (CDE) provides state
leadership, oversight and resources in order to improve student achievement and
help close California’s wide achievement gap. This state agency oversees all
public education in California, including the California State Preschool
Program. Assembly Bill 2759 (Jones-2007), which became effective in 2009,
consolidated California’s child development programs serving preschool-aged
children, into the California State Preschool Program (CSPP).
The Budget Act of 2009 appropriated over $2.5 billion for the CSPP and other child development programs administered by the CDE. The funds were wide-reaching: more than 1,460 service contracts were directed to approximately 797 public and private agencies statewide, supporting and providing services to almost 500,000 children. As the administrator of the largest, most comprehensive and most culturally diverse child care and development system in the country, the CDE plays a significant role in the lives and education of our state’s youngest learners.
Learn more about the California Department of Education’s Child Care and Development Programs.
California Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC)
Established by executive order in 2009, the California Early
Learning Advisory Council’s (ELAC) main focus is to develop a comprehensive
system and policy plan for birth to 5 services in California. Through a
comprehensive planning process, the Council is charged with developing a vision
of a coordinated system addressing the entire range of policies and programs
affecting children ages birth through 5.
Projects undertaken by the ELAC include developing a statewide early learning plan; making recommendations to establish a unified early childhood data system; improving early childhood educator professional development; and establishing California’s Early Learning Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and implementing a QRIS pilot program. The Council’s work on establishing a QRIS will build on the findings and recommendations of the California Early Learning Quality Improvement System (CAEL QIS) Advisory Council. In December 2010, the CAEL QIS Advisory Council completed its work to develop a policy and implementation plan for a statewide Early Learning QRIS. The ELAC was given the task of piloting and implementing this plan to improve the quality of early childhood education programs throughout California.
Find more information on the California Early Learning Advisory Council.
First 5 California
Created by Proposition 10 in 1998, First 5 is evidence that
Californians believe children are a top priority. First 5 supports children
from prenatal to age 5 by providing information and services that promote early
childhood development and school readiness. First 5 California distributes
funds to local communities at the county level with the goal of benefiting
children and families as directly as possible.
First 5 California integrates programs and resources to advocate for a sustainable early childhood system for future generations. First 5’s vision is that all children in California enter school ready to achieve their greatest potential. Like California’s other early learning governing bodies, First 5 works to ensure that children entering kindergarten and elementary school do so ready to learn and succeed. As part of this goal, First 5 California Commission oversees various initiatives, including the First 5 California School Readiness Program, Power of Preschool programs, professional development through CARES Plus, healthcare coverage and more.
Learn more about First 5 California.
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