Governor Brown misses opportunity to improve child care.

On October 11, 2015, Governor Brown vetoed the Raising Child Care Quality Act—SB 548. He failed to begin improving our child care system through universal training for child care providers.

We are disappointed. At the same time, we are proud of all that SEIU Local 99 child care providers—joined by other Local 99 members and child care advocates—have accomplished this past year to put focus on the child care crisis. We have made strengthening California’s child care system a priority in the State Legislature.

Family child care providers have united a broad coalition to transforming our child care system. Through the Raising California Together coalition, we’ve brought thousands of Californians together to demand real solutions to the child care crisis that leaves children vulnerable to falling into the achievement gap, impedes working moms trying to lift up their families, and leaves child care providers in poverty.

We know we’re fighting for our kids and for California’s future.

• Our partnerships and determination have helped family child care providers, parents, and children make system improvements through the state budget process. As a result, 6,800 more California children will have access to affordable child care, and providers won modest rate increases after a decade of cuts and freezes.
• Here at SEIU Local 99, we have also launched our online Union Child Care Registry—www.unionchildcare.org—that helps families find our high quality day cares. We are hidden gems in our neighborhoods and parents can now find us more easily.
• These are important, necessary first steps to strengthen the child care profession, help families with young children move into self-reliance, and help close the achievement gap.Child care providers at SEIU Local 99 and the Raising California coalition are ready to lead. Raising professional standards will increase child care quality and stabilize the child care workforce.

Together we will:

• Build on the growing, national energy around living wages to win a commitment from our whole country to support quality affordable child care for all in 2016 and beyond
• Raise up the family child care profession by uniting our voices through a union for child care providers.