For Immediate Release
June 1, 2026
Contact: Maya Polon

The more than 70,000 family child care providers in California represented by Child Care Providers United (CCPU) responded to today’s California Assembly’s 2026-27 budget plan with the following statement from Max Arias, CCPU Chairperson and Chief Negotiator:

“A budget is a statement of values. This budget plan sends an important message that California is done providing corporate handouts at the expense of working families. Child care providers applaud the Assembly and Senate’s united front to end corporate handouts, ensuring working families do not lose access to the social safety net that provides a path to the California dream. Still, there’s more we must do to stabilize our child care infrastructure. Our state cannot say we value working families and the women of color who care for the children while leaving them behind.”

“The Assembly’s budget plan, introduced yesterday, makes essential investments in protecting working families from devastating social safety net cuts and in early education. But by investing additional funds only in Prop 98-funded preschool programs, this proposal leaves behind high- and special-needs children and the children of families who work outside a traditional “nine-to-five” job– including the nurses, janitors, and delivery drivers who show up each day to allow our economy and communities to thrive.

“Although the Assembly expresses a commitment to early education, the current plan primarily benefits families with access to traditional 8 AM to 3 PM child care programs. This approach excludes parents who work multiple jobs, night shifts, or are unable to leave work early for school pick-up. While funding preschools through Proposition 98 is significant, many family child care providers deliver essential services, including 24-hour care, school transportation, and support for children with high or special needs. The decision to withhold funding for additional slots and equitable compensation for these providers fails to acknowledge their critical role.

“California loses an estimated $17 billion annually in earnings, productivity, and revenue because child care remains scarce and expensive for the families who need it most. A final budget must include investments in expanding access to care for working families by increasing voucher slots, matching the cost-of-living adjustment offered to our fellow educators, and making critical progress towards meeting the cost of care and adopting prospective pay. There are no mysteries and no shortcuts in addressing the challenges facing our state’s essential child care infrastructure.”

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Child Care Providers United brings together more than 70,000 family child care providers across California and is a partnership of SEIU Local 99, SEIU Local 521, and UDW/AFSCME Local 3930.