About 200 De Anza students, staff and faculty went to SacramentoApril 23 to encourage California legislators to oppose Gov. GrayDavis’ proposal to realign childcare funding to countygovernments.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said De Anza PresidentMartha Kanter, describing the process and efforts to lobbylegislators to advocate for childcare funding.
The trip was part of a program by the California Association forthe Education of Young Children called “Advocacy Action Day: Let’swalk the halls and make our calls.”
“The more voices that are heard, the more informed ourlegislators can be to represent the people they are elected toserve,” said Kanter.
| “This isa marathon, not a sprint.”
– – Martha Kanter De Anza President |
Davis’ re-alignment proposal targets “tax bailout” funds — $5.7million given annually to 25 community college child developmentcenters. If passed, the $5.7 million would be eliminated from thestate budget, and the responsibility of funding would betransferred to county governments.
Education instructor Juanita Cordero does not believe countieswill provide any funds for childcare at community colleges since”community colleges are not one of the county’s issues.”
Many legislators do not understand how much of an impact therealignment will have on the Child Development Center and need tobe informed, said Cordero.
“Even Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg thought, ‘Well, everydepartment is getting cut 15 percent,'” said Cordero. “We had toexplain to her that that is not the case here; we’re being cutcompletely, meaning we’ll be no longer existent, by cutting the $5million. Now they understand it better to say, ‘Wait a minute, wedon’t want to touch that. Let’s take from other areas.’ So we’rehoping.”
The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 voted 3 to 0 to oppose therealignment plan and keep all childcare and development fundingwithin the California Department of Education. The subcommitteeincludes Senators John Vasconcellos, Bob Margett and JackScott.
The Assembly Budget Subcommittees have a hearing scheduled forthis Wednesday to decide how much they think should be cut.
Senator John Vasconcellos told Kanter in an e-mail “[The] best Ican predict from talk in the capitol is that the governor’sproposed child care realignment is dead.”
