CCDAA is working to help save the highly valuable California School Age Families Education (Cal-SAFE) program.  Our members have brought the threats the Cal-SAFE programs are facing to CCDAA’s attention, and CCDAA is currently looking into how it can be part of the solution to preserve the Cal-SAFE program as a valuable resource for California’s children.

The Cal-SAFE is a program based in high schools that provides expectant and parenting students with both academic and support services.  Among the support services these students receive are high quality child care and development for their children.  The goals for the high school students in the program are getting them to graduation, transitioning them to college or work, decreasing their dependency on welfare, improving their parenting skills and reducing the number of repeat pregnancies.  The goals for these students’ children are healthy birth weights, health screenings, immunizations, and enhanced school readiness. 

The future of the Cal-SAFE program and the children that benefit from it are threatened by the recent Budget Deal.  Cal-SAFE is a Mega-Categorical budget item.  The recent budget deal made a 15% across the board reduction to fifty-three K-14 categorical programs, totaling $944 million.  Simultaneously, the enabling legislation gave local school administrators flexibility in the use of funding for the lowest tier programs.  The “flexibility language” permits all local programs in the lower tier to “be deemed to be in compliance with the program and funding requirements contained in statutory, regulatory, and provisional language”  until FY 2012-13.  The Cal-SAFE program is in the lowest tier and, therefore, subject to the local flexibility funding option and the related standards waiver. 

The impact on Cal-SAFE programs is already being felt.  It is only two months since the above became law and already nine schools are closing their student parent programs as of 2009-10 and eighteen more are considering termination.  Given local education shortfalls, it is likely that programs will end in most schools statewide (certainly by FY 2013).

Please click here to find a position paper on the Cal-SAFE program.  Please share this information with your colleagues, local school board members, county superintendents, and your local state representatives.  When distributing information about the Cal-SAFE program, please always be sure it is printed on yellow paper.  This is important in ensuring that Cal-SAFE information is always immediately recognizable.

Thank you for helping CCDAA save a valuable program that has provided vital support and educational services for thousands of California’s children.

Contact CCDAA:
1107 2nd Street, Suite 320
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: 916-443-5919
Fax: 916-443-5924
www.ccdaa.org