Quick and Easy Action By Members Needed NOW -- PLEASE SEND A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR NOW -- PLEASE DO NOT PUT THIS ON YOUR "TO DO" PILE

CCDAA's preschool and family child care home education bill, AB 2881, has passed the Legislature, and is on its way to the Governor.  Now is the time to write, call or e-mail the Governor.

E-mailing the Governor may be the easiest way to encourage the Governor to sign AB 2881.  It is quick and simple.  And, your message can be short.  Click here for Directions and more information

One key -- start your letter or e-mail with these key words "Please sign AB 2881"

AB 2881 does two important things:

1.  It recognizes that our full-day preschool programs are EDUCATIONAL, not baby-sitting -- by changing the name from General Child Care to Full-Day Preschool.  Basically we DON'T GET RESPECT IN SACRAMENTO, to a significant extant because the name "General Child Care" does not sound like an educational program.  And this has made it easy for the Legislature to give us no COLA or a reduced COLA in the past -- and then talk about funding education.

2.  AP programs are notified if a provider's license is suspended or revoked
-- but Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHEN) do not receive the same notice.  This puts children at risk.  AB 2881 insures that FCCHEN agencies will get this important notice!

You can include both points in your e-mail, or focus on the aspect of AB
2881 that is most important to you or your agency.  MEMBERS WITH FCCHEN programs should really stress the notice provision!

Following is a sample letter or e-mail: 

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA  95814

Re:  Please sign AB 2881 into law.

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I urge you to sign AB 2881.  This important legislation benefits children, and California, in two ways:

First, it further supports the educational quality of CDE's full-day preschool programs by giving them a name that reflects their educational purpose and value -- Full-day Preschool.  Names are important in communicating the goals and purpose of a program -- and parents, teachers and the public need to know that this is an educational program, and expect the highest educational quality from these programs.

Second, Family Child Care Home Education Networks are now NOT notified if the license of a family child care provider license is suspended or revoked
-- even though other programs are notified.  This puts children at risk.
This was an oversight in recent legislation you signed.  Please fix this oversight and protect children!

Sincerely,

your name
(optional -- your agency name)

To e-mail the Governor, go to his web site at www.govmail.ca.gov and follow the directions.  It's simple.

To write the Governor, send your letter to the address given above.

To call the Governor, call 916-445-2841 (you go through a couple of prompts, listen to a list of issues and then select "other", will probably be put on hold for a few minutes, and then will be connected to a live person to register your message)

Thank you, 

Sandra Edelbrock Gulizia
CCDAA State President