CCDAA’s Standard Reimbursement Rate (SRR) advocacy is working!

Yesterday, April 26, 2006, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services voted to improve the SRR.  After hearing testimony from the LAO, CDE, and child care advocates (including CCDAA) on the inadequacy of the SRR and the dire straights of Title 5 centers, the subcommittee voted unanimously (4-0) to re-direct funds the Governor had proposed for Growth to SRR improvement.  The amount re-directed will be $12.288 million. 

This SRR improvement still has a long way to go to become reality.  The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review committee must adopt similar language, both the Assembly and Senate must approve it, and the Governor must sign it. 

The political clout to make this happen can only come if members write key legislators who will be making this decision.  CCDAA's public policy team -- the State Board, Advocate Tim Fitzharris and the Public Policy Advisors -- have been successful in getting the SRR on the table.  But by themselves they cannot get even this small, initial SRR increase.  

Action Needed
An SRR increase is now up to CCDAA members -- it will only happen if you write.

Letters need to be sent to:

Senator Jack Scott, Chair                   Senator Denise Ducheny, Chair
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review         Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
Subcommittee No. 1                              Subcommittee No. 3
State Capitol, Room 2082                     State Capitol, Room 4081
Sacramento, CA 95814                         Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4021                                     (916) 651-4040
Fax (916) 324-7543                               Fax (916) 327-3522
senator.scott@sen.ca.gov                     senator.ducheny@sen.ca.gov  

Sample Letter

Dear Senator _______________,

My child development center is in serious financial straits due to the low level of funding for "SRR" (Standard Reimbursement Rate") programs funded by the Child Development Division.  This is hurting the children, and families struggling to make it in our economy.

Please re-direct $12.288 million in Growth funding for the Child Development Division to an increase in the SRR, and save our programs. 
[you can add one or more additional sentences telling the Senators how important this would be for the families in your program -- focus on the children and families, and not your agency or the staff]

Sincerely,

Your name
Name of your agency (if you are allowed to use your agency's name, otherwise write as an individual)

Please forward copies of each letter to the CCDAA Office at 717 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Please contact the CCDAA office at 916-443-5919 with any questions.