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California can't claim to be a progressive state and then underfund early childhood education and care.
On May 13, early childhood educators, parents, families, and caregivers from across the country participated in a national Day Without Childcare. Sponsored by Community Change and all of its state partners, the purpose of the event was to highlight the need for quality, affordable childcare. It was a moment to make legislators nationwide listen and act. For our part, parents and providers in California used the day to champion accessible childcare as well as improved pay and working conditions for providers.
With the support of the families and communities they serve, childcare providers closed their doors and participated in rallies and actions to raise awareness about the vital necessity of quality childcare. While many of us were excited to participate, we wouldn't need a Day Without Childcare if California didn't give away $70 billion in tax breaks to the rich every year.
The California Budget and Policy Center (CBPC) found that "the state will forgo more than $18 billion in revenue due to just four itemized deductions that mostly benefit higher-income households and three tax incentives for businesses and investors."
CBPC found that California will spend less than $1.5 billion on tax breaks that benefit low- and middle-income households. This includes reduced spending on the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), the Young Child Tax Credit, the Renter's Credit, the Student Loan Interest Deduction, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit. It's not because legislators don't know; it's because they lack the political will to do anything about it. California leaders are choosing the rich at the expense of the rest of us.
Without these breaks, our elected leaders could have fully funded early childhood education and care; ensured that providers could offer competitive wages and benefits to retain childcare educators; and ensured that every person who needed childcare received it. Instead, they chose to prop up people who need no help.
We are tired of begging for something that would benefit us all. For instance, in 2022, only one in nine of California's children eligible for childcare actually received services.
Without access to affordable childcare, employees can't get to work, families cannot meet the educational needs of their children, and providers are unable to keep their doors open, let alone retain educators. We're not asking for something out of selfish ambition; we want our children, our parents, and our providers to be well.
It is time that our legislative leaders abandon the ideology of groups such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association and the California Business Roundtable. These groups have strangled California's ability to raise taxes. In fact, for 50 years, they have controlled legislators with Prop 13, which requires a supermajority to raise taxes. Even when we have taken this issue to the people via ballot measures, we have faced lawsuits from these groups. While we have been successful in just two counties, we fight tooth and nail for the services our children and families need. There must be another way.
Caring for children shouldn't be up for debate. In a democracy, we should want to care for our youngest and our most vulnerable. This issue is so important, that we brought 500 parents to the 28th annual Stand for Children Day which was held on May 8. We shared budget demands while urging Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and legislature to implement real revenue solutions.
But again, the broader point is that we wouldn't need a Day Without Childcare if legislative leaders and the governor matched their value of childcare and the role it plays in a child's development with necessary state investments. We wouldn't need a Day Without Childcare if legislators did their part to ensure early educators earned enough to make the field competitive. We wouldn't need a Day Without Childcare if we had fair taxation. We wouldn't need a Day Without Childcare if the wealthy paid their fair share. Instead, our elected officials tolerate state budget deficits due to decreased revenue because they cater to the rich instead of to those in need.
Mary Ignatius is the executive director of Parent Voices California.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
