Passage of AB 1164
Bill improves parents' access to affordable, quality child care
On September 11, 2007, the legislature passed a bill to give 90,000 child care providers a voice to improve their profession by passing AB 1164. The bill is on the governor's desk and parents, providers and small business owners are urging Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign it.
Family child care providers in California, on average, work 67 hours per week and make less than minimum wage after direct operating expenses. In some parts of the workforce, turnover has been estimated as high as 69 percent.
AB 1164 would give providers the freedom to form a union and negotiate with the state for more training opportunities, access to affordable health insurance, more reliable reimbursements from the state child care assistance program, and other improvements that would help providers stay in the profession. It would not affect the relationship between parents and their child care providers.
Rallies were held in September at the governor’s offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fresno, Riverside and San Diego where supporters delivered thousands of letters from parents, providers and small business owners.
Child care providers let Gov. Schwarzenegger know they need help keeping their doors open and urged him to sign AB 1164 at a Fresno rally this September.