Advocates, leaders and researchers have been waiting for a long time to have an early childhood champion in the governor’s office. Now we finally have one. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the new California Legislature have a historic opportunity to put families first this year — something politicians all say they want to do. Gov. Newsom committed a $2.5 billion-dollar total investment in early childhood in the 2019-20 budget, focused on the whole child, and composed of new one-time funds and ongoing funding. That is something we should all be praising. The big question is: What should we do next and how? There are too many working families on waiting lists for childcare, early learning providers don’t receive enough public funds to provide the best care for our families and teachers are paid poverty-level wages. Too many children are not getting the health services they need to give them the best start in life. The Newsom administration is asking us to have a master plan to solve all these issues first before making any long-term funding commitments like reforming California’s reimbursement rate system, paying higher salaries to early learning teachers, providing universal pre-K or comprehensive health services. An independent team of researchers and experts will develop an actionable plan based on current and previous research reports by October 2020. A 27-member Early Childhood Policy Council — comprising diverse stakeholders from across the state, including childcare providers, parents, legislators, advocates, and experts in the field — is also being established to review and implement this plan. The ultimate goal is to create an infrastructure that leverages the commitment of this administration and prepares children and their families for future success. We agree with the governor’s vision and call for accountability, on behalf of the children we serve. We need a multiyear strategy to fund a comprehensive early learning and care system for California’s children and families. First, the state should estimate the cost of providing high-quality programs for all kids, with well-paid teachers who receive good training and supports. Research shows that we need to invest in quality programs if we want to reduce the achievement gap. Based on Stanford University’s Getting Down to Facts report, “California has many good providers; but for a state that once led the nation in early childhood education, early childhood education today is marked by diminished investments in quality, low wages, and highly fractured oversight.”