This brief provides an overview of California's existing network of preschool centers and the potential impact of Proposition 82, which would provide funding for half-day preschool programs for 70% of the state's four-year-olds. PACE, an independent research center, aims to clarify evidence informing education policy options. A 2005 PACE review focused on enrollment patterns and policy options for improving access and quality of local preschools.

This policy brief examines how California's education governance has shifted from local control to centralized, administrative accountability over the past 30 years, including changes in school finance. It primarily focuses on categorical program funding, assessing its impact on equity, adequacy, flexibility, choice, efficiency, predictability, stability, rationality, and accountability. The authors also propose alternative models to the existing system of categorical funding.

The First 5 California Children and Families Commission has funded the Childcare Retention Incentive (CRI) to improve the quality of early care and education (ECE) staff training and retention. An evaluation funded by First 5 California assesses the efficacy of CRI programs in San Francisco and Alameda counties. This report summarizes the preliminary findings from the first year of the Alameda Child Development Corps and San Francisco CARES programs, which examine whether CRI recipients are more likely to participate in training and be retained compared to non-participating ECE staff.

This policy brief examines the effectiveness of childcare retention incentive (CRI) programs in selected California counties. It assesses program design, participant characteristics, training activities, and retention rates among early care and education staff. The study aims to identify the impact of CRI programs on the stability and training of the ECE workforce, which is critical for improving the quality of care for children.