The report provides local and state-level policymakers with data on the current capacity of the childcare system and indicators of future growth in family demand. It includes county-level aggregates, new data on job-related income, and estimates for families earning less than 75% of California's median income. It also adds new data on the size of the childcare workforce in each county, revealing disparities in the availability of childcare services and the number of local residents depending on the industry for their livelihood.

California's childcare system lacks planning capacity and data on supply and demand. The Child Care Indicators 1998 report provides early indicators of supply and demand for all zip codes statewide, but zip codes may not reflect local residents' own definition of their community. Public funding for childcare and preschool programs will double in California between 1996 and 1999, but targeting new funding to areas with the greatest need remains a challenge.

In 1998, the PACE research center surveyed low-income and blue-collar parents to help streamline the process of finding childcare, in response to the state's welfare reform legislation. The survey included 300 in-depth interviews and covered topics such as employment, searching for childcare, interim childcare, and perceptions of care quality. The report addresses the policy problem and how parents perceive their limited childcare options.

This report highlights the unequal distribution of preschool and childcare opportunities in California. Despite spending $1.2 billion annually, half of preschool-age children live in households with working mothers, with enrollment dependent on income and location. Counties vary greatly in their supply, with affluent parents more likely to find preschool or childcare slots. Latino children are hit hardest, even in counties with ample supply, with supply in predominantly Latino areas half that of low-income Black or Anglo communities.

Phase III of the California Cares report sought to analyze preliminary recommendations and involve the childcare and development community to redesign policies. Work groups and field representatives discussed proposals for improving services, with over 80 contributors. The project studied nine critical policy restructuring questions and Part Two of the report includes reports from eight tasks and summary information.

Phase III of the California Cares report aimed to redesign childcare and development policy, with input from the community and representatives from three agencies. Work groups and traditional research projects were conducted to study nine questions deemed critical to policy restructuring. Part II of the report includes working papers for all tasks except state governance, which is included in Phase III.

New curriculum manuals have been created to address the expanding field of school-age childcare, including Kids' Time: A School-Age Care Program Guide. Other widely-recognized materials include Just Kids, Preparing for Mass Disasters, and A Guide for Training and Recruiting Child Care Providers to Serve Young Children with Disabilities. The benefits of childcare include fully-employed parents, self-sufficient families, and children who succeed in school due to the aid of childcare programs. Reducing Exceptional Stress and Trauma, a guide on coping with violence, will be published this year.

The California Cares Project, conducted by PACE for the California Department of Education, Social Services & Office of Child Development & Education, culminates in this report. The project was initiated in response to AB 2184, which sought to consolidate all childcare and development programs to streamline the system. The report is divided into two parts: Part I analyzes current obstacles to a seamless system and Part II presents a conceptual model and decision procedure for program and funding allocation and governance. Phase III will refine recommendations and work towards implementation.

The California Department of Education, Social Services, and Governor's Office of Child Development and Education selected PACE to analyze issues and options for improving California's childcare system. PACE will produce a report with optional approaches for improving access, quality, and funding of childcare services, including alternative systems and policy models. Phase I includes analysis of childcare issues and programs, literature reviews, and experiences of other urban states. This report summarizes Phase I's work.